Redact an SSN before sharing a completed form
Quick answer
Filly's AI locates personal data — names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses — and flattens those pages so the underlying text cannot be copied back out. A black rectangle drawn in a PDF editor leaves the text intact underneath; this does not.
When you’d use this
Sending a completed form to a third party
A filled W-9 or I-9 carries a full SSN. When a copy has to go to someone who doesn't need that number, redaction removes it rather than hiding it.
Using a real document as an example
Sharing a finished filing as a template for colleagues or a client means stripping the identifying data first.
Responding to a records request
Third-party personal data often has to be removed before a document is released.
How to do it
- 1Open the PDF tools and choose Redact.
- 2Select the PDF. The AI scans it for personal data.
- 3Review what it found — you confirm before anything is applied.
- 4Run it and download the redacted file, with the affected pages flattened.
What it doesn’t do
This is an AI detection step, so it is not a compliance guarantee. Review the output yourself before releasing anything sensitive — the AI can miss an unusual format, and only you know which values actually need to go. Flattening also converts affected pages to images, so text on them is no longer selectable.
Frequently asked questions
Is a black box over text in a PDF actually redaction?
No, and this is the most common and damaging mistake. A rectangle drawn in most PDF editors sits on a layer above the text — the text is still in the file and can be copied out or recovered. Real redaction removes the underlying content, which is why Filly flattens the affected pages.
Can Filly find SSNs and dates of birth automatically?
Yes. The AI scans for names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses and similar identifiers, and shows you what it found so you confirm before anything is applied.
Is AI redaction good enough for compliance?
Treat it as a fast first pass, not a guarantee. It is detection software, not a legal review — an unusual format can be missed, and only you know what has to go in your situation. Always check the output before you release a document.
The tools are the side of it
Filly is a form filler first: save a client’s details once and every form you upload afterwards fills itself from that profile. These PDF tools exist because the paperwork around a filing needs assembling before and after it’s filled.
- Free plan — 10 forms, 5 clients, 10 fills a month, no card
- Reads any PDF or DOCX, including scans via OCR
- 18 official IRS, USCIS and SSA forms built in