How to Change Text in a PDF (Fix Typos and Dates)

PDFs aren't designed to be edited like Word documents, but small changes — a typo, a wrong date, an old phone number, a price — are easy to fix. Open Add Text to PDF, draw a white-out box over the old text, then click with the Text tool and type the new text on top in a matching font and size. Download the corrected PDF.

Replace text in a PDF step by step

1. Open Add Text to PDF and add the PDF.
2. Choose the White-out tool and drag a rectangle over the text you want to replace. Make it just big enough to cover the old words.
3. If the page isn't white, set the box colour to match the background.
4. Choose the Text tool, click where the new text should start, and type it.
5. Match the original: pick the closest font (Helvetica for modern sans-serif text, Times for serif text, Courier for typewriter-style text) and adjust the size until the letters are the same height as their neighbours.
6. Switch to Move to fine-tune the position, then Download PDF.

Matching the original text

The trick to an invisible edit is matching three things:

• Font family: most business documents use a sans-serif font (like Arial or Helvetica) or a serif font (like Times New Roman). Choose the closer of Helvetica and Times. Exact matches aren't possible for custom fonts, but the right family is usually convincing.
• Size: compare the height of capital letters. Change the size in small steps until your text lines up with the rest of the line.
• Colour: body text is usually black or very dark grey; headings may be coloured. Set the text colour to match.

Zoom in with your browser (Ctrl or Cmd and +) to check the alignment closely.

When to convert instead

White-out and retype is perfect for a few words. For bigger changes — rewriting paragraphs, adding a page of text, changing a table — it becomes fiddly, and the layout won't reflow around your changes. In that case:

1. Convert the PDF to an editable document with PDF to Word.
2. Make your changes in Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice.
3. Save it as a PDF again.

Formatting is simplified in the conversion, so this works best for text documents rather than designed layouts. If you have the original Word or design file, editing that and re-exporting is always the cleanest option.

Don't use white-out to hide secrets

White-out covers text visually. The original words are still in the file: anyone can select them, copy them, or delete your white box with a PDF editor. That's fine for fixing a typo, but not for hiding account numbers, names or confidential details.

To remove information for good, use Redact PDF, which deletes the hidden text instead of covering it.

Locking your changes in

The white-out boxes and new text are added onto the page. To make them part of the page so they can't easily be selected and moved, run the corrected file through Flatten PDF.

Be honest about edits

Editing a PDF you created — your own invoice, CV or letter — is routine. Altering documents issued by someone else, such as bank statements, certificates or official letters, and presenting them as originals can be fraud. Ask the issuer for a corrected copy instead.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change the text in a scanned PDF?

Yes, the same way: white-out the old text on the scan and type over it. Because a scan is a picture, set the white-out colour to match the paper (it's often slightly grey).

Why doesn't my new text match exactly?

PDFs often embed special fonts that aren't available elsewhere. The three standard fonts cover most documents closely enough for small fixes.

Is it free and private?

Yes. Editing happens in your browser; the PDF isn't uploaded anywhere.