File Content Extraction 25.2
Filter SDK Python Programming Guide

# Document Restrictions

Some applications, and corresponding file formats, allow users to restrict the ways in which a document can be used. For example, you might be able to read a document but additional credentials (such as a password) could be required to modify the document content, add comments, or print the document. The restrictions might not be enforced by encryption, but instead rely on any software that accesses the file to respect the restrictions that have been set.

TIP: These restrictions are not file system permissions (for example, making a file read-only). They are restrictions applied by the software package that created the file.

File Content Extraction can report whether a document is protected by write restrictions, for the following file formats. A write restriction is defined as any restriction, enforced by a password, that prevents a user from editing the document content.

- Adobe Portable Document Format (.PDF)
- Microsoft Word (.DOCX)
- Microsoft Excel (.XLSX)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (.PPTX)

To determine whether a document is protected by restrictions

- In the Python API, you can access document restrictions through the `restrictions` attribute of a document object.

  Copy

      # Document restrictions
      doc = session.open(file_path)
      print(f"Write restricted? {doc.restrictions.write_restricted}")

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Version 25.2 | Last updated April 2025

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Product: File Content Extraction 25.2

Topic Title: Document Restrictions