> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Data Redaction [Updated in 2026.9](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/release-notes/2026.9.md) The *Data Redaction* feature provides an easy way to detect and redact any data, including [personally identifiable information (PII)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_data), to ensure compliant [logging](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/ai/agents/test/logs.md) and [analytics](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/ai/agents/analyze/overview.md). This feature is important in the context of conversational AI due to privacy, trust, compliance, and responsible AI practices. ## Key Benefits * **Enhanced Data Handling**. Ensures data protection during the processing, logging, and storage of conversations containing sensitive data. Compared to data masking, which hides or selectively excludes information at the [Endpoint](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/ai/agents/deploy/endpoints/data-protection-and-analytics.md) or Flow level ([Blind Mode Node](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/ai/agents/develop/node-reference/analytics/blind-mode.md)), data redaction fully removes the sensitive data from all logs and analytics for stronger data protection. * **Easy Configuration**. Includes a set of [default data types](#default-data-types) you can select to redact, such as credit card numbers or email addresses. * **Customization**. Lets you add [custom data types](#custom-data-type) to redact. You can use regular expressions (regex) to define patterns for custom data types to detect. ## Prerequisites For on-premises installations, you control whether data redaction is activated in the `values.yaml` file. By default, data redaction is activated. Depending on which Cognigy version you use, you can deactivate data redaction as follows: > [tab] Cognigy 2026.9 and later > > In the `values.yaml` file, configure the `commonConfigs.cognigyRollout.pii-data-redaction.yaml` key: > > > [accordion] Deactivate data redaction for all organizations > > > > To deactivate data redaction for all organizations, set `percentage` to `0`. > > > > ```yaml theme={null} > > commonConfigs: > > cognigyRollout: > > pii-data-redaction.yaml: | > > organisations: > > percentage: 0 > > disabled: [] > > ``` > > > [accordion] Deactivate data redaction for specific organizations > > > > To deactivate data redaction for specific organizations, assign organization IDs to the `disabled` array. > > > > ```yaml theme={null} > > commonConfigs: > > cognigyRollout: > > pii-data-redaction.yaml: | > > organisations: > > percentage: 100 > > disabled: > > - "" > > - "" > > ``` > [tab] Cognigy 2026.8 and earlier > > In the `values.yaml` file, set the following environment variables: > > * `FEATURE_PII_DATA_REDACTION_ROLLOUT` — the percentage of organizations for which data redaction is activated. Set it to `"100"` to activate data redaction for all organizations, or to `"0"` to disable it for all. Values in between activate the feature for that percentage of organizations. The system automatically and consistently determines which organizations are included. > * `FEATURE_DISABLE_PII_DATA_REDACTION_WHITELIST` — a comma-separated list of organization IDs to explicitly exclude from data redaction. This setting takes precedence over `FEATURE_PII_DATA_REDACTION_ROLLOUT`. For example, `FEATURE_DISABLE_PII_DATA_REDACTION_WHITELIST=","`. ## Limitations * Log entries with `data` payloads over 2.5 MB aren't redacted. They're replaced with a placeholder message. For on-premises installations, you can configure the maximum payload size using the `PII_REDACTION_DEFAULT_MAX_DATA_SIZE_IN_MEGABYTES` environment variable in `values.yaml`. Setting this value higher than 2.5 MB may cause performance issues. Increase it at your own risk. ## Restrictions * Data redaction uses regex patterns to detect and redact data, which can: * Cause false positive matches. For example, the credit card redaction pattern may cause false positives for 3- or 4-digit numbers that are sent in the message input but aren't CVC or CVV numbers. * Skip patterns that don't match the [default types](#default-data-types) or a [custom data type](#custom-data-type) you define. For example, if the user enters a phone number with `/` or misspells a company name set to be redacted in a custom data type. * Custom data types support only Google's [RE2 syntax](https://github.com/google/re2) library for regex patterns. * Depending on the Cognigy version you use, data redaction works differently with [Slots](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/ai/platform-features/nlu/slots/overview): > [accordion] Cognigy 2026.3 and later versions > > Data redaction works for patterns detected by Slots only if the Slot matches the entire data redaction pattern. If a Slot matches only part of the pattern, the data isn't redacted as expected. > > For example, if a credit card number is split across multiple Slots, such as [a number Slot and a date Slot](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/ai/platform-features/nlu/slots/system-defined.md#list-of-system-defined-slots), the credit card number isn't fully redacted. > Make sure you use Slots that match the exact data redaction pattern, or deactivate the Slots that cause the pattern to split either at the [Flow](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/ai/agents/develop/projects-and-flows/overview#system-slots) or the [Project](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/ai/administer/access/project-settings.md#nlu-settings) level. > > If you use [Regex Slots](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/ai/platform-features/nlu/slots/user-defined/regex.md), you need to remove the [Slot Filler](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/ai/platform-features/nlu/slot-fillers.md) that contains the Regex Slot. > [accordion] Cognigy 2026.2 and earlier versions > > Data redaction doesn't work for patterns detected by Slots. To redact such data, deactivate Slots at the [Flow](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/ai/agents/develop/projects-and-flows/overview#system-slots) or the [Project](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/ai/administer/access/project-settings.md#nlu-settings) level. > > If you use [Regex Slots](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/ai/platform-features/nlu/slots/user-defined/regex.md), you need to remove the [Slot Filler](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/ai/platform-features/nlu/slot-fillers.md) that contains the Regex Slot. ## How to Use To use the data redaction feature, first check the [default data types](#default-data-types). If none are suitable or if an existing type doesn't match your data due to its pattern rules, you can create a [custom data type](#custom-data-type). ### Default Data Types The data redaction feature includes the following default data types, covering common forms of PII: | Data Type | Description | Examples | Redaction Pattern | | - | - | - | - | | Credit Card Number | Redacts:
  • 16-digit card numbers starting with `3` (Amex), `4` (Visa), `5` (Mastercard), or `6` (Discover). Digits may be separated by spaces or hyphens.
  • Card verification values (CVV) or card validation codes (CVC) with 3 or 4 digits. CVC and CVV numbers are redacted only after a credit card number has been recognized and if they are included in the same message as the credit card number.
The credit card number redaction is activated by default to protect credit card data and ensure compliance with PCI DSS, GDPR, and CCPA. |
  • Credit card numbers: `4111111111111111`, `4111 1111 1111 1111`, `5555-5555-5555-4444`, `3782-822463-10005`
  • CVV or CVC numbers: `123`, `1234`
|
  • `[CREDIT CARD REDACTED]`
  • `[CVV REDACTED]`
| | Email Address | Redacts email addresses. Must contain a valid local part, an `@` symbol, and a valid domain. By default, the email address redaction is deactivated. | `test@example.com`, `admin@company.org`, `user@domain.com` | `[EMAIL REDACTED]` | | Phone Number | Redacts phone numbers in U.S. national, U.S. local, or international formats. By default, the phone number redaction is deactivated. | `(555) 123-4567`, `+1 (555) 123-4567`, `555-123-4567`, `5551234567`, `+491575313119`, `+447911123456` | `[PHONE REDACTED]` | | Social Security Number | Redacts 9-digit U.S. Social Security numbers in `XXX-XX-XXXX` format. By default, the Social Security number redaction is deactivated. | `123-45-6789`, `987-65-4320` | `[SSN REDACTED]` | | IPv4 Address | Redacts IPv4 addresses in `X.X.X.X` format, where each octet is 0–255. Supports private ranges. By default, the IPv4 address redaction is deactivated. | `192.168.1.1`, `255.255.255.255`, `10.0.0.1` | `[IPv4 REDACTED]` | | IPv6 Address | Redacts IPv6 addresses, including full, shortened, or loopback (`::1`) forms. By default, the IPv6 address redaction is deactivated. | `2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334`, `::1`, `2001:db8::1`, `fe80::1` | `[IPv6 REDACTED]` | To activate the data redaction for default data types, follow these steps: 1. In **Manage > Settings**, go to the **Data Redaction Settings** section. 2. Click the subsection of the data type you want to redact and configure the following: * **Activate Redaction** — toggle on to activate the redaction for the data type. * **Redaction Pattern** — select one of the following options: * **Default** — use the default redaction pattern. Each data type has a default redaction pattern, for example, the redaction pattern for credit card numbers is `[CREDIT CARD REDACTED]`. * **Custom** — enter a custom redaction pattern. The custom redaction pattern should be enclosed in square brackets and must not contain spaces or special characters. For example, `[PROTECTED_INFO]`. 3. Under **Scope**, select where the data type is redacted: * **Logs** — redact the data type on the Logs page. * **Analytics** — redact the data type in Insights and the Cognigy OData endpoint. ### Custom Data Type If you need to redact data that isn't included in the default data types, you can add custom data types. To add a custom data type, follow these steps: 1. In **Manage > Settings**, click the **Data Redaction Settings** section to expand it. 2. At the bottom of the section, click **+ Custom Data Type** and configure the following: * **Name** — enter a unique name. * **Regex** — enter a regular expression to detect the data type pattern. * **Custom redaction pattern** — enter a custom redaction pattern. The custom redaction pattern should be enclosed in square brackets and must not contain spaces or special characters. For example, `[PROTECTED_INFO]`. 3. Under **Scope**, select where the data type is redacted: * **Logs** — redact the data type on the Logs page. * **Analytics** — redact the data type in Insights and the Cognigy OData endpoint. #### Examples The following table includes examples of regex patterns and redaction patterns for custom data types. | Custom Data Type | Regex | Redaction Pattern | | - | - | - | | ZIP Code | `\b\d{5}-\d{4}\b` | `[REDACTED_ZIP_CODE]` | | German License Plate | `\b[A-ZÄÖÜ]{1,3}-[A-Z]{1,2}\s\d{1,4}[HE]?\b` | `[REDACTED_DE_LICENSE_PLATE]` | | US P.O. Box | `\b(?:P\.?O\.?\|POB)\s?Box?\s?\d+\b` | `[REDACTED_US_PO_BOX]` | ## More Information * [Logs](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/ai/agents/test/logs.md) * [Insights](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/insights/overview.md) * [Slots](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/ai/platform-features/nlu/slots/overview) * [Project Settings](https://docs-classic.cognigy.com/ai/administer/access/project-settings.md) This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.