Document Redaction Services

We provide professional document redaction services that specialise in the secure handling of sensitive information for Subject Access Requests (SAR) and Freedom of Information (FOI) responses. Skip the software learning curve and meet your statutory deadlines with 100% confidence.

Unlike DIY software that requires expensive licensing and staff training, we handle the entire process. Simply send your files via secure transfer and receive fully redacted, compliant documents within your deadline. We eliminate the “time drain” on your team, allowing you to focus on core work while we handle the technical execution.

Why Our Redaction Service Beats DIY Software

Redaction tools promise convenience, but you’ll spend days learning the software, fixing issues and second-guessing whether you’ve caught everything—while the liability still sits with you.

We provide complete end-to-end redaction through rigorous manual review by trained specialists. Our process catches what self-service software misses—hidden metadata, inconsistent protection across documents and contextual identifiers that require human judgment to identify.

Transparent Document Redaction Pricing

No software costs. No licensing fees. No surprises. Simple per-page pricing.
The more pages you require redacting, the lower your cost per page.

Don’t know your page count?
No problem. Share your files and we’ll analyse the dataset, provide an exact page count and confirm your quote – completely free with no obligation.

Important Notes:

*Digital documents only: Pricing applies to typed digital files (Emails, Word docs, PDFs, etc). Scanned PDFs or handwritten documents require additional processing and will incur a small processing fee. This will be itemised in the analysis report/quotation.

Professional & permanent redaction: Using a non-destructive workflow, we work on copies of your data to ensure your originals remain untouched. Redactions are permanently ‘burnt’ into the final PDF export—removing the text and underlying metadata entirely so it can never be recovered.

Deduplication included: We remove over 99% of duplicate emails, on average this reduces file counts by upto 20%, saving you significant processing costs.

Excel redaction: Spreadsheet redaction requires additional processing and will incur a small processing fee due to complexity (multiple sheets, data volume, etc.). This will be itemised in the analysis report/quotation.

More than 10,000 pages? Contact us for a custom quote.

Our Subject Access Request (SAR) Redaction Process

Complete Dataset Processing
We handle the entire redaction workflow from start to finish:

What We Need From You:
Simply provide the requester’s personal details (name, address, email, phone number, employee ID, etc.) and send us your files. We identify and redact all other third party instances throughout the documents – leaving the requester’s visible as it’s their information, they’re entitled to it.

You don’t need to tell us where to redact or mark up pages. Lastly, you do not need to organise your files at all, just place all documents into a folder and let us itemise it.

1. Data Access
We can provide a dedicated folder on our SharePoint for you to easily drag and drop your files into, or you can provide us with a link for us to download.

2. Email Organisation
Emails (whether from PST, EML or MSG files), we convert to PDF and combined chronologically per email across all mailboxes into a single document (oldest to newest). This transforms scattered emails into a coherent timeline, allowing all parties to see how the events unfolded, rather than piecing together individual files.

3. PDF Document Consolidation
Standalone PDF files are merged into a single consolidated PDF document for easier navigation and review.

4. Word Document Conversion
Word documents are converted to searchable PDF format and merged as one, these are kept as separate files to preserve document integrity and formatting.

5. Supporting Materials
Excel spreadsheets, images and other file types are retained in their original formats to maintain functionality and readability.

6. Professional Redaction
Third-party names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and sensitive data identified and permanently redacted. Manual quality assurance on every page.

7. Compliant Delivery
Your requester receives logically grouped PDFs, not 1,000 individual files scattered across folders. A clear, well-structured set of documents that meets ICO standards.

Before You Send:
For faster processing and lower costs, please extract and send relevant email attachments separately rather than embedded within email files. Email attachments frequently contain documents completely unrelated to the SAR (company reports, circulars, marketing materials) which add unnecessary volume.

Typical turnaround: 5-7 days (larger projects may take longer)

What We Redact

• Third-party names and personal details
• Email addresses and phone numbers
• Postal addresses
• National Insurance numbers
• Medical information (non-requester)
• Financial details (non-requester)
• Any other sensitive personal data

The data subject’s information remains visible – we only redact third-party personal data.

Do You Need a DPO?

Short answer: Probably not.

For a standard Subject Access Request (SAR) redaction, a lot of organisations get quoted thousands just for a Data Protection Officer to review what needs to be included in the scope. In most cases, that step adds a huge cost without adding real value. The truth is, most SAR redaction projects don’t need that level of oversight.

You already know your data. You understand your case. That’s usually more than enough to decide what should and shouldn’t be included before the redaction process. A DPO may be necessary if you’re dealing with highly complex legal requirements, an active ICO investigation or data that crosses multiple countries with different rules.

But for standard SARs or employee grievances? It’s often overkill.
That’s where our document redaction service comes in — fast, accurate redaction without unnecessary extras.

Simple, practical and far more cost-effective.

However, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the volume of data?

Read our SAR Triage Guide: How to Reduce Your Redaction Costs →

Why Choose our Redaction Service?

• Transparent Pricing – Know your costs upfront, no hidden fees
• Complete Service – Data organisation, redaction and compliant delivery
• Unlimited Mailboxes – Process 1 or 100 at the same per-page rate
• Fast Turnaround – 5–7 days for most projects
• ICO Compliant – Meets “readily accessible” standards
• No Extra DPO Costs – Avoid expensive third-party review fees

Ready to Get Started?

Upload your files or get a free page count and quote today.
No obligation. No hidden costs. Just clear, transparent pricing.

Have questions or need more details? Reach out to us today at hello@excelnexus.co.uk or on 0161 513 2735 for more information on how we can assist with your Subject Access Requests (SAR).

As an experienced outsourced document redaction provider, we are committed to providing high-quality, cost-effective redaction services tailored to your specific task.

Feeling Overwhelmed by the Volume of Data?

A Subject Access Request doesn’t have to mean handing over every email and spreadsheet in your company. In fact, doing so increases your costs and exposes sensitive business information unnecessarily.

We’ve developed a SAR Triage Guide to help you identify what is actually personal data versus routine business records. Follow our simple filters to reduce your document pile, protect your company’s information, and significantly lower your redaction costs.

Read our SAR Triage Guide: How to Reduce Your Redaction Costs →