Before cleaning
Start by separating originals from public copies. Original files may be useful for private archives, legal records, editing history, or internal documentation. Public copies should carry only what the recipient needs.
- Create a folder for files you plan to share.
- Rename files so private names, project codes, or client details are not exposed.
- Review visible content for addresses, screens, badges, reflections, and paperwork.
During cleaning
Upload files to Fenwick DataClean, run the metadata cleaner, and review the status notes. Guests can clean up to 5 files per batch. Free accounts can clean up to 10 files per batch, which is useful for repeat workflows.
- Batch similar file types together when possible.
- Download the cleaned copies immediately after processing.
- Keep cleaned outputs separate from untouched originals.
After cleaning
Open the cleaned file and confirm it still displays or plays correctly. Then share only the sanitized copy. This small habit can reduce accidental disclosure across social networks, email, cloud folders, marketplaces, client portals, and public websites.
- Open images and confirm orientation, colors, and visible details.
- Play videos and check that audio, video, and seeking still work.
- Use neutral filenames for the final public copies.
When to keep metadata
Sometimes metadata is useful. A photographer may need camera settings, a legal team may need timestamps, or a production team may need software history for internal records. In those cases, do not destroy the original. Keep it in a private archive and clean only the public copy. This keeps the useful private data available without sending it to everyone who receives the shared version.
Use the checklist before routine uploads
The checklist is most effective when it becomes automatic. Use it before social posts, online listings, client folders, press packages, public course materials, portfolio uploads, and shared screenshots. The more familiar the process becomes, the less likely it is to be skipped when a file needs to go out quickly.
Checklist for client delivery
Before sending files to a client, confirm that the cleaned copy is the intended final version. Check the filename, open the file, verify that no private draft notes are visible, and keep the working file in a private folder. If the client specifically needs originals, send them intentionally instead of mixing them with public-ready copies.
Checklist for public publishing
Before publishing to a website, marketplace, social profile, or public folder, clean metadata, inspect visible content, and use simple filenames. Public platforms can copy, cache, transform, or redistribute files, so the best privacy step is the one that happens before upload.
Checklist for repeated teams
Teams should make one person responsible for final public copies or define a shared folder that only holds cleaned files. That simple ownership prevents mixed batches where originals and sanitized outputs sit side by side with similar names.