Search and redact · Autessa Redact
Pattern redaction
Autessa Redact includes pattern redaction: built-in patterns find Social Security numbers, phone numbers, email addresses, dates and credit card numbers anywhere in a document, and a custom regular expression finds anything else, such as your own case or employee number format.
The problem
Numbers you cannot list in advance
You can not type every Social Security number in a file before you find them. Patterns match the shape of the data, like 123-45-6789 or 4111 1111 1111 1111, so every one is found whatever its value.
- SSN finds numbers shaped like 123-45-6789.
- Phone finds numbers like (360) 555-0142.
- Email finds addresses like name@example.org.
- Date finds 3/14/2024, 2024-03-14 and March 14, 2024.
- Credit card finds numbers like 4111 1111 1111 1111.
- Custom pattern takes any regular expression, and tells you plainly if it is not valid.
How it works
How does pattern redaction work in Autessa Redact?
Open Find and choose Patterns
Press Ctrl+F and switch to Patterns.
Pick the patterns
Turn on SSN, Phone, Email, Date or Credit card, or type a custom pattern.
Check the matches
Every match is listed by page; covered ones are flagged.
Redact
Label them, for example SSN, and redact all checked matches.
Every option
Patterns
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| SSN | 123-45-6789 |
| Phone | (360) 555-0142 |
| name@example.org | |
| Date | 3/14/2024 · 2024-03-14 · March 14, 2024 |
| Credit card | 4111 1111 1111 1111 |
| Custom pattern (regex) | Your own regular expression. |
Permissions
Who can do what?
| Who | Can |
|---|---|
| Members with the Redact permission | Run pattern searches on files they uploaded. |
| Builders | Use the same kind of detectors in automated pipelines, with Luhn-checked card numbers and more presets. |
FAQ
Questions about pattern redaction
How do I redact all Social Security numbers in a PDF?
Open Find, choose Patterns, turn on SSN and redact every match. Label them SSN if you want readers to see what was removed.
Can I search with my own regular expression?
Yes. Type it in Custom pattern. If it is not a valid regular expression, Redact says so instead of failing quietly.
Are patterns the same as AI suggestions?
No. Patterns match fixed shapes with no AI involved. Suggest redactions uses AI to find personal information by meaning, with patterns as hints.
100% customizable, code and all
Make Autessa Redact fully your own.
Use it out of the box, then change anything. Ask Autobot, Autessa’s AI builder, for a new field, screen, report, workflow or agent and it builds it into your copy of the app. Or open the code and edit it yourself. Nothing is locked: the app, its data and its code are yours.
Start free and make it yours