Important: Adobe Acrobat Standard does not include redaction tools. Redaction requires Acrobat Pro ($19.99–29.99/month). If you have Standard — or no Adobe subscription — try SafeRedact free →
Step-by-Step: Redacting in Adobe Acrobat Pro
If you have an Acrobat Pro subscription, here's the exact process:
5 Common Adobe Redaction Mistakes
1. Using the highlight or drawing tool instead of the redact tool. Acrobat has both markup tools (shapes, highlights) and redaction tools (data removal). They look similar but work completely differently. Markup tools place a visual layer over text. Redaction tools delete it.
2. Forgetting to click "Apply." Marking content for redaction creates a visual indicator but doesn't remove data. This is the exact failure behind the Manafort case and the 2025 Epstein files disaster.
3. Not sanitizing metadata. Even after applying redactions, your document may contain the author's name, company information, edit history, comments, and bookmarks that reference "redacted" sections.
4. Missing instances across pages. Adobe's redaction is manual — you select each item individually. In a 100-page document, it's easy to catch the SSN on page 3 but miss it on page 47.
5. Saving over the original. Click "Save" instead of "Save As" and your unredacted original is gone forever.
Read about 10 high-profile redaction failures →
A Faster Alternative: SafeRedact
SafeRedact takes a different approach. Instead of manually selecting each item, AI automatically detects sensitive information across every page — SSNs, names, addresses, phone numbers, financial data, and more. You review, accept or reject, and download your permanently redacted document.