Encrypt PDF icon showing a PDF document with a padlock in front of it.

Encrypt PDF

Encrypt PDF is a REST API tool that securely encrypts and protects all of the content within a PDF document, requiring the viewer to enter a password to access the contents of a document. This tool empowers developers to implement robust PDF security workflows, safeguarding sensitive information and controlling document access programmatically.

Key Benefits of Encrypt PDF API

  • Automate security workflows by seamlessly integrating password protection into your document lifecycle, ensuring sensitive information is always secure.
  • Apply industry-leading encryption with AES 256-bit encryption technology, providing robust security that is virtually impenetrable from brute-force attacks.
  • Manage PDF access by easily setting or changing passwords for documents, or even completely removing existing encryption when authorized.
  • Convert various document types into encrypted PDFs for secure archiving, maintaining confidentiality and compliance standards.
  • Create secure document workflows by chaining API requests to encrypt PDFs after conversion or other transformations, enhancing overall data protection.
  • Leverage Adobe® PDF Library™ technology for reliable and secure encryption, trusted by professionals worldwide for robust document security.
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Why is pdfRest the best API to encrypt PDF with password?
pdfRest offers the best solution for encrypting PDF documents with a password, because it supports automated security workflows, removing and changing passwords, and secure AES 256-bit encryption technology.

Automated Security Workflow

The pdfRest toolkit is purpose-built to easily integrate into both new and existing solutions the document management tools needed to transform your data into formats that are compatible and secure.

Encrypt PDF provides many ways for developers to automate the entire document lifecycle, and chainable API requests mean that once a file is uploaded once, many different tools can be used to shape what the final product is based on your requirements. Sensitive images can be uploaded once, converted to PDF format, encrypted with AES 256-bit security, and stored in whatever platform your policies require.

All of this and more is easy with pdfRest.

Change Passwords and Remove Encryption

A tool can have multiple functions and the Encrypt PDF API Tool is no exception. In the same way that a hammer can both drive and pull nails, Encrypt PDF can both secure a document as well as change existing security.

Provided that you have the existing password, you can change the password for distribution to different shareholders by supplying the current password and setting a new password with the /encrypted-pdf API endpoint. You can also use the /decrypted-pdf API endpoint to remove encryption entirely and open the document to be accessible to a wider audience.

Trust in Secure Encryption Technology

Modern businesses rely on many best-practices to secure their digital property. Whether it's in-transit, at-rest, file-level, or software-based, encryption is one of the largest areas of growth and pdfRest has a tool for that!

Powered by the Adobe® PDF Library™, with the same industry-leading security trusted by hundreds of thousands of companies world-wide, the pdfRest Encrypt PDF API Tool will help you rest easy knowing that your documents are safe and secure with AES 256-bit encryption, virtually impenetrable from brute-force attacks and even state-of-the-art quantum computing.

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Start from Code Examples
See more code examples in our GitHub repository

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Start with a Tutorial for step-by-step guidance

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Customize Your Solution

Learn about the parameters for this tool to create your custom solution.

New Open Password

The new_open_password parameter allows you to enter a new open password for your PDF. An open password encrypts your PDF and prevents unauthorized users from viewing your document.

See Documentation

Safe & Secure

Confidently process your sensitive data with pdfRest. Our platform is fortified for robust, Enterprise-grade security and compliance, including GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2 Type 2 certification in progress. Your data's protection is our priority.

Frequently Asked Questions
Need more help? Contact Us or visit our documentation.

The Encrypt PDF API is a REST API tool that secures PDF documents with a password. This tool allows developers to add, modify, and remove encryption, providing a comprehensive solution for managing document security programmatically. It applies robust encryption to all PDF content, ensuring that users must enter a password to access and view the document.

The API uses AES 256-bit encryption, a robust, industry-leading technology that is virtually impenetrable from brute-force attacks. This provides a high level of security for your documents, ensuring your sensitive data is safe and protected.

Yes, you can. If you have the current open password for a document, you can use the /encrypted-pdf endpoint to set a new password. To completely remove the password and encryption, you can use the /decrypted-pdf endpoint.

No, you cannot. Due to the nature of secure, 256-bit encryption, you must know the existing password to either change it or remove the encryption entirely. The API will not be able to process a document that is password-protected without the correct password.

An open password is required to view a password-protected PDF. A permissions password is required to change or modify the document's restriction settings and permissions. If edit restrictions are set on the document, you may need to supply the current_permissions_password in order to add, modify, or remove encryption.

This API is ideal for automating security workflows, such as securely archiving sensitive documents, protecting internal reports, or ensuring confidentiality in data sharing. You can also chain API requests to encrypt PDFs immediately after a conversion or other transformation, enhancing your overall data protection strategy.

The pdfRest toolkit is designed for chained API requests. For example, you can upload a sensitive image once, convert it to a PDF, and then use the Encrypt PDF API to instantly apply AES 256-bit encryption before storing it on your platform. This allows you to build a seamless and secure automated document lifecycle.

Ensuring the security and privacy of your data is a top priority at pdfRest. Our platform is built for robust, enterprise-grade security and compliance, including GDPR and HIPAA. All your files are secured with encryption during both transit and at-rest, and they are permanently deleted after the stated file retention period (30 minutes for most plans). For complete details, please refer to our Data Processing Agreement (DPA).

To facilitate GDPR compliance for your encryption workflows, pdfRest processes your data within the European Union and adheres to other strict data protection requirements. You can ensure all processing occurs within the EU by sending your API calls to the dedicated EU endpoint at http://eu-api.pdfrest.com/encrypted-pdf. Please note that a GDPR usage fee may apply for some plans. For more information, please review our Data Processing Agreement.

Integrating the Encrypt PDF API is straightforward. We offer comprehensive API documentation and code samples in many programming languages. The API Lab also allows you to test and generate code snippets directly from your browser, simplifying the setup and ensuring a smooth integration experience.

Yes, you can perform this task with our no-code tools. Our API Lab is an online tool that allows you to upload files and send API calls directly from your browser. For an even more convenient workflow, you can also encrypt a PDF online with pdfAssistant.ai, a conversational AI assistant that automates PDF tasks.

Yes, pdfRest offers two self-hosted options. The pdfRest API Toolkit on AWS allows you to deploy and manage your own backend processing infrastructure within your AWS environment with pay-as-you-go pricing through the AWS Marketplace. The pdfRest API Toolkit Container provides ultimate environmental control as a Docker Container, giving you the flexibility to run the API in on-premises data centers or public/private cloud environments with a flexible, custom licensing model.

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