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Redaction

Cognos can spot sensitive details in your message — an IBAN, an email, a card number — and hide them before the AI ever sees them.

4 min read Updated 22 July 2026

1How it works

Detection runs in your browser before anything is sent. Each sensitive value is swapped for a placeholder like [[PII_IBAN_Q7K9M2]]. The AI provider and the saved message only ever see the placeholder — you still see the real value.

2Choose a mode

On your Account page, the PII redaction card offers Off, Simple (fast, the default) and Better (slower, catches more). Both run entirely on your device.

3Review before you send

  1. Watch the summary

    The message box shows how many sensitive values it will hide.

  2. Check what's highlighted

    Select Show what will be redacted to see each detected value.

  3. Adjust if needed

    Deselect an item to send it as-is, or mark Never redact this for a value you always want left alone.

The message box showing detected sensitive values highlighted before sending.
Detected values are highlighted so you can review them before sending.

4Revealing values later

Select a placeholder in a sent message to open Personal information redacted, which compares what you see with what the model saw. Only someone holding the redaction key can reveal the real value — by default, that's just you.

The Personal information redacted modal comparing what you see with what the model saw.
What you see versus what the model saw.

Keep reading

Sharing a conversationPublish a read-only link to a conversation that anyone can open — with or without the sensitive details revealed.MemoryMemory lets the AI remember facts and preferences you choose — across your chats, or within a project.Your privacyA plain-language summary of what Cognos can and can't see — and the controls that keep it that way.