The short version
Share the smallest useful amount of information and understand how the service handles it before uploading.
A document can contain much more information than the paragraph you want explained. Before using any online tool, decide what the question actually requires and whether you are authorized to share the material. This guide describes practical precautions. It does not guarantee anonymity, confidentiality or complete erasure after a file has been processed.
Start with the question, not the whole file
Ask whether a non-sensitive excerpt or a fictional example would answer your question. Remove unrelated pages where doing so does not lose the context needed to understand the text. Do not include account passwords, recovery codes or access tokens.
Be especially cautious with identity, financial, health and children’s information. The Privacy Commissioner of Canada recommends asking why information is needed and how it will be used. Possessing someone else’s document is not the same as having permission to upload it.
Do not mistake a visual cover for redaction
If you prepare a redacted copy, check the actual exported file rather than only the editing screen. A rectangle placed over text may not remove underlying searchable text or metadata. Use an appropriate redaction method and independently inspect the result; this page does not provide a tested redaction tool.
Keep the original privately. Label your working copy clearly so it is not mistaken for an official, complete or signed version. Be aware that removing context can also make an explanation less reliable.
Read the service’s actual handling limits
Check the privacy policy for processing providers, account access, retention and deletion. Ask about unclear statements before sharing. A claim that a link is private does not tell you everything about copies, logs or provider backups.
Paperwork Wingman sends relevant content to AI processing services. Deleting through the app removes application access and associated records; its current managed-storage adapter does not confirm physical object erasure or a provider backup-purge timetable. If those limits do not meet your needs, do not upload the sensitive document. You can still read these public guides without an account.
Fictional minimization example
A reader wants to understand an unfamiliar heading on an invented bill. They first ask about the heading without attaching a complete bill with identity and account information. If more context is needed, they reconsider what can be shared rather than immediately uploading every page.
Your checklist
- Confirm permission to share
- Use only information needed for the question
- Remove credentials and unnecessary identifiers
- Verify any redacted export
- Read processing and deletion limitations
Sources & limitations
Privacy precautions reduce exposure but cannot guarantee anonymity or security. Do not upload information whose handling requirements exceed the service’s documented controls.
These official sources support the reading guidance; they do not endorse Paperwork Wingman. Check the issuer’s current instructions for your situation.
Have a correction or source question? Contact us