Understanding Redacted Items
How Redactorr replaces sensitive data with reversible placeholders
Outcome
Understand what redacted items mean, when they can be restored, and how to share placeholder-based content without exposing the original values.
Your progress
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Before you start
Visual frame
Review asset
Redacted items storyboard
Synthetic token frame only. It explains placeholders and maps without asking users to expose original values.
Synthetic frame
Placeholder labels
Typed placeholders keep the document understandable.
Placeholder and restoration frame
A simplified view of how raw values become placeholders and how restoration material must stay controlled.
Guided steps
Follow the task, then check the result.
Read the placeholder, not the original value
Look at placeholders such as [EMAIL_1], [PHONE_1], or [ACCOUNT_1]. The label tells you the kind of value that was hidden without exposing the original.
Decide whether anyone needs restoration
Many workflows only need the redacted output. If someone needs to restore values later, treat the redaction map or recovery material as sensitive and keep it separate from the shared output.
Protect restoration material like sensitive data
If the workflow creates a map between placeholders and original values, treat that map as sensitive. Do not attach it to support requests or send it with the redacted content by default.
Branch questions
Can the recipient complete the task with placeholders only?
Are raw values still visible in the output?
Completion check
Support boundary
Support can use by default
- Placeholder type labels and article slug.
- Workflow category such as safe output only or restoration needed.
- User-written description after consent, without raw original values.
- Intent ID
- Article slug
- App route
- Browser and viewport
Requires your consent
- User-written description
- Email address
- Explicit attachment
- Redacted sample
- Support bundle previewed to the user
Not collected by default
- Raw original document text
- Full local file paths
- Pasted private content
- Unmasked screenshots
- Replay capture
Safe support summary
Copy a scrubbed handoff.
Redactorr KB support summary Article: /knowledge-base/understanding-tokens Selected issue: Placeholders do not match the detection types you reviewed. Playbook progress: 0/3 steps marked complete Safe context to include: - Placeholder type labels and article slug. - Workflow category such as safe output only or restoration needed. - User-written description after consent, without raw original values. - Intent ID - Article slug - App route - Browser and viewport Requires explicit consent: - User-written description - Email address - Explicit attachment - Redacted sample - Support bundle previewed to the user Do not include by default: - Raw original document text - Full local file paths - Pasted private content - Unmasked screenshots - Replay capture User note: - Describe the step and symptom without pasting raw document text, secrets, files, or restoration material.
Article details
Redacted Items: Name Tags for Your Secrets
When Redactorr finds sensitive data, it doesn't just delete it or replace it with "XXXXXX". Instead, it creates a redacted item - a smart placeholder that can be reversed later.
Think of redacted items like name tags at a coat check. You hand over your coat (sensitive data), and they give you a ticket (redacted item). Later, you can exchange the ticket to get your exact coat back.
What Redacted Items Look Like
Redacted items follow a simple pattern:
For example:
- [EMAIL_1] - The first email address found
- [PHONE_2] - The second phone number
- [SSN_1] - A Social Security Number
- [API_KEY_3] - The third API key detected
Why Redacted Items Matter
1. They're Reversible If you need the original data back, you can "restore" it using the redaction map. This is the right approach when you need to share redacted data temporarily but restore it later.
2. They Preserve Context Instead of replacing "[email protected]" with random gibberish, [EMAIL_1] makes it clear that there was an email address there. You can still follow the logic of the document.
3. They're Deterministic The same input always produces the same redacted items. If "[email protected]" appears five times in your document, it becomes [EMAIL_1] all five times. This preserves relationships in your data.
4. They're Human-Readable [EMAIL_1] is much easier to work with than something like "8f3b9a2c-4d7e-1f8a-9b2d-5c6e8a9f3b2c". You can reason about the data even when it's redacted.
Redacted Item Types
Each category of sensitive data gets its own prefix:
| Data Type | Placeholder Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [EMAIL_N] | [EMAIL_1] | |
| Phone | [PHONE_N] | [PHONE_2] |
| SSN | [SSN_N] | [SSN_1] |
| Credit Card | [CARD_N] | [CARD_1] |
| API Key | [API_KEY_N] | [API_KEY_3] |
| Address | [ADDRESS_N] | [ADDRESS_1] |
| Name | [NAME_N] | [NAME_5] |
How Restoration Works
When you redact a document, Redactorr creates a redaction map - a secure lookup table that links redacted items back to original values:
This map is:
- Stored locally in your browser (IndexedDB)
- Handled as browser-side review state during redaction
- Encrypted if you use Secure Share
- Ephemeral - deleted when your session ends (unless saved)
To restore, you paste the redacted text back into Redactorr, and it swaps the redacted items back for the original values.
Use Cases
Sharing with External Teams Send a redacted document to a contractor. When the project is done, restore the original internally.
Testing and QA Test your app with redacted production data. Restore specific records when debugging issues.
Compliance and Auditing Archive redacted logs for compliance. If an audit requires details, restore specific entries.
Collaborative Review Share a document for feedback without exposing PII. Restore after approval.
Redaction Map Security
If you're worried about the redaction map being a risk:
It's local-only - Stays local during detection and redaction unless you choose a later workflow
It can be encrypted - Use Secure Share to encrypt the map with a password
It's not required - You can delete the map and treat redaction as one-way
It has no keys - The map only has value if someone also has the redacted document
Bottom line: The redaction map is as secure as your browser's local storage.
Still stuck?
Copy a safe article handoff.
Start support with the article, the issue, and safe context. Raw document text, files, restoration material, and unredacted screenshots stay out unless you explicitly choose otherwise.
- Article slug
- Selected issue
- Screen name
- Action name
Redactorr support case Source: Article playbook: understanding-tokens Route: /knowledge-base/understanding-tokens Selected issue: Placeholders do not match the detection types you reviewed. Safe context: - Placeholder type labels and article slug. - Workflow category such as safe output only or restoration needed. - User-written description after consent, without raw original values. - Article slug - Selected issue - Screen name or article section - Action name - Browser and viewport Only include with explicit consent: - User-written description - Email address - Explicit attachment - Redacted sample - Support bundle previewed to the user Do not include by default: - Raw original document text - Full local file paths - Pasted private content - Unmasked screenshots - Replay capture - Hidden diagnostic uploads User note: - Describe what you tried and what happened. Do not paste raw document text, secrets, files, restoration material, or unredacted screenshots.
Support case builder
One case format, wherever you start.
This is the same support case shape used by diagnostics and article handoffs.
- Placeholder type labels and article slug.
- Workflow category such as safe output only or restoration needed.
- User-written description after consent, without raw original values.
- Article slug
- Selected issue
- Screen name or article section
Private material belongs behind an explicit consent step, not in the initial case.
6 default exclusions