Remove Links from PDF
Remove all hyperlinks from a PDF, only external web and email links, or only internal links. Also strips auto-open actions and JavaScript. Free and private in your browser.
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- ✓ 100% free
- ✓ No sign-up
- ✓ No limits
- 🔒 Files never leave your device
How to: Remove Links from PDF
- Select a PDF.
- Choose which links to remove.
- Download the PDF without clickable links.
PDFs often contain clickable links you may not want: tracking URLs from marketing tools, links to internal systems, outdated addresses or affiliate links. This tool removes link annotations from every page while leaving the document's appearance unchanged. Keep internal table-of-contents links if you like, and optionally strip actions that run automatically when the file opens.
Common uses
- Clean tracking and affiliate links from documents before sharing.
- Remove links to intranet or private systems from exported reports.
- Prepare exam papers or submissions that must not contain web links.
- Make printed-and-scanned style PDFs without clickable areas.
Tips for best results
- Choose “Web & email links only” to keep clickable tables of contents.
- Use PDF Cleaner as well to remove metadata and hidden content.
- Check the summary – it tells you how many links were removed.
- Flatten forms first if links are part of form fields.
How PDF links work
A link in a PDF is an invisible rectangle called a link annotation placed over text or an image. It holds either an internal destination (another page) or an action such as opening a web address. Removing the annotation removes the behaviour but not the visible content, which is why the text remains.
Open actions and JavaScript
Some PDFs run an action as soon as they open, for example jumping to a page, launching a website or executing JavaScript. The extra option removes these automatic actions and document-level scripts, a useful precaution for documents received from unknown sources.
Local and private
The document is edited in your browser with pdf-lib and never uploaded.
Why use FreePDF for Remove Links from PDF?
| FreePDF | Typical upload-based sites | |
|---|---|---|
| Files uploaded to a server | No – processed on your device | Yes |
| Sign-up required | Never | Often for bigger jobs |
| Hourly / daily task limits | None | Common on free plans |
| Watermark on output | Never | Sometimes |
| Works offline after loading | Yes, for most tools | No |
Frequently asked questions
Will the link text disappear
No. The visible text or blue underline stays on the page because it is part of the page content. Only the clickable area (the link annotation) is removed, so nothing happens when you click it.
Why remove links from a PDF
Common reasons are removing tracking or affiliate links before sharing, preventing accidental clicks on outdated URLs, meeting submission rules that forbid external links, and reducing phishing risk in documents sent to clients.
Is Remove Links from PDF really free?
Yes. Every tool on FreePDF is 100% free with no file limits, no sign-up and no watermarks. The site is supported by unobtrusive ads.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. FreePDF processes your files directly in your browser using JavaScript. Your documents never leave your device, so they stay completely private.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes. FreePDF works in any modern browser on Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows, Mac and Linux.