Define the permitted information

Start with a clear decision about what may be disclosed and why. Work from a copy, preserve the original appropriately and use a process intended for removing restricted information. Inspect comments, attachments, metadata and hidden content as part of the review. Do not rely on a coloured rectangle that merely makes text harder to see. Where uncertainty remains, obtain a suitable document-handling review before sharing.

Test the exported result

Open the final exported file as the recipient would. Try searching for restricted terms and copying text from the affected areas. Check page thumbnails and embedded links too. Keep a record of the approved release and the person who reviewed it. The objective is a useful document with a deliberate disclosure boundary, not a damaged page that prevents the reader from understanding the remaining content. Clearly mark omissions where that context is needed.

Put the guide to work

Ask a second reviewer to inspect the final public copy independently of the person who prepared it. Provide the disclosure rules, not just a general request to check the file. The reviewer needs to know what should be absent and what must remain understandable after the removal.

Imagine this

Hypothetical example

A commercial team removes personal contact details from a case study. Its final check finds the same details in a comment and an attached spreadsheet. Both are addressed before release, and the public version retains enough project context to remain useful.

Make it practical.

Use this checklist as you read. Checks are not stored.

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