# Redact Names from PDF Documents > Automatically detect and mask personal names in contracts, reports, and scanned documents — no manual highlighting required. **Try it:** https://www.redact-pdf.ai/sign-up **See pricing:** https://www.redact-pdf.ai/pricing ## What counts as a name in a PDF? A personal name is any reference that identifies a real individual: first names, last names, full names, initials, signature blocks, and even informal references like "Mr. Dupont." Under GDPR, the FADP, and HIPAA, names are personal data and require protection any time a document leaves your trusted environment. ## Why you should redact names before sharing Names are the most common identifier in any document. Even a name on its own — without an address or ID number — can be enough to identify someone when combined with context from the rest of the document. - Comply with GDPR, the Swiss FADP, and HIPAA "minimum necessary" rules - Avoid liability when sharing court filings, deeds, or medical records with third parties - Prevent re-identification of pseudonymized datasets ## Common documents containing names - Contracts and engagement letters - Court filings and judgments - Property deeds and lease agreements - Medical records and clinical notes - Witness statements and depositions ## How Redact PDF AI detects names Our pipeline uses Azure AI Language for entity recognition, supporting 100+ languages including French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Romansh. The detector understands context (so "Will" the name is treated differently from "will" the verb) and works on scanned PDFs through OCR. You stay in control: review every detection in the Studio editor before applying irreversible redaction. ## How it works 1. **Upload your PDF** — Drag and drop a single file or a batch — including scanned documents. We support PDF, JPG, and PNG. 2. **AI detects names** — Our analyzer marks every personal name on every page. Select or deselect categories like Person, Email, Organization. 3. **Refine in the Studio** — Add manual redaction boxes for missed names or remove false positives. Use Excluded Terms to teach the AI which names should never be masked (e.g., your own brand). 4. **Download redacted PDF** — Output is rasterized and flattened — no hidden text layer, no metadata leakage, no way to recover the original names. ## For notaries and law firms Property deeds, powers of attorney, and family-law documents frequently contain dozens of name references per page. Batch-upload an entire case file and process hundreds of pages in minutes. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does it redact signatures as well as typed names? Yes. Detected name regions cover typed names. For hand-drawn signature images, use the Studio editor to add a manual mask in a few seconds. ### Can I keep some names visible (e.g., my company name)? Yes. Add them to your "Excluded Terms" in account settings and they will never be auto-masked across future uploads. ### How accurate is name detection in non-English documents? Azure AI Language supports automatic language detection across 100+ languages. We routinely process French, German, Italian, and Spanish documents with the same accuracy as English. ## Related guides - https://www.redact-pdf.ai/redact/email-addresses-from-pdf.md - https://www.redact-pdf.ai/redact/addresses-from-pdf.md - https://www.redact-pdf.ai/redact/id-documents-passport-copies.md - https://www.redact-pdf.ai/redact/organization-names-from-pdf.md --- Primary keyword: redact names from PDF Audience: legal, medical, real-estate, notary Built on Microsoft Azure infrastructure (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, HIPAA-eligible) with Swiss / EU data residency. Documents are never used to train AI models.