Document properties decide how a PDF introduces itself: the title shown in a browser tab or search result, the author listed in a document system, the keywords an archive indexes. Many PDFs carry leftovers like a template name or a previous author. View / Edit Metadata shows the current values when you add a file and lets you replace them before you publish or file the document.
How to use View / Edit Metadata
- Add the PDF. Its current Title, Author, Subject and Keywords appear in the options panel.
- Edit the values you want to change, or clear a field to remove it.
- Select Save Metadata.
- Check the updated properties in your PDF viewer.
Why the title field matters
- Where the title shows up: Browsers show a PDF's title in the tab, search engines may use it when listing the file, and screen readers announce it when a document opens.
- When it's missing or out of date: When the title is missing, people see the file name instead, and when it's out of date they see something like "Microsoft Word - Document3".
- A simple improvement: Setting a clear, descriptive title is one of the simplest improvements you can make to any PDF you publish online.
How the values are saved
- Written to the information dictionary: Your changes are written to the document information dictionary, the standard place PDF readers look for properties.
- The XMP stream is removed: Any XMP metadata stream. It can hold an older copy of the same values, is removed when you save, so viewers don't keep showing the previous title or author.
- Clearing a field removes that value.
- What stays as it was: The page content isn't changed, and the creator and producer entries are kept as they were.
Metadata in a publishing workflow
- A good sequence: For public documents, a good sequence is to clear old properties with Remove Metadata, then set a clean title, author and subject here.
- Scans and web delivery: Add searchable text to scans with OCR PDF, and consider Optimize PDF for Web before uploading.
- For archives, descriptive titles and keywords make documents easier to find later, and PDF to PDF/A preserves them.
- Where to read more: The PDF privacy guide explains what metadata reveals.
When people use View / Edit Metadata
Publishing PDFs on a website
Give downloadable reports clear titles that appear properly in browser tabs and search results.
Filing documents in a records system
Set authors, subjects and keywords so documents are easy to find in an archive.
Correcting template leftovers
Replace titles like Document3 or an old colleague's name inherited from a template.
Limitations to know
View / Edit Metadata changes the title, author, subject and keywords only, not dates, creator or producer. Saving removes any XMP metadata stream so the new values are the ones viewers read, and page content is left unchanged.
View / Edit Metadata: common questions
Where does a PDF title appear?
In browser tabs and PDF viewer title bars, in some search engine listings and document management systems, and in screen reader announcements when a document opens.
Can I edit the creation date or producer?
No. This tool edits the title, author, subject and keywords, and keeps the other properties as they are.
Why does my viewer still show the file name?
Some viewers show the file name unless set to display the document title. The document properties dialog shows the stored title.
How do I remove a single property?
Clear its field before processing, and that property is removed from the saved file.