Keyword Search Redaction

Last updated: 2026-03-23

Keyword search redaction lets you enter a term and find every occurrence within the current document. Results show page numbers and surrounding context. Select or deselect individual matches before applying them as redactions.

Keyword search panel

Search for keywords and select matches for redaction

Opening the keyword search redaction panel

With a file open in the PDF viewer in redaction mode, open the keyword search panel from the redaction toolbar. The panel slides in from the right side, giving you a dedicated interface for finding and selecting keyword matches.

Searching for keywords to redact

Type your keyword into the Keywords (comma-separated) field at the top of the panel. Search for a single term or enter multiple keywords separated by commas. For example, "Social Security, SSN, taxpayer ID" searches for all three terms at once. Click Search or press Enter to run the search.

The search runs against all text in the current document, including scanned pages. Hintyr uses AI-powered text detection to find text in scanned documents and image-based PDFs, so keyword search works even on documents that weren't born-digital.

Reviewing keyword search results

Results are grouped by keyword. Each group shows the keyword in quotes, the count of selected matches out of total (for example, "3/4 selected"), and an expand/collapse toggle. Click a group to see individual matches with their page numbers and surrounding context.

Context helps you decide whether each match should be redacted. For example, "Social Security" might appear next to a nine-digit number that must be redacted under FRCP Rule 5.2, but the same term in a reference to the Social Security Administration may not need redaction. Reviewing context prevents over-redaction.

Selecting and deselecting keyword matches for redaction

Each match has a checkbox. By default, all matches are selected for redaction. Uncheck any match you don't want to redact. Use the Select All and Deselect All controls within each keyword group to toggle all matches for that keyword at once.

Click a match's text to jump the viewer to that page and see the match in full context. This makes it easy to verify each match without manually scrolling through the document.

Applying keyword redactions

After reviewing and selecting the matches you want to redact, close the keyword search panel and click Apply in the redaction toolbar. All selected keyword matches, along with any other pending redactions from text selection or box drawing, are applied together.

To search for keywords across multiple files instead of just the current document, see the batch redaction guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I search for multiple keywords at once?
Yes. Enter multiple keywords separated by commas. Each keyword is searched independently, and results are grouped by keyword in the panel.
Does keyword search work on scanned documents?
Yes. Hintyr uses AI-powered text detection to find text in scanned pages and image-based PDFs. It works on both born-digital and scanned content.
Is the search case-sensitive?
No. Keyword search is case-insensitive by default, so searching for "smith" will match "Smith", "SMITH", and "smith".
What if a keyword was already redacted in a previous pass?
The search panel shows a deduplication summary indicating how many matches were already redacted. Previously redacted matches are excluded from new results to prevent duplicate work.

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