PDF tools for legal & healthcare
True redaction, metadata removal, and Bates numbering — free, private, and entirely in your browser. No uploads. No third-party servers. No BAA required.
Redact PDF
Text is burned out of the page — not overlaid with a box. Redacted content cannot be extracted by copy-paste or PDF parsers. Essential before sharing any document containing PHI, PII, or privileged content.
Strip PDF Metadata
PDFs silently carry the author's name, the software used to create them, creation timestamps, and an XMP metadata packet. Locdone shows you what's present, then wipes it all — Info dictionary and XMP stream.
Bates Number PDF
Stamp every page with a configurable Bates label (e.g. SMITH000042). Set the prefix, start number, digit padding, font size, and position. Labels are drawn into page content — they print and copy correctly.
Why the upload question matters
For most PDF tools, your file travels to a server. For compliance work, that's the problem.
HIPAA covered entities
PHI uploaded to a cloud PDF tool may constitute an unauthorized disclosure. Without a signed BAA with that vendor, the upload itself is a violation — regardless of the redaction done after.
Attorney-client privilege
Transmitting privileged documents through a third-party service introduces questions about waiver. Local processing eliminates the third party entirely.
Court protective orders
Confidential documents subject to protective orders often cannot be shared with parties not named in the order. A cloud service may qualify as such a party.
Government & export controls
Documents subject to CUI, ITAR, or similar controls may face restrictions on where they can be transmitted. Browser-local processing keeps them on the authorised device.
Questions
Why can't I just use iLovePDF or Smallpdf?
Those services upload your file to their servers for processing. For documents covered by HIPAA, attorney-client privilege, or court protective orders, transferring files to a third-party cloud service may be a compliance violation — regardless of that service's privacy policy. Locdone processes everything locally in your browser: the file never leaves your device.
How can I verify that nothing is uploaded?
Open your browser's developer tools (F12 → Network tab), then drop a file and process it. You'll see zero network requests made to any external server during processing. You can also disconnect from the internet after the page loads — the tools still work.
Is Locdone HIPAA compliant?
HIPAA compliance is a property of an organisation's practices, not a single tool. What Locdone provides is the technical foundation: no PHI ever leaves your device, no BAA is required because no data is transmitted, and no audit logs are kept. Your organisation's policies determine compliance — Locdone removes the cloud-upload risk from the equation.
Do I need to redact AND strip metadata?
For thorough preparation: yes. Redaction removes visible content from pages. Metadata stripping removes hidden identifying information embedded in the file itself — author name, software, timestamps. A fully redacted document can still reveal who created it via metadata. Use both tools for complete preparation.