The PII redaction API
for your workflow.

Your first request

From account to API in three steps.

1. Create an account and add a card. This activates your monthly allowance and API access. See pricing.

2. Create an API key in your account. Give it a recognisable name and save it securely; it is shown only once.

3. Make a request from your server. Set PII_PURGE_KEY in your environment, then try the text example below.

Authentication

Every request needs an API key, sent as a bearer token or in the X-API-Key header. Create and revoke keys from your account. Only a hash is stored, so a lost key must be replaced.

Base URL

https://pii-purge.com/v1

Authentication

Authorization: Bearer piip_…

Text endpoint

Redact text

POST /v1/redact/text

Send JSON with a text field. The response contains the redacted text, with detected items replaced by labels, and each item's position in the original text. Positions use characters (Unicode code points).

curl https://pii-purge.com/v1/redact/text \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PII_PURGE_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"text": "Email Sam Patel at [email protected]"}'

{
  "redacted_text": "Email <PERSON> at <CONTACT>",
  "entities": [
    {"type": "PERSON", "start": 6, "end": 15},
    {"type": "CONTACT", "start": 19, "end": 34}
  ]
}

const response = await fetch("https://pii-purge.com/v1/redact/text", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${process.env.PII_PURGE_KEY}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({ text: "Email Sam Patel at [email protected]" }),
});
if (!response.ok) {
  throw new Error(`Redaction failed: ${response.status}`);
}
const { redacted_text, entities } = await response.json();

File endpoint

Redact a PDF or text file

POST /v1/redact/file

Send a multipart form with a file field containing a PDF or a UTF-8 text file. The file type is detected from its content, and the response is the redacted file.

curl --fail-with-body https://pii-purge.com/v1/redact/file \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PII_PURGE_KEY" \
  -F [email protected] \
  -o contract.redacted.pdf

Download filenames are redacted-by-pii-purge.com.pdf or redacted-by-pii-purge.com.txt. The original upload name is not reused because it may contain personal information.

How PDF output works

PDFs are rebuilt from page images with black bars over detected items. The original text layer, metadata, bookmarks, attachments and form data are not carried over. Photos and other images are blacked out too. The only metadata is the title “Redacted by pii-purge.com”.

Review the output before sharing. Automated detection can miss information, and rebuilt PDFs do not retain a searchable text layer.

import os
import requests

with open("cv.pdf", "rb") as document:
    response = requests.post(
        "https://pii-purge.com/v1/redact/file",
        headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['PII_PURGE_KEY']}"},
        files={"file": document},
        timeout=120,
    )
response.raise_for_status()
with open("cv.redacted.pdf", "wb") as output:
    output.write(response.content)

Detection labels

These categories are removed by default. Text responses replace detected items with their category label.

• PERSONPeopleCandidates, referees, managers, patients, signatories
• CONTACTContact detailsEmail addresses, phone numbers, profile URLs and handles
• ADDRESSAddressesStreet addresses and postcodes
• LOCATIONPlacesTowns, cities and regions
• BUSINESSCompaniesEmployers, clients, brands and trading names
• EDUCATIONEducationUniversities, colleges and schools, including abbreviations
• OTHER_ORGOrganisationsClubs, societies, charities, teams and professional bodies
• DOBDates of birthWritten dates and numeric date formats
• ID_NUMBERID numbersNational Insurance, passport, driving licence and NHS numbers
• FINANCIALFinancial detailsBank accounts, sort codes, card numbers and IBANs

Your instructions, applied everywhere.

Replace the default rules with plain-English instructions in your account. For example, keep university names, remove nationality, or redact everyone except a named person.

Your instructions apply to all of the account's API keys and website redactions once the account is activated with a card.

Errors and limits

Errors return JSON in the form {"error": "…"}. Check the response status before treating the body as a redacted result.

Most texts take a few seconds and most PDFs take 5–15 seconds. Allow up to 2 minutes for long documents.

One request. One redaction.

Each successful request counts as one redaction, regardless of document length. Failed requests are not charged. Website and API redactions share one monthly total.

With a card added, your first 50 redactions each month are free. After that, pay-as-you-go prices start at 30p and fall to 8p at volume.