Guides / Quick Start
Guide 01 · Start here

Quick Start

Install RedactorBuddy, upload your first document, and download a clean redacted output — in under 5 minutes.

⏱ 5 min read 📄 5 steps

Before you begin

RedactorBuddy runs entirely on your machine. No account, no cloud connection, and no internet required after the initial download. Your files never leave your device.

Requirements: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit). At least 4 GB RAM. Python 3.10+ is bundled — you don't need to install it separately.

1

Download and launch

Download the installer from the Downloads page. Run RedactorBuddy-setup.exe and follow the prompts. Once installed, open RedactorBuddy from your Start menu or desktop shortcut.

The app opens in your default browser as a local web interface — this is normal. All processing happens locally; the browser is just the UI layer.

RedactorBuddy Dashboard — Paper mode, showing the sidebar navigation and welcome screen
2

Upload a document

Drag a file onto the upload zone, or click Browse files to select one from your computer. Supported formats: .pdf .docx .xlsx .txt .csv .html

For your first test, try a sample bank statement or any document that contains a name, address, or account number.

Process files screen with q3_statement.txt loaded — shows file name, size, and the Process Files button
3

Wait for detection to complete

RedactorBuddy runs three local passes: regex patterns, Presidio NLP, and (optionally) a local Ollama model. A progress bar tracks each stage. Typical processing time for a 1–5 page document is 3–10 seconds.

You'll see entity counts update in real time as each pass completes.

Three-pass detection pipeline — Read, Extract, and Regex complete; NLP pass in progress
4

Review the findings

The preview panel shows your document with all detected entities highlighted. Each finding has a risk badge: HIGH MEDIUM LOW. High-risk items are redacted by default; lower-risk items may need your approval.

You can accept or reject individual findings, or use Approve all to confirm all detections at once. See the Reviewing Redactions guide for details.

Batch queue showing processed files with MEDIUM risk status and Approve export buttons
5

Download the redacted output

Click Download in the top toolbar. If any high-risk entities remain unreviewed, the export is blocked until you resolve them — this is the fail-closed guarantee.

The output file is saved to your Downloads folder as redacted_[original-filename].[ext]. Numbers, categories, and financial math are preserved exactly.

Batch queue Done filter — processed file with 'done · MEDIUM' badge and Open folder button
Tip
You can switch between Midnight (dark) and Paper (light) mode using the toggle in the top-right of the toolbar. Both modes are fully functional — pick whichever is easier on your eyes.

What happens to your files?

Nothing leaves your machine. RedactorBuddy stores processed files temporarily in a local working directory and clears them when you close the session. No telemetry, no cloud calls, no API keys required.

Important
RedactorBuddy is not a substitute for legal-grade anonymization. Always review the output before sharing externally, especially for documents subject to GDPR, HIPAA, or financial compliance requirements.