Removing PDF Metadata

By | August 25, 2019

When you export a PDF from Google Slides, metadata for the “Creator” attribute will be set to “Google”. In the Mac Finder, selecting Get Info on the file will show this attribute under More Info, along with a link to the original presentation. This can be handy for you but maybe not something you want to leave in a PDF you share with others.

If you’re comfortable with command line tools, exiftool provides a handy way to clear or set metadata for PDF files and other file types.

  • Install homebrew
  • Install exiftool
    • $ brew install exiftool
  • View existing attributes
    • $ exiftool yourfile.pdf
  • Clear the Creator attribute
    • $ exiftool -Creator="" yourfile.pdf

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.