Redact emails across every major archive format
Upload .mbox, .pst, .eml or .msg files as they are, with no conversion or manual extraction, and get one clean export from a single project.
Why email format matters
Email archives come in different shapes depending on where they're exported from. A SAR request landing on an education records officer's desk might include a .pst from Outlook, a .mbox from a personal Gmail, and a handful of .eml attachments forwarded separately.
Most redaction tools make you convert first, losing headers, attachments or thread context along the way. RedactBox processes each format natively, so the email you see is the email that was sent.
Formats we support natively
Four formats, one workflow. Upload any combination into the same project.
.mbox
The Unix mailbox standard. Exported by Gmail, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, and many Linux mail clients.
.pst
Microsoft Outlook's personal storage format. The default for corporate mailbox exports and Office 365 eDiscovery.
.eml
Single-message RFC 822 format. Typically created when you forward or save an individual email.
.msg
Outlook's single-message format. Often produced when a user drags an email out of Outlook to their desktop.
How it works
1
Upload
Drag and drop any combination of .mbox, .pst, .eml, or .msg into a project. Mix formats freely.
2
Detect & parse
RedactBox auto-detects each file's format and parses it natively. Headers, attachments, and threads stay intact.
3
Redact & export
Review and redact in a unified inbox view, then export one ZIP of redacted PDFs, with no format conversion required.
What you get
Duplicate detection works across formats too. Learn more about duplicate detection
Native parsing for each format
No lossy conversion step between upload and review.
Large file support
Multi-gigabyte .pst archives handled server-side.
Preserves headers, attachments, and thread relationships
The email you see is the email that was sent.
Works with Gmail Takeout .mbox, Outlook .pst, and .eml/.msg exports
Whatever format your evidence arrives in, you can process it.
Unified review inbox across mixed-format projects
One searchable, redactable view, whatever the source.
Duplicate detection works across formats
Catches the same message even when it arrives as both .pst and .eml.
One ZIP of redacted PDFs
Every item becomes a redacted PDF in one ZIP, flat or in a folder per uploaded file. Attached spreadsheets go back as .xlsx.
GDPR-compliant processing
Files deleted after the project closes.
Attachments too
The files attached to each message are converted and listed under it, so they are redacted alongside the message rather than left for you to open one by one.
How attachments workConverted for you
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, pictures, RTF, ODT and attached .eml and .msg files are converted so you can redact them.
Listed under their message
Each file sits under the message it came with and goes with it by default. Leave a file out, or keep it.
Spreadsheets stay spreadsheets
Attached spreadsheets are redacted cell by cell and exported as .xlsx files.
Built for real compliance workflows
Where format-juggling gets in the way of meeting statutory deadlines.
Subject Access Requests (SARs & DSARs)
Responders often receive archives in whatever format the original mail client used. RedactBox ingests them all in one project so you can respond on time without format-juggling.
Education records & student data
Schools and universities get SAR and FOI requests that span Outlook .pst, personal Gmail .mbox, and .eml attachments forwarded between staff. Upload them all into one project and redact without conversion pain.
FOI responses
Local authorities and public bodies often receive FOI requests touching multiple systems. Native support for every major email format keeps the response accurate.
Questions
Every format. One workflow.
Start free. Upload any format you need to redact.