33 min read
Security & Metadata
Inspect document, remove metadata, encrypt, and sign.
Document Inspector before publish
Draft comments name staff internally. Before the public PDF, File → Info → Check for Issues → Inspect Document removes Comments, Revisions, Document Properties, and Hidden text.
Run inspector on a copy first — removal is not always undoable.
Password and properties
File → Info → Protect Document → Encrypt with Password locks confidential governor appendices. Properties (File → Info) sets Title, Tags, Comments for SharePoint search.
Remove Author personal emails from properties if the PDF is public — Inspector handles Document Properties and Personal Information.
Hands-on steps
Goal
Run Document Inspector and remove comments before exporting the public handbook PDF.
James Okonkwo adds this to NorthgateHandbook.docx as part of one polished student handbook, policy pack, and open-day collateral before families arrive.
Save a copy
Where
Do this
You should see
- Copy safe to strip metadata.
Verification
Check your work
You are correct if all of these are true:
- Document Inspector ran on a copy — not your only master file.
- Comments and tracked changes removed from the public copy.
- File → Info shows appropriate Title; personal revision names stripped.
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