March 24, 20263 min read

Edit PDF Metadata — Change Title, Author, and Properties

Edit PDF document properties including title, author, subject, keywords, creation date, and custom metadata fields. Clean up or update PDF information.

pdf metadata pdf properties edit title edit author document info

What Is PDF Metadata?

Every PDF carries hidden information about itself — the title, author, creation date, software used, and more. This metadata is visible in File > Properties in any PDF viewer and is indexed by search engines.

Why Edit PDF Metadata?

Privacy — remove your name, computer name, or organization from shared documents
SEO — search engines use PDF titles and descriptions for indexing
Professionalism — a PDF titled "Document1.pdf" by "User" looks amateur; proper metadata looks polished
Organization — searchable titles and keywords make finding PDFs in large collections easier
Compliance — some industries require specific metadata fields (author, date, classification)

Metadata Fields You Can Edit

Field	What It Is	Example
Title	Document title (shown in browser tabs, search results)	"Q3 2026 Financial Report"
Author	Document creator name	"Acme Corp Finance Team"
Subject	Brief topic description	"Quarterly financial performance"
Keywords	Search terms	"finance, quarterly, revenue, 2026"
Creator	Software that created the original	"Microsoft Word"
Producer	Software that created the PDF	"MyPDF.com"
Creation Date	When originally created	"2026-03-24"
Modification Date	When last modified	"2026-03-24"

How to Edit Metadata Online

Step 1: Upload Your PDF

Open MyPDF's Metadata Editor and upload your PDF.

Step 2: Edit Fields

The current metadata is displayed. Edit any field — change the title, update the author, add keywords, or clear fields you want to remove.

Step 3: Save and Download

Click "Save Metadata" and download the updated PDF.

Common Metadata Problems

Problem: "Document1" as Title

Most PDFs exported from Word or Google Docs inherit the filename as the title. Change it to something descriptive.

Problem: Personal Name Exposed

Your full name appears as the author when you share a document. Clear or change this field before sharing externally.

Problem: Wrong Creation Date

A document edited years later still shows the original creation date. Update it if the date matters.

Problem: Software Fingerprint

The "Creator" and "Producer" fields reveal what software you used. Some organizations want to remove this for security.

Tips

Always set the Title field — this appears in browser tabs when PDFs are opened in Chrome/Firefox and in Google search results
Add keywords — they help with document management systems and search
Clear metadata before sharing sensitive documents — remove author, creator, and dates if they could reveal information
Batch edit — if you have many PDFs, edit metadata in batches for consistency

Frequently Asked Questions

Does editing metadata change the document content?

No — only the hidden properties change. The visible pages, text, and images remain identical.

Can search engines see PDF metadata?

Yes — Google uses the Title field as the page title in search results and indexes keywords for ranking.

How do I view metadata without editing it?

Open the PDF in any viewer and go to File > Properties. Or use PDF Info to see all metadata at a glance.

PDF Info — View all metadata without editing
Protect PDF — Restrict editing after setting metadata
Compress PDF — Optimize file after metadata update
Redact PDF — Remove sensitive content, not just metadata