Does converting Word to PDF remove metadata?
No. The metadata travels with the export.
Saving a .docx as PDF converts the format, not the file's history. The identifying fields are copied into the PDF's own metadata containers — the info dictionary and an embedded XMP block — where they keep working exactly as before.
What transfers into the PDF
| Word field | Where it lands in the PDF |
|---|---|
| Author | /Author + XMP dc:creator |
| Title, subject, keywords | /Title, /Subject, /Keywords |
| Creating application | /Creator (e.g. "Microsoft Word") |
| Converter used | /Producer |
| Created / modified dates | /CreationDate, /ModDate |
In other words: a recruiter, client or opposing counsel who opens the PDF's document properties sees the same name and timestamps you thought stayed behind in the Word file.
How to check a PDF you're about to send
- Quick look: open the PDF and check
File → Properties(orDocument Properties) in your reader. - Full picture: drop the file on Barecopy — it lists every field, including whether an XMP metadata block is embedded, which most readers don't show.
How to remove it — without uploading the file
You have two clean options, and both keep the document's content untouched:
- Clean before exporting. Strip the metadata from the Word file first (our guide to removing the author name covers it), then export. The PDF is born clean.
- Clean the PDF after. Drop the exported PDF on Barecopy: it clears the info dictionary fields and removes the embedded XMP block entirely in your browser. The file never reaches a server.
See what your PDF reveals
Drop the exported PDF on Barecopy. It shows the author, creator application, dates and XMP block, then hands back a clean copy — processed locally on your device.
Open Barecopy →Frequently asked
Is "Print to PDF" any different from "Export as PDF"?
Printing to PDF usually carries over less of the document's property set, but the result still gets a creator and producer application and fresh timestamps — and depending on the driver, more. Treat any PDF as unverified until you've checked its properties.
Can Barecopy clean password-protected PDFs?
No — editing an encrypted PDF risks corrupting it, so Barecopy refuses and tells you how to make an unlocked copy first (open it with the password, then print or save as a new PDF).
Does cleaning the PDF change how it looks?
No. Only the metadata containers are touched; pages, text and layout stay exactly as exported.