There are situations where you need to edit documents to eliminate sensitive information. This could be personal identification details (names, addresses, phone numbers), financial information (account numbers, credit card details), legal information (case numbers, client information) or any other confidential business data. To make these documents ready for public access, it is important to properly redact the sensitive content. Thankfully, there are numerous online tools available to update the content in PDFs, Word, Excel or PowerPoint files, these tools simplify the process, allowing you to quickly search for specific words or phrases and replace them without hassle.

This guide will take you through the process of finding and replacing text in documents online using our FileFormat Redaction app.

Free online redaction app

What is a document redaction?

Document redaction is the act of removing or hiding sensitive information from a document. This ensures that confidential details, such as personal data or financial information, are not visible to unauthorized people. Redaction can be done manually by blacking out text or electronically using software tools to erase the information from digital files like PDFs, DOCX and other formats.

How to Redact a Word Document Online?

When it comes to redaction, it is essential to understand that it involves altering information and data. It is not advisable to perform redaction directly on the original. To maintain the integrity of the original information, it is best to work on a copy of the document.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to find and replace text in a Word document using the free and easy-to-use FileFormat tool.

  1. Visit our online FileFormat Redaction app.
  2. Upload the required DOCX file from your local storage, Dropbox or Google Drive.
  3. Input the text you want to find and replace.
  4. Click the Redact button to update the text.
  5. Download your updated document as a ZIP archive to view instantly or share the link with anyone.

Redact Document

Conclusion

This article covers the steps for redacting sensitive information from documents online. Finding and replacing text in documents online is a straightforward yet important task, especially when you need to update or correct information efficiently. Make sure to review your redactions carefully to ensure no sensitive information remains visible. With our free redaction app, you can easily redact words and text in PDFs, DOCX, XLSX and PPTX files online, completely free of charge.

Ask a Question

If you have any questions or inquiries, feel free to reach out to us on our free support forum.