Applying Redactions

Applies to: All Rooms     Access Level: Users with Manage folder permission

Overview

Redaction allows specific content within a document to be obscured so it cannot be reviewed by other parties. QuikData supports two redaction modes depending on the document type:

Both modes are accessed through the same entry points and follow the same core workflow: place redaction marks, review them, and finalize to save. Until finalized, all redaction marks are considered unapplied and are not visible to other Users.

Note: Redaction requires Manage permission on the document's folder. If the Redact Document icon is unavailable, contact the Room Administrator to confirm folder permissions. Archives, Audio, and Video files cannot be redacted.

Getting There

There are two ways to open Redaction Mode or Toolbox Mode for a document:

Note: Always select a document that is not slipsheeted before attempting to open Redaction Mode. Slipsheeted documents cannot be redacted.
 

1. Redacting Standard Documents (Redaction Mode)

Redaction Mode is used for standard documents including PDFs, images, and emails. It opens in a separate browser tab and provides a document view with redaction tools in a panel on the right.
 

Applying Redaction Marks

1. In Redaction Mode, select the redaction color — Black or White — from the toolbar.
2. Click and drag to draw a redaction rectangle over the text or content to be obscured.
3. The redaction mark appears in Green with a "Redacted" label. The label can be changed at any time.
4. Each mark is listed in the Redaction List on the right, showing the page number, the User who created it, and the label.
5. To apply full-page redactions, enter the page number or page range in the Full Page Redaction field, enter a label, and confirm.

Note: Redaction marks remain Green (unapplied) until the Finalize Redaction button is selected. Unapplied marks are not visible to other Users.
 

Managing Redaction Marks

The following actions can be performed on marks listed in the Redaction List:

Redaction Mark Colors

Colors indicate the current state of each redaction mark:

Finalizing Redactions

When all redaction marks are correctly placed, click the Finalize Redaction button. All Green marks turn Grey, confirming they are saved. Red marks (deleted) are removed. This action cannot be undone.

Review Mode

User can toggle between Redaction Mode and Review Mode at any time by clicking the Review Mode button in the top right corner. In Review Mode, saved redaction marks are displayed in their applied color (Black or White). Unapplied marks are not visible. No actions can be performed on marks while in Review Mode.

2. Redacting Spreadsheets (Toolbox Mode / Native Redaction)

Toolbox Mode is used for spreadsheet files such as Excel and CSV. It opens in a separate browser tab and displays the spreadsheet with a Toolbox panel on the right for applying cell-level redactions.

Note: Blank cells and complete sheets cannot be redacted. Slipsheeted spreadsheets cannot be redacted.

Applying Redactions to Cells

6. In Toolbox Mode, select the cells to be redacted.
7. Select the redaction color — Black or White — from the Toolbox panel.
8. Click the Redact button. Selected cells turn Green and display a "Redacted" label.
9. To redact all cells linked to a redacted cell, check the Redact Linked Cells checkbox before clicking Redact.
10. Each redacted cell is listed in the Redaction List, showing Sheet Name, Created By, Redaction Label, and Cell Name.

Note: Redaction marks on spreadsheets cannot be moved or resized after placement.
 

Hide and Show Redactions

The Hide Redactions and Show Redactions buttons control the visibility of redacted cell content during review:

Managing Redaction Marks

Actions available in the Redaction List for spreadsheet redactions:

Redaction Mark Colors — Spreadsheets

Note: Spreadsheet redactions display as Black when finalized, unlike standard documents which display as Grey.

Finalizing Redactions

Click the Finalize Redaction button to save all placed marks. Green cells turn Black confirming they are saved. Red cells (deleted) are removed permanently.
 

Review Mode

Toggle to Review Mode at any time to view the spreadsheet with saved redactions displayed in their applied color. Unapplied marks are not visible in Review Mode. No actions can be performed on marks while in Review Mode.
 

3. Identifying Redactions in the Documents Grid

The Documents grid includes two columns that indicate redaction status for any document:

A document can have both saved and unapplied redactions at the same time. The File Information panel also displays a magenta Unapplied Redaction label when unsaved marks are present on the selected document.

Notes

• Redaction requires Manage folder permission. Contact the Room Administrator if the Redact Document icon is unavailable.
• Archives, Audio, and Video files cannot be redacted. The Redact Document icon will be disabled for these file types.
• Unapplied redaction marks are not visible to other Users until finalized.
• For spreadsheets (CSV, Excel) processed through Auto Redaction Review Sets, PDF Redaction Mode is used instead of Native Redaction.
• Downloading a natively redacted document requires Manage permission on the document's folder. Users without this permission will have the Native download option disabled.

Related Articles

• Using the File Information Panel During Review
• Reviewing Documents in a Review Set
• Managing Room Groups and Folder Permissions