# PDF Redaction Checklist for Sensitive Documents — free download from DollarWise (dollarwise.xyz)

Work through the four phases in order. Check off each step as you complete it.

## Phase 1 — Audit the document

1. Make a working copy of the original PDF — never redact the only copy you have.
2. Search the document for common identifiers: SSNs, tax IDs, account numbers, and phone numbers.
3. Read every page visually, including headers, footers, page numbers, and watermarks.
4. Check embedded images and scanned pages for sensitive text inside pictures.
5. Review comments, annotations, and markup for details that leak sensitive information.
6. List every item to redact in one place so nothing slips through unnoticed.
7. Confirm with the recipient exactly which fields must be hidden before you start redacting.

## Phase 2 — Redact the right way

8. Use a real redaction tool — never use the highlight, shape, or drawing tool as a cover-up.
9. Redact text so the underlying characters are removed, not just hidden from view.
10. Redact the same sensitive text everywhere it repeats — search the whole document, not just one page.
11. Review partial and masked versions of the same data (full and last-four-digits forms) and redact as required.
12. Redact metadata fields that identify people, such as author, title, and keywords.
13. Remove or redact sensitive data inside form fields, dropdowns, and checkboxes.
14. Flatten the PDF after redacting so annotations and layers cannot be peeled back.

## Phase 3 — Strip hidden data

15. Clean document metadata: author name, creation date, and software tags that are not needed.
16. Check for embedded file attachments inside the PDF and remove them.
17. Remove document revision history and any earlier saved versions.
18. Check OCR text layers on scanned pages — the hidden layer may carry data the image hides.
19. Delete bookmarks and links that reveal names, usernames, or internal file paths.
20. Sanitize file properties: title, subject, and any custom properties with personal details.

## Phase 4 — Verify and share

21. Try to select and copy text over every redaction — nothing should be selectable.
22. Search the PDF for the original sensitive strings — zero results is the goal.
23. Open the redacted PDF in a different viewer or browser to confirm the redactions hold.
24. Compare the file size before and after — a drop can confirm hidden layers were removed.
25. Re-scan the document with a redaction verification tool if one is available to you.
26. Save the redacted file under a new name and share only that copy — never the original.