[Guides](https://dehumanize.eu/guides/)

# How to remove personal data from text before you paste it into AI

By Dehumanize14 November 20262 min read

## In short

- Replace with numbered placeholders, never just delete.
- Same value, same placeholder, then restore locally.
- Always read the result, no tool finds everything.

In this guide

1. [What to look for](https://dehumanize.eu/guides/remove-personal-data-from-text-before-ai/#what-to-look-for)
2. [The method](https://dehumanize.eu/guides/remove-personal-data-from-text-before-ai/#the-method)
3. [By hand or automatically](https://dehumanize.eu/guides/remove-personal-data-from-text-before-ai/#by-hand-or-automatically)
4. [Limits](https://dehumanize.eu/guides/remove-personal-data-from-text-before-ai/#limits)

You want an AI to summarise a message, fix a log or draft a reply, but the text contains personal data. You do not have to choose between a good answer and keeping that data to yourself. You can replace it first.

## What to look for

- Email addresses and phone numbers.
- Names tied to a situation, and street addresses.
- Bank account numbers (IBAN), card numbers and identity numbers.
- Passwords, API keys, tokens and connection strings.
- Dates of birth and customer or order numbers that point to one person.

## The method

1. **Replace, do not delete.** Use a numbered placeholder such as `[EMAIL_1]`. The model keeps the structure and can tell different people apart.
2. **Be consistent.** The same value always gets the same placeholder. See [the placeholder method](https://dehumanize.eu/guides/placeholder-method/).
3. **Check the result once.** Pattern based tools are good at emails, numbers and keys, and weaker at names inside free text. Read the output before you send it.
4. **Paste, then restore.** Ask for the answer with the placeholders kept, then put the real values back on your own computer.

## By hand or automatically

By hand works for a few lines. For longer text it is slow and you will miss things. [Scrub for AI](https://dehumanize.eu/scrub-for-ai/) finds the common patterns for you, including Dutch ones such as IBAN, BSN and postcodes, replaces them with placeholders and restores them in the answer. You can also try the free [online version](https://dehumanize.eu/scrub/), which works in your browser tab without installing anything.

## Limits

No tool can promise that everything sensitive was found. Names and context vary too much. Treat automatic scrubbing as a strong first pass, then read what you are about to send.

### Scrub before you paste

Scrub for AI replaces emails, phone numbers, IBANs, API keys and passwords with placeholders in one click, and puts them back when the answer returns. Free, runs offline, no account.

[Add to Chrome, free](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/scrub-for-ai-hide-persona/madopcokggkmjlmbiifobacolinpabbg) [Try it online](https://dehumanize.eu/scrub/)

[Read nextThe placeholder method: useful AI answers without sharing real data](https://dehumanize.eu/guides/placeholder-method/) [Read nextDutch data and AI: how to handle IBAN, BSN, postcodes and phone numbers](https://dehumanize.eu/guides/redact-dutch-data-before-ai-iban-bsn-postcode/)

More: [all guides](https://dehumanize.eu/guides/) · [Scrub for AI](https://dehumanize.eu/scrub-for-ai/) · [Copy for AI](https://dehumanize.eu/copy-for-ai/) · [Tables for AI](https://dehumanize.eu/tables-for-ai/)

---

Source: https://dehumanize.eu/guides/remove-personal-data-from-text-before-ai/
Summary: A step by step method for removing names, emails, phone numbers, IBANs and keys from text, by hand or automatically, and keeping the answer useful.
Publisher: Dehumanize, support@dehumanize.eu