Redaction is the process of editing or preparing a document by obscuring or removing certain content to protect sensitive or confidential information. We understand that redacting documents can be a tedious and time-consuming task, but it's also crucial to do it right to maintain your firm's and client's reputation.
Ansarada's built-in redaction tool streamlines this process, enabling you to manage redactions directly within your Room.
This feature is only available to Admins.
How to redact single PDF document
Step 1: Log in to the Ansarada Data Room
Log in at dash.ansarada.com.
Step 2: Open Manage Documents
From the dashboard, go to Manage Documents.
(This is also available within Manage Submissions on the Procure platform.)
Step 3: Start redacting the PDF
Locate the PDF you want to redact.
Select the Item menu (three‑line icon) next to the document.
Click Redact.
Step 4: Add redaction marks
The redaction tool opens in a new tab. You can create redactions in four ways:
Redact text: This lets you highlight any text in the PDF document and create redaction marks over the top of that text. Simply use your mouse to highlight the text. (Press T for shortcut).
Redact area: This allows you to draw a box over any area in a PDF document, for example over logos, tables or other images. You can also change the background colour and add a redaction reason. (Press R for shortcut).
Redact keywords: On the left hand menu of the redaction tool, add the keywords into the search box. You can add multiple keywords to redact them simultaneously. The results and individual instances will be underline with a citrus line. Choose whether you'd like to redact single instances or all by checking the box and then click Redact.
Redact patterns (PII): Our redaction tool uses Ai to detect PII and provide this to you as suggestions in your left toolbar. Select any of the options from the list of Ai patterns found, once selected these will appear in citrus. Choose whether you'd like to redact single instances or all by checking the box and then click Redact.
Step 5: Save your redacted document
You have two saving options:
Save
Replaces the current document version with the new redacted version.
You can continue editing or removing redactions at any stage of your deal.Save as
Creates a new copy of the document. You can rename it, choose where it’s saved, and apply security settings (using either the folder security settings or the original document settings). Newly created copies are saved as disabled by default.
How to Edit existing redactions
To update or remove redactions later, follow Steps 1 to 3 above and then:
Select the redacted document (marked with a black dot).
Open the Item menu and choose Edit redaction.
Review redactions from the left‑hand panel.
Edit, remove, or add reasons to individual or multiple redaction marks.
Save your changes.
ℹ️ If you need to bulk redact multiple documents at once, please follow the step guide here.
FAQs
Who can redact or edit redactions?
Who can redact or edit redactions?
Only Admins can redact documents or edit existing redactions.
What happens if I save the redacted document using “Save as”?
What happens if I save the redacted document using “Save as”?
When you use Save as, you can only continue editing redactions while the original PDF remains in the Room. If the original document is deleted or replaced with a newer version, all redactions on the copied document become permanent.
Can I un-redact content later?
Can I un-redact content later?
Yes — as long as the original PDF still exists in the Room.
What happens if I delete the original document?
What happens if I delete the original document?
If the original PDF is removed, redactions can no longer be edited. If needed, contact Ansarada Support to restore the file.
Why is my redacted document larger in size?
Why is my redacted document larger in size?
Redacted PDFs can be 2–4× larger than the original due to embedded redaction data. Room size reporting is still based on the original file size.
Does redaction work on digitally signed PDFs?
Does redaction work on digitally signed PDFs?
Redaction may not work on PDFs with secured digital signatures. Re‑saving the file as a new PDF usually resolves this.
Can I group or review redactions easily?
Can I group or review redactions easily?
Yes. In Edit redaction, you can group redactions by type or page number and update multiple marks at once.
Would I be able to un-redact multiple PDFs at once?
Would I be able to un-redact multiple PDFs at once?
This is currently not possible, due to the sensitive nature of un-redacting items, we advise you to take extra care when doing so to ensure no confidential information is shared that shouldn't be. You can restore previous versions of your file by following these steps here.