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Add a CONFIDENTIAL Stamp to Your PDF

Mark sensitive documents so recipients know they're handling restricted information.

PDF Watermark

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How to Add a CONFIDENTIAL Stamp to Your PDF

  1. 1

    Add your sensitive document

    Load the PDF that needs a confidentiality marking.

  2. 2

    Apply the CONFIDENTIAL stamp

    The text 'CONFIDENTIAL' is pre-filled. Adjust opacity and angle if needed. Default is a diagonal stamp at 20% opacity.

  3. 3

    Download and distribute

    The stamped PDF clearly communicates its restricted status to anyone who opens it.

Confidential Markings in Practice

Marking a document as confidential serves a legal purpose beyond just the visual cue. In many jurisdictions, confidential markings establish that the sender took reasonable steps to protect the information. This matters in trade secret disputes and NDA enforcement.

The stamp appears diagonally across the center of each page at 20% opacity by default. This is the standard corporate style — prominent enough to be unmistakable, transparent enough that all content remains fully readable underneath.

Common variations include 'CONFIDENTIAL - DO NOT DISTRIBUTE', 'COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL', and 'ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGED'. You can customize the text to match your organization's terminology while keeping the professional diagonal layout.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does adding a CONFIDENTIAL stamp make a document legally confidential?

The stamp alone doesn't create confidentiality. It demonstrates intent to keep information private, which supports legal claims. Actual confidentiality comes from agreements like NDAs and employment contracts.

Should I use red text for the stamp?

The default is gray, which reads professionally without being distracting. Red is an option if your organization's policy requires it, but gray is more standard for formal business documents.

Can I stamp only certain pages?

The default stamps all pages. If only specific pages contain confidential information, you can split the PDF, stamp those pages, and re-merge.