How it works
How OpenRedakt takes a file from source to reviewed output.
Every format follows the same discipline: open the source, make it reviewable, find or mark sensitive content, decide on each mark, render a new file, and inspect what will actually be shared.
The review lifecycle
Six stages, the same for every format
The stages do not change between a scanned bundle, a recorded interview, and a dashcam clip. The tools inside each stage do.
Open a supported source
Bring a document or recording into the workflow suited to its format.
- PDFs open natively. Supported office formats are converted for document review; several need LibreOffice installed.
- Common audio formats open on a waveform and timeline once FFmpeg tooling is configured.
Make the content reviewable
Give the reviewer something to read or hear in context before any mark is made.
- Native text is used where it exists; configured OCR recognises text on scans and image-only pages.
- An available transcript can sit beside the waveform as context. It is not treated as an exact timing source.
Find candidates or mark directly
Use configured detection where it helps, and place marks yourself wherever judgement is needed.
- Configured engines surface candidate findings; reviewers also select text or draw areas on the page.
- Reviewers drag or enter the start and end of each sensitive span on the manual timeline.
Decide, adjust, and record
Every candidate and mark is a decision a reviewer makes, not one the software makes for them.
- Approve, reject, or edit each mark, adjust its appearance, and record the reason for it.
- Choose mute, tone, silence, or a supported noise mask and preview the effect where the source decodes.
Render a new output
Create a separate redacted file rather than relying on how the working project looks on screen.
- Render a reviewed copy of the document from the approved marks.
- Render reviewed ranges to a supported output format; output choices are narrower than accepted inputs.
Inspect what will be shared
Treat the exported file as another review step before anyone outside the workflow receives it.
- Re-open supported output, check for readable marked content, and create a report of the recorded decisions.
- Listen to the exported recording, paying particular attention to the boundaries of each masked span.
Human review
What the reviewer stays responsible for
- Deciding what is sensitive for the intended recipient and purpose
- Confirming or rejecting every candidate the software surfaces
- Finding what detection does not cover, such as indirect identifiers
- Listening to every masked span in the rendered recording
- Inspecting the exported file before it is shared
Format detail
Go deeper into each workflow
Each feature page covers supported formats, review controls, and the configuration each workflow depends on.
- Document redactionPDF and supported office-file preparationExplore workflow
- Audio redactionManual waveform and timeline selectionsExplore workflow
See how the lifecycle applies to your sector in the industry guides, or read why visual hiding is not the same as redaction.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about the workflow
How the stages behave in practice and where configuration changes what is available.