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PDF Permissions Online Free — PrivaTools

TL;DR: Upload a PDF, set an owner password and choose permissions (print, copy, modify) — download the locked copy.

Set PDF permissions online — control who can print, copy, edit, or annotate your PDF documents. Apply granular access controls with owner password protection.

Every PrivaTools tool — including PDF Permissions — is genuinely free with no premium tier, no per-day limit, and no watermark on the output. Files are deleted from the server within seconds of your download completing. Source code: github.com/taiyeba-dg/privatools.

How to PDF Permissions with PrivaTools

  1. Upload a PDF — Drop a PDF up to 500 MB.
  2. Set an owner password and permissions — Choose which operations are allowed for users without the owner password: print, copy text, modify, annotate.
  3. Download the protected PDF — Anyone without the owner password is limited to the allowed operations. The PDF itself still opens without a password (use Protect PDF if you want a user password too).

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between owner password and user password?

User password = required to OPEN. Owner password = required to override permissions (print, edit). Use Protect PDF for both; this tool sets only the owner password + permission flags.

How strong is the protection?

It's enforced by readers as a courtesy — Adobe Acrobat respects it strictly, some open-source readers ignore it. For real security, encrypt with a user password.

Can users still copy text?

Only if allow_copy is true. If false, the reader disables text selection. Note: screenshots still work (no PDF protection can prevent that).

Last reviewed 2026-05-01 by the PrivaTools maintainers. Source code on (MIT-licensed, self-hostable).

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