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Prepare to index PDF documents

Be aware that if you create a full text index before redacting a document to remove its sensitive information, that information is NOT removed from its index, and can be easily found. When redacting finishes, you are prompted to also remove document elements. Accept the offer and remove the index. We advise that redaction and inspection are better done on a copy of a document – this lets you retain the index in the original document.

Indexing hundreds of large PDF files can require significant time and computing resources. You may want to schedule indexing for off-peak hours.

  1. Collect all PDF documents to be indexed into one or more folders. If you select only existing folders, be sure they include only PDF files you want indexed.

    Tip If you plan to migrate the PDF files with their index, it is better to store them in a single folder.

  2. Add document properties to all PDF documents so you can use them as search criteria.
    1. Open the next PDF document lacking properties.
    2. Go to File > Info and click Properties. See Info for details.
    3. Use the Description panel to add the title, subject, author, base URL and some keywords that describe the contents.
    4. Use the Custom panel to add Custom Defined Fields.
    5. Select File > Save to save changes.