How to change text in a PDF
Try it now: Edit PDF — free, no upload.
Open Edit PDFA wrong date, a misspelt name or an old address in a PDF — here's how to fix it in a couple of minutes without special software.
Method 1: White-out and retype (best for a few words)
- Open White out PDF and add your file.
- Drag a white box over the words you want to change. Make it a little bigger than the text.
- Switch to Text, click on the white box and type the new words.
- Match the look: choose Sans for most modern documents, Serif for letters and legal text, and set a similar size (10–12 is normal body text).
- Click Save PDF.
Method 2: Convert to Word (best for whole sentences or paragraphs)
- Use PDF to Word to get an editable .docx.
- Edit the text in Word, Google Docs or WPS Office.
- Save or download it as PDF again.
This works best for PDFs made from Word or other software. Complex layouts may need tidying after conversion.
Which method should I use?
| Change | Best method |
|---|---|
| One word, a date, a number | White-out and retype |
| A signature line or name | White-out and retype, then Sign PDF |
| Several sentences or a paragraph | Convert to Word |
| A scanned document | White-out and retype (scans have no editable text) |
A note on honesty
Correct your own documents freely. Changing official documents issued by someone else — certificates, payslips, bank statements — to show something untrue can be illegal.