What happens to a document when you apply redactions
When you redact a document — whether one mark or hundreds in a bulk session — the original file is preserved and a new version is created with the changes. The data room always displays the current version.
How it works
1. The user opens a document and redacts. Everything you mark in a single session (one or many redactions) is grouped together as one set of pending changes until you click “apply redaction.”
2. The redaction is saved (end of session) when the user clicks “apply redaction.” Once you apply the redaction(s), a new version of the file is generated with the redacted content — the redacted content is no longer recoverable from the new version but can be viewed in the previous version (version history in doc viewer).
3. The data room updates. The latest version becomes the file that viewers see and download from the data room. Earlier versions remain in the version history and can be viewed but are not available to download in the data room.
Key behaviors to know
One session = one new version – If you apply 200 redactions in a single session, that produces a single new version — not 200. If you come back the next day to redact more, that's a second session and a second new version.
Viewers always see the latest version – Anyone with access to the file in the data room sees the current version (most recent version). They don't see prior versions or any indication of what was redacted.
Originals are preserved in version history – The pre-redaction file remains in the file's version history for users with permission to view it.
Downloads reflect the current version – Anyone who downloads the file gets the current version with redactions applied — the redacted content is not embedded as hidden metadata or recoverable text. The redacted text is removed from the new version.
Each version records who applied the redactions – Currently, user information isn’t available on the frontend. We will make this available soon.