# Password protect a PDF

> Lock a PDF with a password. Get a strong one suggested, choose what people can do once it’s open, and the lock is checked before you download.

Open the tool: https://yourbrowsercandoit.com/protect-pdf

Lock a PDF with a password, with a strength meter and a checked result. Free, no signup. Runs entirely in your browser; files are never uploaded.

## How it works

Type a password and a meter shows how hard it is to guess, flagging the usual traps such as common passwords, a name plus a year, or short swapped-letter words. Or press Suggest one for a five-word passphrase like otter-velvet-comet-basil-42, which is easy to type and read out but very hard to guess; copy it with one click. Choose what people can do once the file is open: print, copy text, comment and fill forms, or edit pages. The PDF is encrypted with AES-128, which every PDF reader since Acrobat 7 opens, and a separate random owner password makes the permissions stick. Before you download, the file is checked: it must refuse to open without the password and open with it. There is no way to recover a lost PDF password, so keep it somewhere safe and send it separately from the file. Everything happens in your browser; neither the file nor the password is uploaded.

## How to use it

1. **Drop your PDF.** It's shown with its page count.
2. **Choose a password.** Type one and watch the meter, or press Suggest one.
3. **Set permissions.** Decide whether people can print, copy, comment or edit.
4. **Lock and download.** The lock is checked, then the file is ready.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I put a password on a PDF?

Drop the PDF, type a password (or press Suggest one), and press Lock PDF. Anyone opening the file will be asked for it.

### How strong is the encryption?

AES-128, the standard PDF encryption that all modern readers support. The password matters most: a few random words is far stronger than a short complex one.

### Can I stop people printing or copying?

Yes. Untick Print or Copy text. Most PDF readers respect this, but it's a request rather than a hard lock; the password is what keeps the file private.

### What if I forget the password?

It can't be recovered, by us or anyone else. Keep a copy of the unlocked file, or store the password in a password manager.

### Is my PDF or password uploaded?

No. Encryption happens in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere.

## Related tools

- [Merge PDFs](https://yourbrowsercandoit.com/merge-pdf): Combine multiple PDFs into one file.
- [Split PDF](https://yourbrowsercandoit.com/split-pdf): Click between pages to cut, split every N pages, or pull pages out.
- [Compress PDF](https://yourbrowsercandoit.com/compress-pdf): Shrink a PDF or fit it under a size limit, and compare before saving.
- [Rotate pages](https://yourbrowsercandoit.com/rotate-pdf): Turn pages the right way up. Sideways pages are found for you.
- [Extract pages](https://yourbrowsercandoit.com/extract-pages): Pull pages out as a new PDF.
- [Watermark PDF](https://yourbrowsercandoit.com/watermark-pdf): Add text or a logo, placed and previewed on the real page.