DEFINITION
Hiding part of a document before you show it to someone, for legal or privacy reasons. When you share a document by link in Clivio, you can hide amounts, IBANs, ID numbers and addresses. The PDF editor (Pro) also lets you black out a specific area.
When to redact
Redact whenever the person receiving a document doesn’t need all of it. Someone checking your address doesn’t need your bank details, and a tradesperson quoting a job doesn’t need the amounts on your previous invoices. The usual candidates are bank details (IBAN), ID and passport numbers, amounts and home addresses.
The pitfall: covering isn’t removing
A black rectangle drawn on top of a PDF doesn’t always remove what’s underneath. If the tool only adds a shape, the hidden text can still be selected, copied or found by search. After redacting, try selecting or searching the hidden words: if they come up, they’re still in the file.
The file’s own metadata, such as its author, can travel with it too.
Redaction in Clivio
When you share a document by link, on any plan, you can hide amounts, IBANs and ID numbers, and addresses. You also choose how long the link lasts: 1 hour, 24 hours, 3 days or 7 days. The link isn’t password-protected, so pick the shortest time that works.
Before sending an ID card, you can make a watermarked copy with its numbers hidden. With Pro, the PDF editor also lets you black out a specific area of the page.
Frequently asked questions
Is redaction the same as encryption?
No. Redaction hides part of a document from everyone who sees it. Encryption scrambles the whole file so only someone with the key can read it, and once decrypted it’s readable in full.
How long does a shared link last in Clivio?
You choose 1 hour, 24 hours, 3 days or 7 days. The link isn’t password-protected, so the shorter the better.
Further reading
Sharing without showing everything