Three years after you archived a contract, your accountant asks for it for an audit. The contract contains a counterparty's bank details, which are nobody's business but theirs. Sending the unredacted version creates a small but real liability.
Redact before archiving. The 30 seconds spent now prevents the apology email later.
Archives get shared in ways you didn't expect
When you archive a PDF, you imagine it sitting quietly forever. In practice, archives get pulled for audits, tax returns, due diligence, litigation. Strangers see them.
The future request for an archived PDF often has a short turnaround. There's no time to redact then. Redacting now means you can hand it over in any future scenario.
What to redact preventively
Bank account numbers, social security or national insurance numbers, salaries (in non-public contracts), home addresses of individuals, credit card numbers, internal personnel notes.
General rule: anything that isn't relevant to the document's primary purpose and is sensitive to someone.
Redacting in 30 seconds
Open the PDF in Flint redact. Draw boxes over the sensitive content. Apply (which removes the underlying data, not just covers it). Download. File the redacted version in `/Archive` and keep the unredacted version in a separate restricted folder.
Two files, two purposes: the unredacted in case you ever need the full original, the redacted for sharing.
When not to redact
Internal-only archives that will never leave the company: don't bother. Contracts where the sensitive data is the whole point (loan agreements, insurance policies): redaction changes the document's meaning.
Use judgment. The rule is: 'if there's any chance this leaves the company, redact what shouldn't be public.'
FAQ
Doesn't this slow down archiving?
Adds 30 seconds per sensitive document. For the 80% of documents without sensitive content, no time added. Net cost: minutes per month.
What about GDPR/privacy compliance?
Redacting personal data before archiving is good GDPR practice — minimises the data you hold to what's necessary. Aligns with data minimisation principles.
Should I encrypt instead of redact?
Different tools. Encryption protects the file from unauthorised access. Redaction prevents authorised viewers from seeing specific content. Use both as appropriate.
What if I need the redacted info later?
Keep the unredacted version in a restricted folder. The redacted version is the safe-to-share copy; the unredacted version is the safe-to-keep copy.
Archive once, share many times. Redact before archiving in Flint and never apologise for a future leak.