**Source URL:** https://commercial.veevavault.help/en/lr/11989741/

# Redacting Documents

When configured by an Admin, Vault provides tools that enable you to create, review, and manage redacted documents directly within Vault. 

The _Redaction_ (Redaction annotation tool) annotation tool in the document viewer allows you to highlight text or an area in a source document and create a redaction annotation. You can select a redaction type for the annotation to indicate why you are redacting the highlighted area. For example, you can use the _Redaction_ annotation tool to redact a Social Security number and assign the annotation the _PPD_ redaction type, which indicates that the redacted content is personal protected data (PPD). When you are done adding redaction annotations, you can generate the redacted copy, in which Vault removes concealed text, sanitizes hidden metadata, and strips links to ensure no sensitive information remains in the document. 

If you need to update redaction annotations after generating the initial redacted copy, you can modify the redactions in the source document and then update the redacted copy, which generates a new major version of the redacted copy.

## Redacted Document Compliance Considerations {#compliance-considerations}

Vault follows strict guidelines to ensure that redacted text, images, and data are completely removed and hidden from generated redacted copies. In addition, certain actions are blocked on generated redacted copies and their source documents.

Generated redacted copies adhere to the following compliance guidelines:

* Redacted text and graphics are permanently removed.
  * Form data is flattened and the redacted copy is completely non-fillable. 
  * All text characters and image pixels touched by a redaction annotation box are removed and wiped entirely from the file, rather than hidden behind a visual layer. 
  * Text behind redaction boxes is permanently deleted, so no one can copy, paste, or search for redacted words.
* Concealed text may either be permanently removed or preserved, depending on how it was concealed.
  * Content hidden beneath opaque shapes or overlaid images is permanently removed, even if the shape or image is not contained under a redaction annotation.
  * Content beneath semi-transparent shapes or images is not removed, because the text remains visible through it.
* Hidden file details are removed. 
  * Hidden file metadata is removed from redacted copies, such as author names, software details, file creation dates, and embedded images and fonts. 
  * All alternative text (alt text) is removed from the redacted copy, even for images that were not redacted.
  * The document's structure tree is removed from the redacted copy.
* Links, bookmarks, signatures, and non-redaction annotations are removed. 
  * External hyperlinks, document links, and permalinks are removed and unclickable in the redacted copy. 

* All bookmarks and anchors are removed from the redacted copy.  
  * Certificate-based digital signatures are removed from the redacted copy. When the _Include Signature Pages from Source Document_ setting is enabled in Vault, Vault eSignature pages are included in the redacted copy.  
  * Vault annotations, such as sticky notes, internal review comments, and markup are removed from the redacted copy. PDF annotations that existed on the source document when it was created are flattened into the visual layer on the redacted copy.

### Unavailable Actions on Source Documents & Redacted Copies

The following actions and functionality are unavailable on redacted copies to ensure redaction compliance:

* Uploading new versions or replace files  
* Using check-in, check-out, and collaborative authoring  
* Adding comment, sticky-note, and redaction annotations  
* Replacing the source document file  
* Modifying the _Redacted From_ relationship

The following actions and functionality are unavailable on source documents:

* Manually adding or removing the redacted copy or proposed redaction rendition  
* Modifying the _Redacted To_ relationship

## Redaction Records & Redacted Copy Versioning {#redaction-record-and-copy-versioning}

The document redaction process uses _Redaction_ object records, with document references to the source document and redacted copies, to track the redaction status and facilitate the movement of redacted copies through the redaction lifecycle. 

Generally, you do not need to interact with _Redaction_ object records directly. Instead, Vault uses the _Redaction_ object records in the background to display the redaction process status in the _Redactions_ panel. When you use the _Generate Redacted Document_ and _Update Redacted Document_ actions, Vault performs the action on the object record itself and creates a document reference on the object record to link to the generated redacted copy. 

Every time you generate a redacted copy, Vault sets the associated _Redaction_ object record to _Complete_, and the _Redactions_ panel displays the _Complete_ status. After generating a redacted copy, if you create, update, or delete redaction annotations on the source document, Vault creates a new _Redaction_ object record in the _Redacting Source_ status.

Each time you generate a redacted copy for a source document in the same steady state version group (for example, version 0.1 through 1.0), Vault creates the redacted copy in the document type's steady state and assigns it the next incremental major version number. Generating a redacted copy does not update the source document's version number. When the source document is updated to the first minor version in the next steady state version group (for example, version 1.1), a new redacted copy is generated as version 1.0. One redacted copy exists for source document version 1.0, and a new redacted copy exists for source document version 1.1.

## Redactions Panel {#redactions-panel}

The _Redactions_ panel on the Doc Info pane displays relevant information about source documents that contain redaction annotations:

When a document does not contain any redaction annotations, or the user does not have the [appropriate permissions][1] to redact documents, the _Redactions_ panel is not displayed on the Doc Info pane, and redaction annotations are not displayed on the annotations panel, and the _Redaction_ annotation tool is not available.

The _Redactions_ panel displays the following sections:

* **Status**: Displays the [redaction process status][5].  
* **Redacted Document**: Displays the most recent redacted copy, if available. You can [view or download][11] the latest redacted copy from this section.  
* **Details**: Displays details for the most recent [_Redaction_ record][3], including its _Lifecycle State_, _Redaction Owner_, _Purpose_, and _Due Date_. You can [edit these details][7] directly within the _Redactions_ panel.  
* **History**: Displays the history of the redacted copies, including their version numbers and when they were generated. You can [view][11] the current or previous redacted copies from this section.

## Redaction Status {#redaction-status}

The _Status_ section on the _Redactions_ panel displays the current status of the redaction process steps for the source document and its generated redacted copy. 

The current step in the redaction process is displayed in bold. The following status indicators are displayed for each status:

* **Not Started** (): An empty circle is displayed to indicate the redaction process step has not yet started.  
* **In Progress** (): A gray spinner is displayed to indicate the redaction process step is in progress.  
* **Complete** (): A green checkmark is displayed to indicate the redaction process step is complete.

The following steps are displayed with an indicator for their current status:

* **Redacting Source**: This step indicates that redaction annotations exist for the source document but a redacted copy has not yet been generated, or new redaction annotations have been added since the previous redacted copy generation and a new redacted copy can be generated.  
* **Generate Redacted Copy** or **Update Redacted Copy**: This step is an intermediate step between _Redacting Source_ and _Complete_. When the redaction process is in _Redacting Source_, you can click the _Generate Redacted Copy_ step (or _Update Redacted Copy_ if a redacted copy has already been generated) to generate the redacted copy.  
* **Complete**: This step indicates that a redacted copy has been generated for the source document, and redaction annotations have not been modified since the redacted copy was generated.

## Adding Redaction Annotations {#adding-redactions}

You can add redaction annotations to a source document using the _Redaction_ (Redaction annotation tool) annotation tool. You must have the [appropriate permissions][1] to redact documents.

See Annotating Documents for additional information about working with document annotations.

To add redaction annotations to a source document:

1. Open the document you want to redact in the document viewer.   
2. Select **Redaction** (Redaction annotation tool) from the annotation tools menu.  
3. Using the _Redaction_ tool, highlight the text or area you want to redact. Vault opens a blank redaction annotation in the annotations panel.  
4. Optional: Enter a **Comment** for the annotation.  
5. Select the **Redaction Type** from the drop-down, which categorizes the redaction and determines its appearance both the source document and the redacted copy.  
6. Optional: Select a tag for the annotation.  
7. Click **Save**.

Repeat the above steps to add additional redaction annotations.

**Note**: By default, the _CCI_ (`cci__sys`) (Commercially Confidential Information), _PPD_ (`ppd__sys`) (Protected Personal Data), and _Other_ (`other__sy`s) system-managed Redaction Types are available for users when creating redaction annotations. You cannot modify these _Redaction Types_, but you can deactivate them to make them unavailable for users to select when creating redaction annotations. 

### Editing Redaction Annotations

You can edit, delete, move, hide, and reply to existing redaction annotations. The _Resolve annotation_ action is not available for redaction annotations.

## Updating Redaction Record Details {#updating-redaction-details}

The _Details_ section of the _Redactions_ panel displays the _Lifecycle State_, _Redaction Owner_, _Purpose_, and _Due Date_ of the source document's current [_Redaction_ record][3]. You can edit these details directly within the _Redactions_ panel. 

To update _Redaction_ record details:

1. In the _Redactions_ panel, click **Edit** (pencil).,   
2. In the _Details_ section, select the **Redaction Owner**, **Purpose**, and **Due Date** as needed.  
3. Click **Save** to save the details.

## Previewing Proposed Redactions {#previewing-redactions}

When configured by an Admin, you can download a PDF preview of the source document with its proposed redactions. Proposed redaction renditions show the redaction annotations as they are displayed in the document viewer, and are useful for routing to other users as part of the redaction review process before generating the redacted copy for distribution.

To download the proposed redaction rendition, select **Proposed Redaction Rendition** from the _Download_ section on the document viewer's _All Actions_ menu.

You can also preview the proposed reaction rendition and redacted copy in the _Renditions_ section of the _Files_ panel on the Doc Info pane. In that section, you can download the document files, or open the documents in _Split View_ mode.

## Generating the Redacted Copy {#generating-redacted-copy}

Once you are done adding redaction annotations to the source document, you can generate the redacted copy. Vault [removes concealed text][2] and the redactions are displayed according to the selected redaction type for each annotation. 

To generate the initial redacted copy:

1. In the _Redactions_ panel, click **Generate Redacted Copy** in the _Status_ section, or select **All Actions > Generate Redacted Copy**.  
2. In the _Generate Redacted Copy_ dialog, click **Continue** to confirm that you want to generate the redacted copy.

Vault updates the [status][5] in the _Status_ section of the _Redactions_ panel during redacted copy generation. Once the redacted copy has been generated, the _Status_ section displays **Complete**, and a thumbnail of the redacted copy is displayed in the _Redacted Document_ section.

## Updating the Redacted Copy {#updating-redacted-copy}

After generating a redacted copy, if you or another user modifies the redaction annotations on the source document, or if the content on the source document changes (assessed based on the MD5 value of the viewable rendition), the document viewer displays a banner informing you that the redaction annotations have changed, with a link to navigate to the _Redactions_ panel:

The _Redactions_ panel also displays a banner informing you that the redaction annotations have changed, with a link to generate a new redacted copy:

If you delete a redaction annotation and more redaction annotations exist, the _Redactions have changed_ banners are displayed. However, if you delete the last remaining annotation, the banners are not displayed, the most recent redacted copy remains displayed in the _Redactions_ panel, and the status remains as _Complete_. Vault does not display a link or action to update the redacted copy, because there are no remaining redaction annotations. 

To update the redacted copy: 

1. In the _Redactions_ panel, click **Update Redacted Copy** in the _Status_ section, or select **All Actions > Update Redacted Copy**.  
2. In the _Update Redacted Copy_ dialog, click **Continue** to confirm that you want to generate an updated redacted copy.

Vault updates the [status][5] in the _Status_ section of the _Redactions_ panel when generating a new redacted copy. Once the new redacted copy has been generated, the _Status_ section displays **Complete**, and a thumbnail of the new redacted copy is displayed in the _Redacted Document_ section.

## Viewing Redacted Document Copies {#viewing-redacted-documents}

After generating the initial redacted copy or generating an updated redacted copy, the _Redacted Document_ section on the _Redactions_ panel displays a thumbnail of the most current redacted copy. You can view the current redacted copy in several ways:

* Click the document thumbnail or document name in the _Redacted Document_ section to open the redacted copy in the document viewer.   
* Click **Split View** () in the _Redacted Document_ section to open the redacted copy in _Split View_ mode.  
* Select **Mode Download Options > Download** in the _Redacted Document_ section, or **All Actions > Redacted Rendition** in the document viewer, to download the redacted copy.

The _History_ section on the _Redactions_ panel displays a list of redacted copies that have been generated for the source document. Hover over a redacted copy version number to view a document hovercard with information about the redacted copy, or click the version number to view the redacted copy in the document viewer. Click **See more details** in the _History_ section to view a dialog with additional information about the redaction history.

You can also view redacted copies from the Library. Redacted copies are displayed with the **Redaction** (Redaction annotation tool) icon.

## Exporting & Importing Redaction Annotations {#export-import-redactions}

When configured by an Admin, you can use the **Export Annotations** action to export redaction annotations and other annotations to a PDF. You and other users can review, create, modify, and reply to redaction annotations in the exported PDF using Adobe Reader or Acrobat, and then use the **Import Annotations** action to import the marked up PDF back into Vault. See Using Offline Annotation for more information about exporting and importing annotations.

To export redaction annotations on a source document, first filter the annotations panel to hide all other annotation types. Then, select **All Actions > Export Annotations** in the document viewer, select **Apply Filters**, and click **Continue** to export the redaction annotations. 

After adding and modifying redaction annotations in Adobe Reader or Acrobat, select **All Actions > Import Annotations** on the source document in the document viewer. Select the PDF in the _Import Annotations_ dialog and click **OK** to update the source document with the imported annotations. You must have the appropriate [document role permissions][1].

### Redaction Import Logic

Vault uses the following logic when importing redaction annotations:

* Vault automatically attaches imported redaction annotations to the source document's existing _Redaction_ record in the _Redacting Source_ state, or creates a new _Redaction_ record in the _Redacting Source_ state if one does not exist.   
* Vault analyzes imported redaction annotations based on page location, annotation box geometry, and redaction type. Vault creates new annotations, does not duplicate identical annotations, and updates annotations in place.   
* If Vault cannot determine the placement for new or modified annotations, they are converted to page-level annotations.  
* Vault attempts to match imported redaction annotations with an active _Redaction Type_ in Vault using the redaction's native subtype, overlay text, and annotation metadata. If Vault cannot match to an active _Redaction Type_, the _Other_ type is applied to the imported redaction annotation.  
* Vault only considers redaction markup during import. Vault ignores other markup, such as comments or highlights.   
* After importing redaction annotations, Vault does not automatically generate or update a redacted copy. The _Redaction_ record remains in the _Redacting Source_ state, allowing users to manually review the imported redaction annotations. 

## Related Permissions {#permissions}

The following permissions control the ability to redact documents:

| Type | Permission Label | Controls |
| ----- | ----- | ----- |
| Document Role | Redact | Ability to create, edit, and move redaction annotations on the latest version of the document. 

 Ability to import redaction annotations from a marked-up PDF. 

 Ability to generate and update redacted copies. |

[1]: #permissions
[2]: #compliance-considerations
[3]: #redaction-record-and-copy-versioning
[4]: #redactions-panel
[5]: #redaction-status
[6]: #adding-redactions
[7]: #updating-redaction-details
[8]: #previewing-redactions
[9]: #generating-redacted-copy
[10]: #updating-redacted-copy
[11]: #viewing-redacted-documents
[12]: #export-import-redactions