Bulk redact documents

Bulk AI-powered redaction makes it easy to manage disclosure of your most sensitive information.

Christine Wong avatar
Written by Christine Wong
Updated over a week ago

ℹ️ This feature is only accessible to Admins.

We know how painful redacting multiple documents in a deal can be. Which is why we use best-in-class OCR and AI powered by Microsoft Azure that begins scanning your documents as soon as they are in your document index, not just when you’re ready to redact. Automated PII and AI pattern recognition will show you a number of automatically detected patterns to choose from when redacting. You can select as many as you like to redact at once.

By following these simple steps you can quickly and easily bulk redact documents:

1. Select documents

  • Go to Manage Document, and select multiple documents and/or folders by checking the checkbox on the left.

  • Click Redact in the dropdown bulk action bar.

    ℹ️ Note: We will remove any document type that is unable to be redacted.

  • The bulk redaction page will open on the next page, showing any patterns we have identified in your documents.

  • Select the found patterns you want to redact.

  • You can also search for words or phrases to redact.

  • Review your selections in the right-hand side panel.

  • You can choose to either Redact all of your selected patterns and keywords from the previous steps or Preview and redact each document one at a time in the redaction browser where you can preview, modify and confirm.

2. Save redactions

You have two options to save your redacted document:

a. Replace the original documents

  • This will replace the current version of the document with the new redacted version. Don't worry, you can edit or remove redaction marks at any stage of your deal.

b. Create new documents in same folder as original file

  • The new redacted documents will be saved as disabled by default. It's essential to retain the original PDF document for ongoing redaction editing.

  • Keep in mind that only enabled documents are visible in the document index. You can disable the original and enable the redacted version to ensure that only the redacted version is shown in the document index.

3. Confirm redactions

You have the option to either select Redact all of your selected patterns and keywords from the previous steps or select Preview and redact each document one at a time in the redaction browser.

a. Preview, modify and confirm

  • Once you selected Preview and redact, the redaction tool will open. This screen is same to our current single document redaction screen.

  • On entry you will be shown the first document with the selected patterns and the results will be highlighted with a green citrus. These highlighted instances match up with entries under the keywords and patterns heading.

  • Any found patterns that were not selected are underlined with a green citrus-colored line in the document. You can add these in or search for more keywords and redact them before moving to the next document as well as adding any text or area redaction marks.

  • Check them over and confirm your redactions by pressing Redact (n) items at the bottom of the left hand menu.


b. Helper toolbar

Stay in control of your redaction process with redaction helper toolbar. On the toolbar, you'll find the current document number and the number of documents in the queue to preview.

Example 1: No changes to the document - it displays the count of redaction marks (selected items) that will be redacted when confirmed.

Example 2: Redactions confirmed or edits made - it displays the number of redacted items you just completed.

  • You have the option to Skip the current document and move to the next one. Alternatively, you can confirm redactions and select Save & next document.

  • At any time, you can choose to Redact all remaining documents. This action saves the current document redactions and all future documents with the selections made in setup stage.

  • If you Cancel at any time, all previously saved documents will be redacted. However, any future documents not yet viewed will remain unredacted.


C. Confirmation email and report

  • Once the redactions finish saving, you will receive an email confirmation. Simply click on Download report to view a list of redacted documents and their redaction status in an Excel format.

  • 💡Tip: If you're having problems receiving the confirmation email, please check your junk / spam folder. If you still can’t find it, ask your IT team to whitelist the following email address: [email protected].


FAQ 🤔


How many documents you can bulk redact at once?

Answer: Customers have successfully redacted up to 700 documents in a single operation. However, keep in mind that the more documents you choose to redact, the longer the process may take.

How many keywords can you search for in one bulk redaction?

Answer: You can search for 30 or more keywords in a single bulk redaction.


How long does it take to finish the bulk redaction?

Answer: On average, it takes about 1-2 minutes per document. The processing time depends on factors such as the number and size of documents, as well as the overall pipeline queue. The toast message will provide real-time updates on job status, and you will receive an email notification upon completion.

When can I start bulk redaction after uploading documents?

Answer: You can initiate bulk redaction immediately after successfully uploading documents to the Room. However, the OCR and AI Pattern processes need time to scan the documents, and the processing time depending on document size and quantity.

If a document is still processing or has failed to process, you will receive the notification below. Simply wait for 5-10 minutes to allow the document to undergo the recognition process, or try to upload the document again.


Will the size of redacted document changed?

Answer: The redacted document is larger in size. We have optimised this process and the document can be between 2x to 4x bigger than the original document depending on the number of pages and number of redaction marks within the document.
​Your room size report or data gauge measures redacted documents based on their original PDF document size.

I received an error when attempting to redact a PDF document containing secured digital signatures. What should I do?

Answer: Please note that redaction may not work on PDF documents containing secured digital signatures. If you encounter any issues with your PDF document, please follow the guide here to re-save it and then attempt the redaction process again.

Did this answer your question?