Redaction Issues

[Brave_mind0334]

When I select specific text in a pdf to be redacted and then hit "apply", nearly all of the text disappears and the word "dummylink" is on every page in blue. I have tried the redaction at least 7 times and get the same result. I also tried saving the document as an optimized pdf, but nothing helps. 

[Amal.]

Hi there 

We hope you are doing well, and thanks for reaching out. We are sorry for the trouble you are experiencing. 

I have tried to reproduce the issue at my end, and it's working fine, as expected. That said, when redacting text in Adobe Acrobat and seeing most of the content disappear or getting replaced with the word "dummylink" across pages, it’s often linked to either a rendering issue with the PDF or a problem introduced during the redaction process, especially if the document has interactive elements or was created from a web-based or auto-generated source.

Please try the steps below and see if that works:

1. Check if the PDF is tagged or generated from HTML or auto-filled templates: PDFs that come from certain automated systems can contain background scripts or placeholder elements that don’t behave well with redaction.

• Go to File > Properties > Description and see the Application used to create the file. 

2. Try Flattening the PDF:

• Go to Print > Print to Adobe PDF, and re-save the document. This will "flatten" the file, removing dynamic or hidden elements.
• Open this new version and try the redaction again.

3. Use "Sanitize Document" instead of just "Apply Redactions.": After selecting redactions, go to Redact > Sanitize Document. This clears hidden metadata and embedded content that could be causing the issue.

Let us know how it goes.

[Brave_mind0334]

Hi, I appreciate your reply. When I did that, then the redaction system didn't work correctly. It wouldn't let me redact one word, the box was huge and would take out a huge area of the document. I think the web-based program this document came from is making this difficult. 

[MikelKlink]

As you appear to know the "web-based program this document came from", would it be possible for you to create a file with dummy data with that program and share that file here for us to inspect?

[Harry_Frank6307]

This issue often happens when the PDF was created by a web-based or automated system that embeds placeholder elements or scripts. When you apply redaction, Acrobat may misinterpret those elements and replace them with “dummylink” across pages. To fix this, try flattening the PDF by printing it to Adobe PDF—this removes dynamic content. Also, use Sanitize Document instead of just “Apply Redactions” to clear hidden metadata and embedded scripts. If that doesn’t help, check the file’s creation source under File > Properties > Description to confirm if it came from a problematic generator.