Resources for Removing Hidden Data Before Publishing Documents on the Web

Electronic documents may contain information that is not visible onscreen or in printouts but can be extracted from the document.  For example, Word, WordPerfect, Excel, PDF and many other proprietary or open source documents may include:

    • Layers of data that are hidden, such as previous versions of the document, author information, or business information
    • Embedded objects, such as photos and spreadsheets, or embedded links
    • Redacted material that has been hidden from view, but not removed from the document.

This creates a potential for inadvertent release of information when documents are published to the Web.

This list contains resources that provide more information on the risks associated with hidden data, as well as steps that can be taken to ensure that inappropriate material (e.g., information that is personally identifiable, business identifiable, for official use only, copyrighted, sensitive, or classified) is not unintentionally placed on the Web.

NoteThe Department of Commerce does not endorse any of the Web site links noted below. They are merely examples of resources which may be helpful. Because these links are to sites outside the control of the Department of Commerce, you should review the Privacy Notice of each site you visit, as its information collection practices may differ from ours. The list is not intended to be exhaustive.

Microsoft Word and other Microsoft Office Programs:

National Security Agency White Paper, Redacting with Confidence: How to Safely Publish Sanitized Reports Converted from Word to PDF, 2,2,2006.. (PDF)  - link to National Security Agency Web site

Microsoft Office 2007:
Remove Hidden Data and Personal Information from Office Documents (Applies to Excel, PowerPoint and Word 2007)  - link to Microsoft Web site

Inspect Documents for Hidden Data and Personal Information  - link to Microsoft Web site.

Display Hidden Data and Empty Cells in a Chart (applies to Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook 2007) - link to Microsoft Web site

Microsoft Word 2003:
Protecting Personal Data in your Word 2003 Documents

Microsoft Office 2003/XP Plug-in:
Microsoft Office 2003/XP: Remove Hidden Data Add-in for Office 2003 and Office XP. The Remove Hidden Data Tool for Office 2003 and Office XP. A free download available from Microsoft.com that removes hidden data from Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files.

Powerpoint
How to Minimize Metadata in Powerpoint Presentations – (applies to PowerPoint 2003 and 2007) – link to Microsoft Web site

Microsoft Knowledge Base Articles:

Microsoft Office Assistance:

Microsoft Training:

    • Protect Word Documents (applies to Word 2003) -  Learn how you can help protect your documents, including limiting who can access them and restricting changes others can make. Also, find out how to remove personal information, such as reviewers' names, tracked changes, and hidden text, before you share a document.

WordPerfect

WordPerfect Office X3 Metadata Removal Patch

Saving WordPerfect Files Without Metadata

WordPerfect Office 12: Minimizing Metadata in WordPerfect 12 Documents

Adobe Acrobat

Image Metadata in Adobe files:

Redaction of Confidential Information in Electronic Documents: How to safely remove sensitive information from Microsoft Word documents and PDF Documents Using Adobe Acrobat (PDF)

Adobe XMP for Creative Professionals (PDF)

Department of Commerce Web Advisory Council (WAC)
U.S. Department of Commerce

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Page last updated October 12, 2010