Redacting Documents

Redacting Spreadsheets

Before you begin

• Blackout only supports specific file types. For more information, please refer to the Supported File Types article.
• Black, white, and text redactions are supported on spreadsheets.
• Charts and objects can only be redacted in full using a black-box style redaction.
• When redacting Sheet names, they must be unique. For example, two sheet names cannot have the text "REDACTED", but could have "REDACTED" and "REDACTED 1".

How to Place Redactions

The following sections explain how to place different types of redactions after navigating to a document. To learn more about viewing and navigating documents, click here.

Choosing the Redaction Type

To begin redacting cells, rows, columns, or entire sheets, a redaction type must be selected.

1. Choose the redaction type by clicking the dropdown menu next to the 'Redact' button in the top left of the document viewer. Three redaction types are available: Black, White, or Text

   

2. If the 'Text' redaction type is selected, the 'Text Redaction Options' screen is displayed, allowing for additional formatting options and the input of the desired redaction text.

3. The redaction text can be changed by selecting the 'Text' redaction type again from the dropdown menu.

   

Redacting Cells, Rows, and Columns

1. Select the cells, rows, or columns to be redacted. 

   Note: Multiple cells, rows, or columns can be selected by pressing CTRL (control) on your keyboard and clicking.

2. Click the 'Redact' button in the top left of the document viewer.

Redacting Charts and Objects

1. Locate the chart or object to redact.
2. Right-click on the chart or object
3. Select 'Redact Object'

Note: A chart or object can also be redacted by left-clicking on it and clicking the 'Redact' button in the top left of the viewer.

Redacting Comments

1. Click the 'Comments' button in the right of the document viewer below the information panel button. The comments on the spreadsheet will be displayed.
2. Double-click the comment that needs to be redacted. Alternatively, right-click the comment and choose 'Redact'.
3. Select the comment text to redact, delete it using your keyboard, and enter the desired redaction text.
4. Click the green checkmark to confirm the redaction, or click the X to cancel it.
5. To edit a comment redaction, double-click the comment text, or right-click and choose 'Redact'. Then update the redaction text as needed.

To designate that a comment has been redacted, it will be flagged with a black bar on the left of the comment text.

Redacting Headers and Footers

1. Click the 'Headers & Footers' button on right of the document viewer below the comments icon. A list of headers and footers will be displayed.
2. Double-click the header/footer that needs to be redacted. Alternatively, right-click the header/footer, then choose 'Redact'.
3. Select the header/footer text to redact, delete it using your keyboard, and enter the desired redaction text.
4. Click the green checkmark to confirm the redaction, or the X to cancel the redaction

To designate that a header or footer has been redacted, it will be flagged with a black bar on the left of the header/footer text.

Redacting Sheet Names

1. Double-click the sheet name that needs to be redacted. Alternatively, right-click the sheet name and choose 'Redact'.
2. Select the header/footer text to redact, delete it using your keyboard, and enter the desired redaction text.
3. Press Enter to confirm the redaction. Clicking outside of the sheet name will not confirm the redaction. 
4. To edit a sheet name redaction, double-click the sheet text, or right-click and choose 'redact'. Then update the redaction text as needed.

To designate that a sheet name has been redacted, it will be flagged with a black bar on the left of the sheet name text.

Redacting Full Sheets

Warning: When redacting a full sheet, only the cells of that sheet will be redacted. Blackout will not redact the comments, charts, objects, headers, or footers of the associated sheet. Those additional items will need to be redacted separately.

1. After choosing a redaction type, click the 'select all' button (highlighted in the image below) in the top left of the current sheet. All the cells in the sheet will be selected. 

   

2. Click the Redact button in the top right of the document viewer. All the cells in the current sheet will now be redacted.

   

How to Remove Redactions

There are many situations where a redaction needs to be removed or reverted. The steps below will explain how to remove redactions.

On Cells, Columns, Rows, Sheets, Charts, and Objects

1. Locate the redaction that needs to be removed.
2. Right-click on the redaction.
3. Select 'Remove Redaction'. The redaction will be removed.

On Sheet Names

1. Locate the sheet name redaction that needs to be removed.
2. Right-click on the sheet name redaction.
3. Select 'Restore Original Sheet Name'. The original sheet name will be restored.

On Comments

1. Click the 'Comments' button on the right of the document viewer below the information panel icon. The comments on the spreadsheet will be displayed.
2. Right-click on the comment redaction.

3. Select 'Restore Original Comment'.

    

Visibility Toggles

When redacting, it's helpful to see what is underneath a redaction, object, or chart. Not only does it give peace of mind that sensitive data was redacted properly, but it also speeds up review workflows, as you can see what is underneath redactions as you place them.

What to Know

• Two visibility toggles are available:

  Redaction

   Object/Chart

• There are three visibility options: solid, transparent, and hidden.
• If redactions, objects, or charts are hidden, redactions cannot be placed.

How to Toggle Visibility

1. Locate the or    icon in the upper left of the document viewer.
2. Click either of these buttons to change the visibility of the associated items.
3. Click the same button again to switch to a different visibility mode. The icons will change to signify different visibility modes: