In developmentThis tool is still in development. It needs a server component that is not switched on yet, so it will not convert files in your browser right now. The 58 browser tools work fully today — this one is still in development.
Add a password and permissions to a PDF. Encryption is handled server-side, so this tool requires the optional AllDays backend to be enabled.
Requires server
This tool needs a server — and isn't switched on
Unlike the 58 browser tools here, this one genuinely can't run in your browser. Office-format conversion, PDF encryption, and deep image compression need software that only exists server-side.
Uploads to server
How it works
- Applies real AES encryption using qpdf — this is actual security, not the visual deterrent that our watermark tool provides.
- The permissions flags (no printing, no copying) are honoured by well-behaved PDF readers, but they are not cryptographically enforced — a determined tool can ignore them. The open-password, however, is genuine encryption.
- If you forget the password, the file is gone. There is no recovery.
- This tool uploads your file to a server — unlike every browser-based tool here. This conversion requires server-side processing and is not currently available on AllDays.Tools. When it becomes available, this page will explain exactly how files are handled. But if that tradeoff matters to you, use the client-side tools instead, where the file provably never leaves your device.
The story behind it
Document encryption separates viewing from possession
A file can be copied while still requiring credentials or permissions to open or modify it. PDF security features were designed to carry access restrictions with the document itself.
Permissions are not magic DRM
PDF permissions depend on compatible readers respecting them. Strong confidentiality depends on encryption and password/key handling, not merely on a visible 'protected' label.