July 13, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Remove Your Name From a Word or PDF Document (Free)
Word and PDF files store the author's name and edit history in their metadata. Here's how to remove your name and hidden document data for free, in your browser.
Every Word and PDF you create quietly stores an author name — usually the name you set up on your computer — plus edit history, timestamps, and the software used. If you're sending a document to a client, submitting anonymously, or just don't want your real name embedded, here's how to strip it for free.
What documents reveal about you
- Author name: often your real name from your computer's account.
- Company and last-modified-by: who created and last edited the file.
- Timestamps: when it was created and revised.
- Software: the app and version used, and sometimes template paths.
How to remove it (free, in your browser)
- Open Skrubly's Metadata Cleaner and drop in your Word (.docx), PowerPoint (.pptx) or PDF file.
- It detects the embedded author and document metadata.
- Click Clean, then download the stripped copy — the file is processed in your browser and never uploaded.
Remove your name from a document now — free, private.
Open the Metadata CleanerWhy the built-in options aren't enough
Word and Acrobat do have an 'inspect document' feature, but it's buried, easy to forget, and doesn't help for files you receive from others. Dropping a file into a dedicated cleaner is faster, works on PDFs and Office files alike, and keeps everything on your device.