How to password-protect a PDF and share it safely

Which documents deserve a password?

Email goes further than you expect: it can be sent to the wrong address, forwarded on, or sit in an account that is later compromised. A PDF containing ID or passport scans, bank details, salary figures, medical information, tax documents or contract terms is worth protecting before it is attached.

Steps

1. If you are sending several documents, combine them first with Merge PDF. One protected file is easier for the recipient than five, each with its own password.
2. If you want any leaked copy to show who it was meant for, add a label such as “For ACME Ltd. application only” with Watermark PDF. Do this before encrypting, because the protected file is harder to edit.
3. Open Protect PDF, choose the file, enter the password twice and download the protected copy. The file and password are processed in your browser and are not sent to a server.
4. Open the downloaded file yourself and confirm that it asks for a password, that the password works and that every page looks right.

Choosing and sharing the password

• Use at least 8 characters, and avoid anything other people could guess, such as a birthday or phone number.
• Split the channels: email the file, then send the password by text message, a phone call or a messaging app the recipient already uses.
• If an employer or agency sets the password format for you, follow it, but be aware that rules like “your date of birth” are weak.
• Do not reuse the same password across many documents, and store it in a password manager rather than in the email thread.

Limits of a PDF password

An open password controls who can open the file. Once someone has opened it, it does not stop printing, screenshots or forwarding a copy. If you cannot trust the recipient, sending less information matters more than any password. FileLivo also does not process PDFs that are already encrypted or that contain a digital signature (adding protection could invalidate the signature), and it does not remove, recover or guess passwords.