Evidence note · 3 November 2026
iLovePDF web redaction: the text was still there
iLovePDF’s web Redact tool is presented as a way to “permanently remove” visible text and graphics. We put a unique marker in a synthetic PDF, redacted it through the web tool and checked the downloaded file. The marker was still there.
The short version
- Tool
- iLovePDF web Redact
- Marker
CANARYREDACTME7F3A2B- Downloaded output
7f1acc27be2ce3d3b8d4441906e1b26c47108a5b9d6fa429921e6115940fe118- Marker in output
- Still present
What we did
- Built a two-page synthetic PDF. Page one carried the marker with clear space above and below it. Page two was left untouched.
- Uploaded it to the web Redact tool. The tool marks content by text search rather than by drawing a box, so the marker was entered in its search field.
- Accepted the match and applied Redact. The page showed the marker on page one and offered the processed download.
- Downloaded the output and searched it. The marker was still extractable from the downloaded PDF. The output also contained black fills over the marked area.
A black rectangle over text is not the same thing as removing the text. If the underlying characters are still in the file, a reader or a script can recover them even though the page looks redacted.
What this does and does not cover
| Surface | Finding |
|---|---|
| Web merge | Sent to iLovePDF servers Observed in our 3 November 2026 test |
| Web redaction | Sent to iLovePDF servers Observed in our 3 November 2026 test |
| Desktop app | Local, per the vendor Vendor statement, not tested |
| iOS and Android apps | Not established Not tested |
| API | Not established Not tested |
This is a finding about the web redaction flow on one document and one date. It is not a finding about iLovePDF Desktop, which the vendor separately advertises as permanently removing content. That surface was not tested.
Why this matters for choosing a redaction tool
The difference between a tool that covers text and a tool that removes it is invisible in a screenshot. Both produce a black mark on the page. The only reliable check is to search the saved file for the text after redaction, which is why the canary method is used here.
If you need redaction for confidential material, use a tool that removes the underlying content and verify the output yourself. The redaction guide explains the test and lists the tools where the result is known.