scrub-pdf-metadata

Scrub PDF Metadata

Some PDF metadata can leak export tools, suspicious timestamps, source HTML filenames, and device names. Strip it with exiftool, then reset a clean Author.

When to use

• Before sending ANY PDF CV to a recruiter.
• After export-pdf runs and before prepare-to-send declares the file ready.
• Manually if the user suspects a PDF has stale metadata (e.g. previously edited / renamed).

Inputs

• PDF file (argument, required): absolute path preferred.
• Author (optional --author=): name to set as the clean Author. Infer from memory/context (user's name as it appears on the CV). If unclear, ask the user via AskUserQuestion before proceeding.

Preconditions

exiftool installed

command -v exiftool >/dev/null 2>&1

If missing:

ERROR: exiftool is not installed. Install it:
  brew install exiftool

We don't fall back to other scrubbers — different tools handle different
metadata fields, and partial scrubbing is worse than no scrubbing because
it creates false confidence.

Workflow

1. Inspect (before)

Show the user what's in the PDF right now:

exiftool "$pdf"

Specifically highlight any of these that are non-empty:

• Title
• Author
• Producer
• Creator
• CreationDate
• ModifyDate
• Keywords
• Subject
• Creator Tool
• Any XMP custom fields
• File path embedded in header/footer — grep the PDF text for file:// or absolute path fragments

2. Strip everything

exiftool -all= -overwrite_original "$pdf"

-all= removes all metadata, including Author; re-set it next. -overwrite_original skips creating a .pdf_original backup alongside the PDF.

3. Set clean Author + Title

exiftool \
  -Author="<Clean Author Name>" \
  -Title="CV" \
  -overwrite_original \
  "$pdf"

Use Title = "CV"; do not include company, role, or date.

4. Inspect (after)

exiftool "$pdf" | grep -Ei 'author|title|producer|creator|date|keywords|subject'

Confirm:

• Author = the clean name you set
• Title = "CV"
• Producer / Creator — should be empty OR only show generic "exiftool" (acceptable; recruiters don't pattern-match on exiftool)
• Create Date / Modify Date — after stripping, these often become the time of the scrub. That's acceptable (time-of-send timestamp is normal). If you want to eliminate them entirely:

exiftool -CreateDate= -ModifyDate= -MetadataDate= -overwrite_original "$pdf"

5. Scan PDF text for leaks

Metadata scrub does not cover PDF content. Use Read, then scan extracted text for:

• file:
• /Users/
• /home/
• C:\
• Documents
• the workspace basename (computed at runtime: $(basename "${JOB_HUNT_WORKSPACE:-$HOME/Documents/job_seeking}"))
• .html

If any hits: the HTML template probably renders a path in a header/footer via @page CSS. Fix the HTML, re-export, re-scrub. Do NOT send the PDF.

6. Report

✓ Scrubbed: <pdf-filename>
  Author: <clean name>
  Title:  CV
  CreateDate: <new timestamp or removed>
  Producer / Creator: empty
  Content scan: no path leaks detected

Ready for sending. Run $job-hunt-toolkit:prepare-to-send for the full pre-send checklist.

Hard rules

• Require exiftool. No silent fallbacks. Partial scrubbing is worse than no scrubbing.
• Strip, then set. Always run -all= first, then set Author/Title. If you only set Author, the other fields (Producer, CreationDate) stick around.
• Title = "CV". Not the role, not the company, not a timestamp. Generic.
• Never embed the company name anywhere in metadata. Same rule as filenames.
• Do not silently scrub without showing before/after. User needs to see what leaked — it teaches pattern recognition for the HTML side too.

Why this matters

Recruiters and hiring managers sometimes open File → Properties on a PDF. ATS tools routinely parse PDF metadata. If your Title says "__CV_Tailored_for_OpenAI_v3" and you apply to Anthropic, that's a rejection waiting to happen.

Gotchas

• exiftool -all= strips Author too. Step 3 (Set clean Author + Title) is mandatory; see references/exiftool-commands.md for commands.
• HTML @page paths render into PDF text and survive metadata stripping. exiftool cannot remove visible header/footer text, so always run Step 5 after a clean report.

References

• references/exiftool-commands.md — full command reference with common patterns