5 Common Redaction Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Redaction seems simple — draw black boxes over sensitive text, right? Unfortunately, this approach has led to some of the most embarrassing data leaks in history. Here are five common mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Drawing Boxes Without Removing Underlying Text

The most famous mistake: placing black rectangles over text in a PDF without actually removing the text from the document's content stream. Anyone can select, copy, and paste the "hidden" text into another document. Use tools that apply permanent redactions by removing or overwriting the actual text data.

2. Forgetting About Metadata

Documents contain hidden metadata: author names, revision history, comments, tracked changes, and even GPS coordinates in photos. Redacting visible text while leaving metadata intact defeats the purpose. Strip metadata from documents before sharing.

3. Incomplete Redaction

Missing an occurrence of a name or number is surprisingly easy. A document might mention "John Smith" on page 1 and "Mr. Smith" on page 6 — a human reviewer might catch the first but miss the second. Use automated detection to find all occurrences, then review systematically.

4. Redacting the Wrong Thing

Over-redaction can be as problematic as under-redaction. In legal discovery, redacting privileged information is required, but over-redacting relevant facts can lead to sanctions. Always review AI suggestions before applying.

5. Not Verifying the Output

After redacting, always open the final document and verify: try to select text in redacted areas, search for the original text, and check every page. Make verification a mandatory final step in your workflow.