Batch PDF Encryptor is a Windows utility from PDFZilla. It adds password protection and usage restrictions to many PDF files in a single pass. It is meant for people who need to lock down a stack of documents before sharing or archiving them. They can do this without opening each file in a PDF editor. The program has a freemium licence, and a portable edition runs without installation.
Two kinds of PDF password
PDF protection works with two separate passwords, and Batch PDF Encryptor exposes both. The open password is the one a reader must type before the document appears at all. The owner password controls the document’s permissions and stops someone from changing the file’s restrictions.
In Batch PDF Encryptor, you enter the owner password in its own box. The program requires it whenever you use an open password. Open passwords can be between 4 and 16 characters long.
Shared or per-file open passwords
The program offers two ways to assign open passwords across a batch.
- One password for all PDFs applies the same open password to every file in the job. This suits a set of documents going to a single recipient who only needs to remember one password.
- Random password for each PDF generates a different open password for every file. You can set the generated length from 4 to 16 characters, with 4 as the starting value.
When you use random passwords, Batch PDF Encryptor writes a record of them next to the encrypted files. It creates a passwords.csv file and a passwords.txt file. The CSV version opens in a spreadsheet program and the TXT version in a plain text editor. This makes it practical to look up a specific document’s password or pass individual passwords on to different people.
Copy and print restrictions
Besides controlling who can open a document, Batch PDF Encryptor can limit what readers do with it once it is open. Two restrictions are available: prohibiting text copying and prohibiting printing. You can apply either restriction on its own or combine both. You can also leave both unset if you only need an open password.
You can also leave the open password empty. In that case, the PDFs still open normally for anyone, but the selected copy or print limits stay attached to the file. The owner password protects those limits. This is useful for handouts or published documents that should be readable but not easily reproduced.
Running a batch job
A job in Batch PDF Encryptor follows a fixed order:
- Choose the password mode: one shared password or a random password per file.
- Enter the owner password, then type the shared open password or set the length for generated ones.
- Select the restrictions to apply, if any.
- Pick an output folder with the Output Path option.
- Drag the PDF files onto the main window.
Dropping the files starts the encryption immediately, so the settings need to be in place first. The program saves the protected PDFs to the chosen output folder. It also saves the password lists there when the random mode is active.
