what_you_need
Prepare the inputs before opening the apps
- Final clean PDF deliverables
- A secure channel for sharing the password separately from the file
- A password manager or other retention method
- A separate output folder
step_by_step
The working process
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1
Classify the delivery risk
Decide who is allowed to read the document at all. A password only protects content while it stays secret, so plan how you will share it before you run the batch.
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2
Protect the clean source
Keep the final clean PDF in a controlled master location and write encrypted copies to a separate delivery folder. Already-encrypted and signed files are skipped automatically and need a different workflow.
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3
Set one password
Enter a password and confirm it, or generate a strong one if you do not already have one. Save it to a trusted password manager before you close the app — it is never written to disk.
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4
Decide on metadata
Leave Encrypt metadata on if the title, author, and other document properties should also stay hidden without the password. Turn it off only if recipients need to identify files by their properties while browsing an unopened folder.
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5
Run and inspect verification
Batch Protect PDF encrypts with AES-256 and reopens each temporary output with the intended password and a known wrong one before promoting it, confirming the wrong password is actually rejected.
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6
Share the password separately
Send the protected PDF and its password through different channels. Record which version and password were delivered, and use Unprotect mode later if you ever need the content back without the lock.
human_checkpoint
Review before you call it finished
- Does the intended password open the file and a wrong one fail?
- Is the password stored securely, separately from the file itself?
- Are clean masters untouched?
- Is metadata encryption set the way you intended?
honest_boundaries
Limits and privacy
Practical limitation
Encryption protects content only while the password stays secret. Once someone legitimately has both the file and the password, they can photograph, retype, or otherwise capture what they see — the same as with any file they are allowed to open.
Privacy boundary
Encryption, password verification, and output creation run locally. Passwords are transient and are not stored in app preferences or logs.
faq
Questions worth answering
Why one password instead of separate open and owner passwords?
Because that split let a "protected" file still be opened and read by anyone — the owner password only gated permission changes, not reading. One password that is actually required to open the file is the real protection.
Can I remove the password later?
Yes — switch to Unprotect mode with the same password and the app decrypts the batch again, skipping any file that password does not open rather than stopping the run.