FOI redaction step-by-step: from request to publishable PDF

Practical steps for public sector teams: intake, detection, legal review, redaction, and publication under FOI.

Step 1: Register and scope the request

Log the FOI request in your case system. Identify which documents fall within scope and the legal deadline.

Assign a case owner and privacy/WOO coordinator before documents are collected.

Gather PDFs from email, DMS, or archives. For large cases, use bulk upload.

Anonify accepts PDF; export Word or scans to PDF first.

AI proposes redactions for names, IDs, and contact details. Reviewers validate each passage against FOI exemptions and GDPR.

Never publish without human sign-off. The audit trail records every decision.

Issue the disclosure decision. Attach redacted documents and publish via your transparency portal.

Try the workflow on your own PDF via the free demo before rolling out to the team.