How to Edit Text in a PDF for Free
To edit text in a PDF for free, open it in Gold PDF, press E for Edit text, click the line you want to change and retype it. Save with Ctrl+S. Gold PDF keeps the size and colour, and the old words are removed from the saved file.
Quick steps
- Open the PDF (drag it onto the window).
- Press E. Dotted boxes appear around each line of text.
- Click a line, type the new text and press Enter.
- Save with Ctrl+S, or Save as to keep the original.
What you can and cannot change
- You can change words, numbers, dates and names line by line.
- Lines are edited as whole lines, so retype the full line.
- Rotated text is not editable; rotate the page back first.
- Scanned pages need OCR first. See how to OCR a scanned PDF for free.
How it works
Gold PDF reads the text of each page, covers the old line with the page's own background colour, and places your new text at the same position, size and colour. On save, edited pages are rebuilt so the old words cannot be recovered, and the page remains searchable.
Other ways to change a PDF
- Add new text anywhere with the Text tool (T).
- Highlight, draw, add images and signatures from the Annotate tab.
- Use Gold AI to propose changes across a whole document: how to edit a PDF using AI.
Quick overview: Edit text in a PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Can I edit existing text in a PDF for free?
Yes. In Gold PDF choose Edit text, click a line and type the new words; it matches size and colour.
Will the layout change?
The new text is placed in the same position with the same size and colour. Much longer text may need manual adjustment.
Can I edit a scanned PDF?
Yes, after running Recognize text (OCR).
Gold PDF — the free PDF editor for Windows
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