ClosingVault
Start free trial

Data room redaction

Data room redaction: which numbers are removed, and how

ClosingVault automatically hides Social Security numbers, taxpayer IDs, bank and card account numbers, and the account details on checks and deposit slips, keeping the last four digits on statements. Redaction runs on fixed rules, not AI, on ClosingVault’s own servers. The numbers are removed from the file, not just covered, and buyers see a document only after its redacted copy has passed a second check.

Last updated: 2026-11-03

Redaction means removing sensitive values from the copy of a document that other people read, so the values cannot be seen or recovered from it.

What does ClosingVault redact?

Redaction is rule-based, not AI. It covers:

  • Social Security numbers and taxpayer IDs
  • Payment card numbers and bank account numbers, keeping the last four digits on statements
  • Account details on checks and deposit slips: on the front of a check, the band along the bottom where the routing, account and check numbers print is blacked out, and the back is blacked out whole
  • Driver’s license, passport and date-of-birth entries, when they are labeled

What the rules leave alone: names, amounts, routing numbers outside a check, and a company’s EIN. If you need names, emails or addresses hidden, ClosingVault’s rules do not cover them; some of the vendors in the table below detect those.

How does it work, step by step?

  1. Filed first. A document is redacted once it is filed, because what counts as an account number depends on what the document is: a bank statement’s “Account” is redacted, an insurance policy number is not.
  2. Detected by rules. ClosingVault’s own code, on its own servers, finds each value by its shape and its label. Nothing is sent to an AI to do this.
  3. Redacted in a separate copy. The values are removed from the file, not just covered. The original is kept.
  4. Checked again. Every redacted copy is checked again, and a copy is held back if any hidden value can still be found.
  5. Held for a person if unsafe. A file that cannot be redacted safely is held for review, never released half done.
  6. Released. Until then the document reads “Being prepared”. Then everyone in the room sees the same redacted copy.

Overlay or true removal: why does it matter?

A black box drawn over a PDF hides a number on screen, but the text is often still in the file underneath. Select-all and paste, a text-extraction tool or an AI assistant reading the file can lift it straight back out. A PDF can also carry hidden text of its own, such as alternative text written for screen readers.

True removal takes the characters out of the copy, and on a scan the pixels too, so there is nothing underneath to recover. ClosingVault also blanks the hidden text a PDF carries, then checks the finished copy again.

Which file types are handled?

PDFs, images, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and CSV files are redacted, each in its own format, so a spreadsheet stays a spreadsheet. Scanned pages are read by OCR on ClosingVault’s own servers first. A file it cannot safely handle is held for you to review.

What can a room admin control?

  • Redaction is on by default for a new room.
  • A room admin can turn it off for a room.
  • A person can review and adjust what was hidden.
  • Downloads are allowed person by person. Everyone else reads in a viewer watermarked with their name and the time, with printing and copying suppressed.

How redaction fits with encryption, sign-in and the activity log: ClosingVault security and how we handle documents.

Which data rooms redact SSNs and bank account numbers automatically?

Several do, by different methods. The rows below are each vendor’s own description, read on 2026-11-03.

Redaction checked 2026-11-03 on each vendor’s own site
Vendor Finds sensitive data automatically Removes the values, not an overlay Re-checks every redacted copy Plan that has it
ClosingVault2 Every plan
Datasite3
Ansarada4
Papermark5 €549 plan
CapLinked6 $550 plan
LockRoom7
SecureDocs
DFIN Venue8
Intralinks9 Quote
iDeals10 Entry plan
Firmex11
HelpRange12 Free tool
Peony13 $64 plan
  1. ✓ stated on the vendor’s own site · — not stated. No other vendor’s page said whether it removes the text or covers it.
  2. ClosingVault: fixed rules, not AI; SSNs, taxpayer IDs, card and bank account numbers, check details, labeled IDs.
  3. Datasite: Redaction AI detects 120+ PII types in its Diligence product; included or add-on not stated.
  4. Ansarada: AI-assisted detection of emails, addresses, company names, IBANs and SWIFT codes, with preview and confirm.
  5. Papermark: AI detects 7 types, SSN and account number among them; a person approves each.
  6. CapLinked: a PDF redaction tool on Enterprise (from $550 a month); manual or AI not stated.
  7. LockRoom: redaction is listed as a feature; the method is not described.
  8. DFIN Venue: Smart Redaction auto-detects emails, phone numbers and credit cards.
  9. Intralinks: AI plus human verification across 80+ PII elements, priced by its sales team.
  10. iDeals: AI-powered redaction from its Core plan, which is quote only.
  11. Firmex: search-term and manual redaction (“Redact All”).
  12. HelpRange: a free tool; you enter the terms, with an option for all emails, phones and IBANs.
  13. Peony: Advanced Redaction on Deal Team ($64 per admin, 4-admin minimum); method not stated.

When does another tool fit better?

  • You need names, emails or addresses hidden: ClosingVault’s rules don’t cover them. Datasite detects 120+ PII types (datasite.com, checked 2026-11-03), and Papermark detects names, emails, phones and addresses with a person approving each one (papermark.com, checked 2026-11-03).
  • You want to choose every term yourself: HelpRange’s free tool redacts the names, numbers or phrases you enter (helprange.com, checked 2026-11-03).
  • You run large deals on an enterprise room: Intralinks pairs AI with human verification across 80+ PII elements (intralinks.com, checked 2026-11-03).

Redaction questions

Does ClosingVault redact SSNs automatically?

Yes. Social Security numbers and taxpayer IDs are found and removed automatically, along with payment card and bank account numbers, account details on checks and deposit slips, and labeled driver’s license, passport and date-of-birth entries. Statements keep the last four digits.

Is redaction done by AI?

No. Redaction is rule-based, not AI, and runs on ClosingVault’s own servers. The rules look for the shape of a number and the label beside it, such as an SSN’s 123-45-6789 form or a “Checking Account” label.

Can redacted numbers be recovered?

Not from the redacted copy. The values are removed from the file, not just covered, and every redacted copy is checked again; a copy is held back if any hidden value can still be found.

Can AI read redacted PDFs?

It can read a number that is only covered by a black box, because the text is still in the file underneath. It cannot read a number that was removed from the file, which is how ClosingVault redacts.

What do buyers see while redaction runs?

A document reads “Being prepared” until its redaction is done. Everyone in the room then sees the same redacted copy.

Is the original kept?

Yes. Redaction makes a separate redacted copy, and the original is kept.

Which file types are supported?

PDFs, images, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and CSV files are redacted, each in its own format. A file that cannot be redacted safely is held for a person to review rather than shown.

Can I turn redaction off?

Yes. Redaction is on by default, and a room admin can turn it off for a room. A person can also review and adjust what was hidden.

More from ClosingVault

SecurityEncryption, sign-in, redaction and the activity log. AI data roomWhat the AI does, and what it never does. For sellersAccount numbers hidden before any buyer sees a page. For business brokersRun several sell-side deals from one account.