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How to Lock a PDF from Editing to Protect Document?

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Written By Tej Pratap Shukla
Anuraag Singh
Approved By Anuraag Singh  
Published On December 2nd, 2024
Reading Time 8 Minutes Reading

Data violations or vulnerabilities are commonly increasing, especially if you use handly documents like PDFs which are easier to download, copy, and share. Here, leaving the PDF content unrestricted can lead to data compromise. Now, you must be wondering how to lock a PDF from editing, preventing unauthorized users from changing the information or secrecy of the document. This comprehensive guide will thoroughly discuss the methods to protect your PDF content from unwanted editing.

What is the Need to Lock PDF from Being Edited?

There are various instances where restrict editing in PDF becomes essential to limit the accessibility of the document. Many industries like government, finance, marketing, healthcare, military, education, etc, hold valuable data related to employees, clients, policies, and more. Here, the chances of alteration in the document sweep. Once the data is stolen, it will impact the reputation and credibility of the organization.

In this case, restrictions like editing can make it difficult to modify the content. It prevents unwanted users from altering the PDF document without legitimate permissions. Moreover, it allows document creators to control actions like updating the information or tampering with the content.

Here are the advantages to lock PDF to prevent editing:

Stop Misuse of PDF Content: Using the editing restriction, you can eliminate PDF document vulnerabilities like unauthorized modification and repurposing of PDF content with ease. In this way, you can avoid the misuse of PDF documents.

Make PDF Document Uneditable: If you make PDF read only or restricted, it certainly limits the team collaboration and changes in the data. In this way, you can secure confidential documents in their original format.

Align with Data Protection Compliance: Industries like healthcare, insurance, and more handle the patient’s data. Here, edit restriction becomes mandatory to prevent malicious intent or accessibility of the document.

Overall, restrict editing in PDF is considered a crucial step for sharing the document without data compromise or tampering. In this way, the document creator can revoke unauthorized users from misinterpreting the information. Additionally, it helps to reduce the chances of accidental modification within the document.

Who Locks PDF to Prevent Editing?

PDFs are blocked from editing when they hold confidential data. Various industries or the private sector use edit restrictions to ensure document security, professionalism, data protection compliance, etc. Here are a few examples where edit restriction is imposed on PDF documents:

Business Corporations: In the day-to-day tasks, organizations share or receive invoices, policies, payment records, contracts, and more. To prevent misleading PDF content, it is necessary to lock PDFs from being edited.

Insurance and Finance: This sector deals with highly sensitive data of clients and accounts that can be stolen for any reason. Here, using the edit restriction ensures the document is used for only view purposes.

Government Institutions: Authorities draft and share confidential research papers, policies, and regulatory PDF documents. It is mandatory to enable the edit restriction in PDF to strictly adhere to privacy and data protection regulations.

Hence, PDF edit restriction is widely used in multiple sectors when it highlights the need to protect document integrity and content. It helps to uphold the trust and makes the PDF file tamper-proof and unaltered.

How to Lock a PDF from Editing

In the following section, we will share the ways how to restrict editing in PDF files. In this way, you can ensure the safety of sensitive information and add a layer of security with ease. Interestingly, bypassing these restrictions is not acceptable under laws like GDPR or DRM rights. Now, here are the methods for how to lock editing in PDF:

1. Try Microsoft Word to Restrict Editing in PDF Document
2. Online PDF Protecting Tool to Make Restricted File
3. Adobe Acrobat Tool for Not Allow Editing on PDF
4. SysTools PDF Editing Restriction Tool

Now, let’s learn these methods one after another.

How to Restrict Editing in PDF with Microsoft Word

Many of you perhaps use Microsoft Word for creating, sharing, formatting, editing, and more. Interestingly, you can use Word to enable the edit restriction on PDF documents. It is one of the simple and freeware solutions for locking the PDF for editing. Here are the quick steps for how to lock a PDF from editing using Word:

  1. Choose the PDF > Open With > Word.
  2. Go to the Review section > choose Restrict Editing.
  3. Click on “No Changes” > enable Password.
  4. After this, confirm via “Yes, Start Enforcing Protection”.
  5. Finally, find File and then, Save As > PDF file.
Remember: This method might look easy. However, it holds bad consequences leading to formatting issues. Additionally, it is not a dedicated and advanced application that restricts the whole document for editing instead unauthorized users can use online software to remove security from PDF files.

How to Prevent a PDF from Being Edited Using Online Tools

If you’re seeking how to lock editing in PDF documents, use online PDF content-protecting tools like Sejda, PDF2go, iLovePDF, etc. Unlike Word, these are comparatively ideal choices for enabling the edit restriction on the PDF file. In this way, viewers can only access the document and can’t perform actions like editing, copying, and more.

Here is the step guide for how to restrict editing in PDF via online software:

  1. On your PC, look for these services.
  2. Choose Files” options to browse PDFs.
  3. After this, tab on the Flatten feature.
  4. Lastly, save the Flatten document.
Drawbacks: To restrict editing in PDF, online PDF protecting software isn’t recommended for business professionals as it elevates the risk of data extraction. If you use these tools for sensitive data, it might steal the document’s integrity and don’t adhere to the major data protection or security standards.

How to Lock a PDF from Editing Using Acrobat Pro Software

Adobe Acrobat Pro tool is one of the top-notch and robust software solutions that is capable of restricting editing and other necessary owner-level permissions like copying or printing. In this way, you can share the document in the viewable mode only. Moreover, it benefits document creators to ensure that the PDF remains unchanged. Here are the quick steps for how to not allow editing on PDF using Adobe Acrobat Pro:

  1. To restrict editing in PDF, download Acrobat.
  2. Choose Properties > Security > Password Security.
    under remove security, choose password security
  3. Now, set the PDF password or edit restriction > OK.
  4. Lastly, download the PDF document in the uneditable file.
Limitations: To use the Acrobat tool, you need to bear costly plans i.e. monthly or annual subscriptions. These plans begin from $24/month. Remember the issue of Adobe Acrobat not responding might impact your productivity and prevent you from accessing this tool with ease.

How to Restrict Editing in PDF – Use SysTools Editing Restriction Tool

If you’re searching for a cost-effective solution for how to prevent a PDF from being edited, use SysTools PDF Lock Software, designed for Windows OS. This is an amazing and powerful tool that allows you to restrict PDFs for editing. In this way, you can stop unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Some other prime features of this premium tool include the option to enable restrictions like printing, text copying, and passwords. Additionally, this robust software supports encryption algorithms like 256 or 128 AES. It facilitates users to preserve the original PDF elements even after restricting the PDF for editing.

Hence, it is secure and tested software to lock the PDF for modification. Now, download this tool on your PC and follow the below stepwise guide.

Free Download Purchase Now

Quick Steps for How to Restrict Editing in PDF

  1. Run the SysTools PDF editing restriction tool.
  2. Choose Add Files to upload the required PDFs.
    choose add files option
  3. Find the Change option to browse the location.
    select the change feature
  4. Under Apply Document Restriction > enable restriction.
    choose necessary restriction
  5. Lastly, press the Lock button to restrict unwanted editing in PDF.

Final Words

In the above guide, we have shared 4 ways for how to lock a PDF from editing. Using these methods, you can secure your document from unnecessary changes even after sharing. Here, we suggest you choose the SysTools solution, it is a convenient and cost-effective tool that allows you to enable the edit restriction on PDF files. In this way, you can stick with data protection compliance to protect the confidential information from breach.

  author

By Tej Pratap Shukla

A versatile technocrat, always in the search for new and interesting areas related to technology. Works on multiple technical problems faced by users frequently. Provides the user-friendly solutions to deal with numerous technical issues.