Restrict PDF

The Restrict PDF API is a REST API tool that applies usage restrictions to a PDF. It acts as a security measure by limiting how viewers can interact with the document, such as preventing printing, editing, or copying content. The tool can be used to add, modify, or remove these restrictions.

An open password is used for encryption and is required to view a PDF document. A permissions password is required to modify a document's security settings and is used to restrict a user's ability to perform specific actions like printing or editing. The Restrict PDF API focuses on managing the permissions password.

The restrictions[] parameter allows you to apply a variety of security measures to your document. The presence of a flag means that the action is forbidden or restricted for the user. These options include:

• print_high: Restricts high-resolution printing (anything over 150 dpi). This means that a user is allowed to print the document, but only at a low quality.
• print_low: Restricts low-resolution printing. When this restriction is set, it means that no printing is allowed at all, as even the lowest quality printing is forbidden.
• edit_document_assembly: Prevents a user from inserting, deleting, or rotating pages.
• edit_fill_and_sign_form_fields: Prevents a user from filling in form fields or adding digital signatures.
• edit_annotations: Prevents a user from adding, editing, or deleting annotations.
• edit_content: Prevents a user from making any changes to the document's text or images.
• copy_content: Prevents a user from copying text or images from the document to their clipboard.
• accessibility_off: Disables support for screen readers and other assistive technologies.

Yes, you can. The Restrict PDF tool includes the /unrestricted-pdf endpoint, which is designed to remove all document security restrictions. You must provide the current permissions password to successfully remove the restrictions.

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

You can modify an existing document's restrictions by providing the current_permissions_password and then setting a new_permissions_password along with your desired restrictions[]. This allows you to easily update security settings as your document's purpose or audience changes.

Common use cases for this API include securing legal documents against unauthorized changes, protecting confidential internal reports from being printed or copied, and ensuring that document permissions are properly managed for secure distribution to clients or partners.

When you apply a permissions password, it will normally overwrite all existing security data, including an open password. To prevent this, you can provide the existing open password using the current_open_password parameter. This will allow you to add restrictions while keeping the document encrypted.

pdfRest offers a superior solution because it supports advanced restriction modification, provides top-quality security powered by the Adobe PDF Library, and offers flexible restriction options with a vast number of possible combinations. It simplifies the implementation of best-practice security into your applications.

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 restriction 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/restricted-pdf. Please note that a GDPR usage fee may apply for some plans. For more information, please review our Data Processing Agreement.

Integrating the Restrict 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 even more convenient workflows, you can apply restrictions to a PDF online with pdfAssistant.ai or remove restrictions from a PDF with pdfAssistant.ai, a conversational AI assistant that automates these 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.