MakeOverPDF PDF Toolkit
Available now Reliable

Encrypt PDF

Require a password to open a document, using AES-256.

Run this tool

The file is processed on this server and deleted as soon as the response is sent. Nothing is stored, and the result is returned directly to you rather than parked behind a link.

The document
Up to 25 MB. The file's contents are checked, not just its name.
The passwords
Anyone who does not have this password cannot open the document at all. There is no way to recover it — write it down somewhere safe.
Optional. Leave it blank to use the opening password for both. A separate one lets others open the document without being able to change how it is protected.
AES-256. This protects the document from being opened without the password; it does not stop anyone who has the password from sharing it, and PDF permission flags inside the document remain advisory.

How to use Encrypt PDF

  1. Select your document: Choose the file you want to process with Encrypt PDF. Your upload is validated immediately against strict format and size limits.
  2. Configure encrypt pdf options: Adjust any page ranges, compression targets, passwords, or layout settings required for your task. Require a password to open a document, using AES-256.
  3. Run and receive your result: Submit the form to run qpdf AES-256 directly on this server. Output: One PDF, downloaded immediately. Temporary input files are deleted automatically when processing completes.

Frequently asked questions

How does Encrypt PDF work on MakeOverPDF?
Require a password to open a document, using AES-256. MakeOverPDF runs qpdf AES-256 on the server and returns: One PDF, downloaded immediately.
Is Encrypt PDF free and private to use?
Yes. MakeOverPDF requires no user account, watermarks nothing unless you use the watermark tool, and deletes your uploaded document from the private working directory as soon as the request finishes.
What are the file size and page limits for Encrypt PDF?
AES-256, the strongest encryption the PDF format defines. Without the password the document cannot be opened at all — this is the one guarantee in this category that is not advisory. There is no recovery. If the password is lost, nobody can open the document again: nothing on this server keeps a copy of it, and no reset exists. Leave the second password blank and the opening password protects both roles — measured on the engine, which refuses an opening password with an empty permission password at 256 bits unless explicitly told to be insecure. This tool is never told that. Protection is verified before the file is offered: the download must refuse to open without the password, and must report AES-256 and every page of the original when it is given.

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