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How to remove client names from a Word document before using AI

Replace the names in the body, then clear the places Word keeps them out of sight: headers and footers, comments, tracked changes, document properties and the author field. Microsoft's Document Inspector finds and removes most of that hidden data. Find-and-replace misses spelling variants and initials, so read the result, and use consistent stand-ins rather than deletions if you need to put the names back into the AI's draft.

Last reviewed · 2 sources

Steps

  1. 01

    Work on a copy

    Save a copy of the .docx and keep the original untouched.

  2. 02

    Clear hidden data

    Accept or reject tracked changes, delete comments, and run Document Inspector (in Word: File, Info, Check for Issues, Inspect Document).

  3. 03

    Replace identifiers

    Swap names, addresses, ID numbers and dates of birth for consistent stand-ins.

  4. 04

    Read the whole copy

    Check headers, footers, tables and the file name before sharing.

Where names hide in a .docx

Microsoft's support page on inspecting documents lists what its Document Inspector finds in Word: "Comments", "Revision marks from tracked changes", "Document version information", "Document properties", "Information in document headers", "Information in document footers", "Watermarks" and text "formatted as hidden". It also warns that the inspector "cannot detect text that was hidden by other methods (for example, white text on a white background)."

  • Body text, including tables and text boxes
  • Headers and footers (letterhead, file references, client numbers)
  • Comments and tracked changes from colleagues
  • Document properties: author, last modified by, title, company
  • The file name itself

Why find-and-replace is not enough

It only finds what you type. A client called Marie-Ève Tremblay may appear as Marie-Eve, M. Tremblay, Mrs. Tremblay or MET, and her spouse, children, employer and address are identifying too. Replacing each name with a different stand-in, consistently, keeps the document readable for the AI: [PERSON_001] wrote to [PERSON_002] still says who wrote to whom.

Getting the names back

If you delete names, the AI's draft comes back full of blanks. If you use consistent stand-ins and keep the key, you can put every name back into the returned document, and check any stand-in the AI changed or dropped.

Where PiBye fits

How PiBye handles this

PiBye imports Word .docx files on your Mac, proposes stand-ins for names, addresses, ID numbers and dates across the document, and shows every one for your review. When the AI's draft comes back, PiBye restores the real details locally and flags stand-ins the AI altered.

PiBye import screen for adding a Word document
PiBye import screen for adding a Word document

Actual PiBye views rendered at 3× resolution with fictional sample data. Open full-resolution image ↗

Download PiBye for macOSRequirements and install steps

1.0.1 · macOS 14.8.5 or later · Apple Silicon · 1.1 GB

Frequently asked questions

Does Document Inspector remove names from the body text?

No. It removes hidden data such as comments, tracked changes, properties, headers and footers. Names in the body must be replaced separately.

Is a PDF export of the Word file cleaner?

Not automatically. An export can still carry printed comments or markup and the author in its document properties. Check the export as carefully as the original.

Sources

  1. Remove hidden data and personal information by inspecting documents, presentations, or workbooks, Microsoft Support. Checked 25 September 2026.
  2. Generative AI: Your professional obligations, Law Society of Ontario, April 10, 2024. Checked 17 September 2026.