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Watermark, password, and redaction are different
Last updated: 1 October 2026 · Souren Das, FileTools Kit, Bengaluru.
These three jobs get mixed up on PDF sites. They are not interchangeable on FileTools Kit.
Watermark
A watermark draws text, often CONFIDENTIAL, on the page. Anyone can still read the page. It is a visible label. It does not remove the words underneath. It is not encryption.
Password
A user password asks a reader to unlock the file. If the export worked, another reader should prompt. Test that. FileTools Kit cannot recover a password you forget, because the file never came to us. Browser encryption is narrower than a desktop editor. See the password guide.
Redaction
Redaction means the hidden text is gone from the content stream, not merely covered by a black box. A black rectangle drawn on top can be deleted by someone who knows how. This site does not offer true redaction. Do not use a watermark as a stand-in for hiding an Aadhaar number or a salary figure.
What to use
Label a draft: watermark. Stop a casual opener: password, tested. Hide a number: not this site. If you only needed the label, say that in the email so the recipient does not think the file is locked.
If you watermarked, write: “The file is not locked. CONFIDENTIAL is a stamp on the page.” If you passworded and tested: “The file should ask for a password. I will send the password separately.”