Using PDF Password

PDF Password is a lightweight command-line tool that provides an easy way to work with password-encrypted PDF documents.

Use the following syntax to encrypt and decrypt documents using PDF Password:

NAME pdfpassword -- PDF password protector and unprotector USAGE pdfpassword --encrypt <input_file> --password <password> --out <output_file> [--batch] [--verbosity <level>] pdfpassword --decrypt <input_file> --password <password> --out <output_file> [--batch] [--verbosity <level>] DESCRIPTION This application encrypts and decrypts PDF documents with a password. The options are as follows: -e, --encrypt <path> Encryption input - either a single file or a mask. -d, --decrypt <path> Decryption input. -p, --password <password> The password to use. This will be asked interactively if not provided in the command line (unless --batch or --passfile is supplied). USE WITH EXTREME CARE - any password provided via the command line stays in the clear in command history. -f, --passfile <path> The file to read the password from (a safer alternative to --password). -o, --out <path> The name of the file to write the processing result to. -x, --extract <list> The subset of pages to encrypt or recover ('1,2,7-10,12'). -m, --merge Merge all input files together before encrypting or after decrypting. -b, --batch Avoid any interaction. -v, --verbosity <level> Verbosity detail level, from 0 (totally quiet) to 3 (verbose). If --out parameter is omitted or in a multi-file (mask) mode, the output documents are saved with <input_file>_ENCRYPTED.pdf and <input_file>_DECRYPTED.pdf names. Encrypting in --batch mode with an omitted --password generates documents encrypted with an empty password. Decrypting in --batch mode with an omitted or wrong password results in an error. The --extract list specifies the pages of the merged document that should be kept in the output document. EXAMPLES Encrypt helloworld.pdf to secretmessage.pdf with a password provided in command line: pdfpassword -e C:\helloworld.pdf -o C:\secretmessage.pdf -p p@ssw0rd The same, but with the option names expanded: pdfpassword --encrypt C:\helloworld.pdf --out C:\secretmessage.pdf --password p@ssw0rd Encrypt helloworld.pdf to secretmessage.pdf with a password contained in password.txt: pdfpassword --encrypt C:\helloworld.pdf --out C:\secretmessage.pdf --passfile C:\secrets\password.txt Decrypt secretmessage.pdf to nolongersecretmessage.pdf. The password will be asked interactively: pdfpassword --decrypt C:\secretmessage.pdf --out C:\nolongersecretmessage.pdf Decrypt secretmessage.pdf to nolongersecretmessage.pdf using the provided password. The password will be asked again interactively if it doesn't match: pdfpassword --decrypt C:\secretmessage.pdf --out C:\nolongersecretmessage.pdf --password p@ssw0rd Encrypt all pdf files in C:\\ without any user interaction. The output files will be assigned with _ENCRYPTED postfix: pdfpassword --encrypt C:\*.pdf --batch Merge all pdf files in C:\\ and encrypt into one single file: pdfpassword --encrypt C:\*.pdf --merge --batch

PDF Password is available for Windows, Linux, and macOS.