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Sharing Redacted Documents with Legal Teams

Best practices for distributing verified documents, providing verification instructions, and integrating with document management systems.

Last updated: 15 January 2025

Sharing Best Practices

What to Share

When sharing redacted documents, you should provide:

  • The redacted PDF - The document with redactions applied
  • The verification.json file - For independent verification
  • Verification instructions - How recipients can verify authenticity

Keep the verification.json file: Always retain a copy of the verification certificate for your records. It's the authoritative proof of when and how the document was redacted.

Email Template

When emailing redacted documents, you might include text like this:

Please find attached the redacted document and its verification certificate.

To verify this document has not been modified:

1. Visit redactproof.com/verify

2. Upload the verification.json file and the PDF

3. The system will confirm authenticity

Alternatively, scan the QR code on the certificate page of the PDF.

Document Management System Integration

If your organisation uses a document management system (DMS), you can extract metadata from the verification certificate to index and search redacted documents.

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Extractable Metadata

The verification.json file contains structured data you can parse:

Field Use Case
cert_id Unique identifier for linking related documents
timestamp Date filtering, audit trails
entity_counts Compliance reporting (e.g., "5 names redacted")
original_hash Linking to original source document

File Naming Conventions

Consider adopting a consistent naming convention:

  • [Matter]_[DocType]_redacted_[Date].[ext]
  • Example: Smith_v_Jones_Contract_redacted_2025-01-15.pdf
  • Keep the verification.json with the same base name

Sharing with Legal Teams

When sharing with legal counsel or opposing parties:

  • Always include both the PDF and verification.json in the same delivery
  • Note the certificate ID in your cover letter or email
  • Retain proof of delivery (read receipts, courier tracking)
  • Keep your own copy of all files for your records

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