Area Redaction

This article explains how to use the area redaction tool to redact content that can't be selected as text.

When to Use Area Redaction

Some content in emails and documents can't be highlighted as text — scanned pages, embedded images, signatures, logos, screenshots, and handwritten notes. The area redaction tool lets you draw a rectangle over any region of the page to mark it for redaction, regardless of what's underneath.

Use area redaction for:

• Scanned documents — photocopied letters, ID documents, or forms that aren't searchable text

• Embedded images — photos, screenshots, or diagrams pasted into emails

• Signatures and logos — handwritten signatures or company logos containing personal details

• Handwritten content — notes, annotations, or markings on scanned pages

• Mixed content — any area where text selection doesn't capture what you need

Switching to Area Mode

1. Open your project and select an email or document

2. Switch to Redact mode using the toolbar

3. Switch to area redaction using either method:

   • Click the Area tool button in the redaction toolbar

   • Press A on your keyboard

Tip: Press T to switch back to text selection mode at any time.

Drawing an Area Redaction

1. Click and hold where you want the redaction to start

2. Drag to the opposite corner of the area you want to redact

3. Release to create the redaction

The area is highlighted in orange, making it easy to distinguish from text-based redactions, which appear in red.

Working Across Multiple Emails

Your tool mode stays active as you navigate between emails. If you switch to area mode and move to the next email, you'll still be in area mode — no need to keep switching back.

This is particularly useful when working through a batch of items that contain non-text content, such as scanned attachments or emails with embedded images.

Managing Area Redactions

Area redactions work the same as text redactions once created:

• Comment — add or edit a comment on a redaction

• Delete — Click on the redaction and select remove

• Redaction logs — Area redactions appear in the Redaction Logs with all other redactions

• Export — Area redactions render as solid black bars in exported PDFs, identical to text redactions

Example: Responding to a School SAR

A parent submits a Subject Access Request for their child's educational records. The school exports the relevant emails, but they contain content that needs redacting before disclosure — scanned handwritten teacher notes, photos in safeguarding reports, other children's names in MIS screenshots, and staff signature blocks with personal mobile numbers.

1. Upload the email archive and triage the emails

2. Switch to Redact mode and press A to enter area mode

3. Draw rectangles over the scanned teacher notes, mentioning other pupils

4. Navigate to the next email and draw over the photo in the safeguarding report

5. Continue through each email — area mode stays active as you navigate

6. When you reach typed emails, press T to switch to text selection

7. Use Search to Redact to find and remove remaining names across the project

8. Export — every area and text redaction renders as a solid black bar

Keyboard Shortcuts

These shortcuts are only active in Redact mode and won't interfere when typing in search fields or filters.