Redact PDF Content
Permanently blacks out selected text, regions, images, or entire pages of a PDF, and makes the redacted PDF available for download.
Mask Types: Provide query when type is text, or rect when type is rect. An entry missing its field is skipped rather than failing the request.
Endpoint
OAuth Scope
curl --request POST \
--url https://www.zohoapis.com/pdfeditor/api/v1/pdf/content/redact \
--header 'Authorization: Zoho-oauthtoken d92d4xxxxxxxxxxxxx15f52' \
--header 'content-type: multipart/form-data' \
-F 'file=@file_path' \
-F 'input_options={
"mask_info": [
{
"type": "text",
"query": "Confidential,Internal Use Only",
"page_range": "1-3"
},
{
"type": "rect",
"rect": {
"top": "100px",
"left": "100px",
"width": "200px",
"height": "50px"
},
"page_range": "2"
}
]
}' \
-F 'password=OpenSesame123'Request Body
multipart/form-dataThe source PDF to redact, uploaded directly or imported from a publicly accessible URL. The file must be no larger than 50 MB, contain no more than 400 pages, and have no page larger than 2,400 square inches. Its filename must not exceed 255 characters. Supported formats: pdf.
Configures the redactions applied to the PDF.
{
"mask_info": [
{
"type": "text",
"query": "Confidential,Internal Use Only",
"page_range": "1-3"
},
{
"type": "rect",
"rect": {
"top": "100px",
"left": "100px",
"width": "200px",
"height": "50px"
},
"page_range": "2"
}
]
}Show Sub-Attributes
One or more redaction instructions applied to the PDF.
[
{
"type": "text",
"query": "Confidential,Internal Use Only",
"page_range": "1-3"
},
{
"type": "rect",
"rect": {
"top": "100px",
"left": "100px",
"width": "200px",
"height": "50px"
},
"page_range": "2"
}
]Show Sub-Attributes
The kind of redaction this entry performs. text redacts matches of query, rect redacts the box in rect, image blacks out every image on the selected pages, and page blacks out the entire page content.
Comma-separated search terms to redact wherever found on each page in page_range. Each match is blacked out and the underlying text removed so it can't be searched or extracted.
The explicit coordinate box to redact on each page in page_range.
{
"top": "100px",
"left": "100px",
"width": "200px",
"height": "50px"
}Show Sub-Attributes
The redaction box's distance from the top of the page, suffixed with px. The value is applied as a PDF point (1/72 in), not a true screen pixel.
The redaction box's distance from the left of the page, suffixed with px. The value is applied as a PDF point (1/72 in), not a true screen pixel.
The redaction box's width, suffixed with px. The value is applied as a PDF point (1/72 in), not a true screen pixel.
The redaction box's height, suffixed with px. The value is applied as a PDF point (1/72 in), not a true screen pixel.
The pages this entry applies to. Accepts all, odd, even, or a comma-separated list of page numbers and ranges (e.g. 1,3-5).
The password to unlock the source PDF, if it is password-protected.
// Note: payload contains multiple type attributes
// type: file
file = quarterly-review.pdf
// type: object
input_options = {
"mask_info": [
{
"type": "text",
"query": "Confidential,Internal Use Only",
"page_range": "1-3"
},
{
"type": "rect",
"rect": {
"top": "100px",
"left": "100px",
"width": "200px",
"height": "50px"
},
"page_range": "2"
}
]
}
// type: string
password = OpenSesame123 {
"status": "inprogress",
"status_check_url": "https://www.zohoapis.com/pdfeditor/api/v1/pdf/content/redact/job/3f65c7592a741d98e46bf310cbe678f574a1d51fce306a8d9b6430217e538acd"
}
Rate Limits
Duration - Time window for the threshold.
Threshold - Number of API calls allowed within the specified duration.
Lock Period - Wait time before consecutive API requests.
© 2026, Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. All Rights Reserved.