How to redact in Google Docs(and finish in the PDF)
Google Docs has no redaction tool, so redacting there means removing the sensitive text yourself and minding what gets left behind. As with Word, the cleanest finish is to redact the exported PDF.
First, skip the black highlight. Highlighting text black in Docs only recolors it. The words are still there, still copyable. It is not redaction.
Remove it in Docs
Delete the sensitive text, replacing it with something like [REDACTED] if you need to keep the
layout. Then deal with version history (File, Version history), because earlier versions still
hold the original text. The simplest fix is File, Make a copy, and share the fresh copy rather
than the original. Clear any comments and suggestions too.
Finish in the PDF
Docs can't flatten and remove content the way a PDF redactor can, so download as PDF and redact there. Open it in a browser redactor, box anything still visible, and apply.
Then check the final PDF the usual way: select all, copy, paste, and make sure nothing you redacted comes back. Here's why it might.