Project settings

Project settings decide how a project's exports look and behave, for everyone working on it. The project owner sets them once, and every colleague's export follows them, so two people exporting the same project get the same file names, the same redaction boxes and the same dates.

Set them when you create a project, before anyone exports. Every setting starts at the behaviour RedactBox has always had, so a project you never touch exports exactly as before. The one exception is a new project, which includes attached files in its exports.

Only the project owner can change these. Colleagues can see them, but not change them.

Opening Project settings

1. Open the project.

2. Open Settings from your account menu, then Project settings. It is there only while a project is open.

The owner sees For everyone working on this project. A colleague sees Set by the project owner, with every setting shown but greyed out.

The settings

Redact names in exports

Off by default. When on, any word you have redacted is also hidden in the names of the PDFs, files and folders in the ZIP, and in the subjects listed in the Schedule of Redactions, so a pupil's name does not appear in a file name even though it is blacked out inside the document. A name that cannot be masked safely is replaced with a plain document number.

With it off, file names, folder names and Schedule subjects keep their original wording, so check they contain nothing sensitive or turn it on. The documents themselves are always redacted either way. See What's in the export ZIP for how names are masked.

Include attached files in exports

When on, each message's attached files are exported with it, as their own redacted files beside the message in the ZIP. When off, only the messages are exported and their attached files are left out.

• A new project starts with it on.

• A project created before attached files arrived starts with it off, so its exports stay as they were. Turn it on when you want its attached files in the export.

While it is off, the Export plan says Attached files aren't included in this project's exports. A change applies from the next export. See How attachments work in a project.

Export defaults

What the export panel starts with. Anyone exporting can still change these for their own export.

• PDF file names. Date and subject (the default), Subject and date or Internal ID.

• Folder layout. Group by source (the default) or Flat zip.

• Include the Schedule of Redactions. On by default.

How redactions look in the export

• Solid black. The default.

• Black with the reason code. Each box shows its reason code, such as TPD, in white where it fits. Useful when the recipient needs to see which exemption applies to each redaction.

The text under every box is removed either way.

Dates in exports and the Schedule

Used in file names, the Schedule of Redactions and the export summary, and in the header printed on each message.

• Format. 02/06/2025, 15:17 (the default) or 2 June 2025, 15:17.

• Time zone. UTC (the default) or UK time.

UTC is the default because file names and message headers have always used it. If you switch to UK time, it applies to files converted after you change it. Files already converted keep the times they were made with, so set this before you approve and convert anything if you want UK time throughout.

After you redact a word with Search & Redact

What happens when items containing a word you redacted with Search & Redact are approved later.

• Also redact it in items as they're approved. The default. The word is redacted as each item is approved, and the person who approved it is told, for example "Maisie redacted in 12 newly approved items. Undo in Tools › Redactions."

• Ask me first. Approving goes ahead and nothing is redacted. The person who approved sees N of these contain words you've redacted (or This item contains words you've redacted for one item), with Redact them or Approve without.

Either way, the check before an export still holds any item that contains a word you redacted elsewhere. See Checks before an export goes out and Search & Redact.

Default reason for new redactions

New redactions you draw or select start with this reason. You can change it for each one. The default is None.

Reason codes themselves are the project's: everyone working on the project picks from the owner's reason codes.

Who sees what

• The owner changes the settings. A change reaches everyone with the project open straight away.

• Colleagues see every setting, read-only, so they know what their export will do. They can still change the export defaults for their own export on the export panel.

• The audit trail records every change on the Audit Logs Timeline, with who made it and the new value, for example "Turned off Redact names in exports" or "Changed How redactions look in the export to Black with the reason code". An export made with names not redacted says "names not redacted" on its Timeline entry. See Audit Logs.

When a change takes effect

Each export keeps a copy of the settings from the moment it starts: Redact names in exports, Include attached files in exports, how redactions look, and the date format and time zone. A change made while an export is running does not reach that export; it applies from the next one. Message headers are the exception described above: they take the time zone when the file is converted.

Example: setting up a school SAR

The data protection lead at Oakfield Primary creates a project for a subject access request and shares it with the school business manager, who will do most of the redacting.

1. Before uploading, the lead opens Settings › Project settings and sets the time zone to UK time, so message times match what staff saw.

2. She sets How redactions look in the export to Black with the reason code, because the parent is likely to ask why each redaction was made.

3. She sets Default reason for new redactions to TPD (Third party personal data), the code most redactions in this request will use.

4. She chooses Ask me first, so the business manager decides each time rather than having names redacted in the background.

5. She turns on Redact names in exports, so the pupil's name stays out of file names.

The business manager sees the same settings, read-only, and every export either of them makes follows them.

Settings at a glance