There's a difference between keeping people out of a document and controlling what they can do once they're in. A password that blocks opening is the first; restrictions are the second. You want anyone to be able to read the report, but not print it, copy the text out, or edit the figures. That's what PDF permission restrictions are for.
This guide covers the six restrictions you can set, how they differ from password-protecting a file, and the honest limits of what they enforce.
Permissions vs. a password to open
A PDF can carry two separate kinds of protection:
- A password to open (covered in how to password-protect a PDF) stops anyone without the password from viewing the file at all.
- Permission restrictions let anyone open and read the file, but switch off specific actions — printing, copying, editing, and so on.
This guide is about the second. Use restrictions when the content isn't secret, but you want to discourage reuse — a price list people shouldn't copy-paste, a report you don't want edited and re-circulated, a form you want filled but not altered.
The six restrictions you can set
In Blackpdf's Add Restrictions tool you choose which actions to switch off:
- Restrict Printing — prevents the PDF from being printed.
- Restrict Copying — blocks selecting and extracting text and images.
- Restrict Editing — prevents modifying the content.
- Restrict Annotations — stops adding comments and markup.
- Restrict Form Filling — prevents filling in form fields.
- Restrict Assembly — blocks inserting, deleting, and rotating pages.
Turn on only the ones you need; the rest stay allowed.
The steps
- Open the Add Restrictions tool and drop your PDF in.
- Tick the actions you want to restrict from the six above.
- Click Add Restrictions.
- Download the restricted PDF.
An honest note on how strong this is: permission restrictions are a standard part of the PDF format and well-behaved readers respect them — the Print button greys out, copy is disabled, and so on. But they're a policy the reader enforces, not encryption of the content, so they deter casual reuse rather than stopping a determined person with the right software. For genuinely sensitive material, restrict it and require a password to open — and see how PDF encryption actually works for where the real security line sits.
Common questions
What's the difference between restricting and password-protecting?
A password to open keeps people out of the file. Restrictions let them in but limit what they can do (print, copy, edit). They're independent — you can use either or both. Password-protecting is for confidential content; restricting is for content you'll share but don't want reused.
Can someone remove the restrictions I set?
With the right tool, yes — that's the flip side of restrictions being reader-enforced rather than encrypted. Our own Remove Restrictions tool clears them. So treat restrictions as a deterrent and a clear signal of intent, not an unbreakable lock. Pair them with a password for real protection.
I want people to read and sign, but not edit the rest.
Leave Form Filling allowed and turn on Restrict Editing (and Assembly). They can complete the form and sign, but can't alter the surrounding content or reorder pages.
Will restrictions stop screenshots?
No. Anything visible on screen can be photographed or screenshotted — restrictions govern actions inside a PDF reader, not the screen. If you need to permanently hide information, redact it before sharing.
Does adding restrictions change how the document looks?
No. Restrictions live in the PDF's permission settings, not the content, so the pages, text, and layout are unchanged — only the available actions differ.
Wrap-up
To control what people can do with your PDF:
- Drop it into Add Restrictions.
- Tick the actions to block — printing, copying, editing, annotations, form filling, assembly.
- Click Add Restrictions and download.
Remember the line: restrictions are a reader-enforced deterrent, not encryption. For confidential material, combine them with a password to open. To clear restrictions from a file you own, see how to remove restrictions from a PDF.