Sanitize Document

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Document sanitization removes hidden metadata and embedded content that could reveal sensitive information about the document's origin, authorship, editing history, or internal structure. This is a critical step when releasing redacted documents to the public or to third parties.

Extensions > Mapsoft Redactor > Sanitize Document

Using Sanitize Document

  1. Open a PDF document in Adobe Acrobat.
  2. Choose Extensions > Mapsoft Redactor > Sanitize Document.
  3. Check the items you want to remove. Use Select All or Select None for quick toggling.
  4. Click OK to sanitize the document.
  5. A results dialog shows how many items were removed.

Sanitization Options

OptionDescriptionDefault
Document PropertiesRemove Author, Title, Subject, Keywords, Creator, and Producer fields from the document information dictionary.On
XMP MetadataRemove the XMP metadata stream, which can contain extensive editing history, software version info, and timestamps.On
ThumbnailsRemove embedded page thumbnail images. These can sometimes retain content from earlier versions of a page.On
JavaScriptRemove all document-level and page-level JavaScript actions. JavaScript can execute code when the document is opened.On
BookmarksRemove all bookmarks (outlines). Bookmarks may contain text that reveals the document's structure or removed content.Off
Form FieldsFlatten interactive form fields to their visual appearance, removing the ability to fill in or extract form data.Off
Hidden LayersRemove hidden optional content layers. Hidden layers may contain content that is not visible but is still present in the file.On
Search IndexRemove the embedded search index. The index can contain text from the document that could be extracted separately.On
AttachmentsRemove all embedded file attachments from the document.On
AnnotationsRemove all annotations (comments, highlights, stamps, etc.).Off

Quick Selection

The dialog provides two convenience buttons:

Warning

Sanitization permanently modifies the document. Removed metadata and content cannot be recovered. Save a backup copy before sanitizing.

When to Sanitize

Sanitization should typically be performed as the final step in the redaction workflow, after all redacting annotations have been applied and executed. A recommended workflow is:

  1. Mark up the document using dictionaries, patterns, templates, or manual drawing.
  2. Review and execute redaction using Redact Marked Content.
  3. Sanitize the document to remove hidden metadata.
  4. Generate a Redaction Certificate for compliance records.

Note

Even after redacting visible content, a PDF can still contain sensitive metadata such as the original author's name, editing timestamps, or hidden layers with pre-redaction content. Sanitization addresses these hidden information channels.

See Also