# PII Finder Scan text/logs for potential PII (Personally Identifiable Information) and annotate positions and types for redaction and compliance checking > Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pii-finder - **Category:** Data Processing - **Keywords:** pii, privacy, scanner, gdpr, compliance, redaction, personal data, security, email, phone, ssn, credit card ## Overview The PII Finder scans text or log files to detect and annotate personally identifiable information (PII) such as email addresses, phone numbers, and credit card numbers. It outputs a JSON report with the positions and types of detected PII, aiding in redaction and compliance checks. ## Inputs - **Text Content** (textarea): Enter text or logs to scan for PII... - **PII Types to Scan** (select) - **Include Context** (checkbox) - **Context Characters** (number): Number of characters before/after match ## When to use - When auditing text or logs for sensitive personal data before sharing or processing. - To ensure compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR by identifying PII in datasets. - When anonymizing data for testing or analysis to prevent exposure of real personal information. ## How it works - Input the text or log content into the text area. - Select the types of PII to scan for, such as emails, phones, or credit cards, from the dropdown. - Optionally, enable context inclusion to see surrounding characters for each match. - The tool processes the input and returns a JSON object listing all detected PII with their types and positions. ## Use cases - Scanning server logs to identify and redact IP addresses and API keys for security audits. - Checking customer support transcripts for email addresses and phone numbers before archiving. - Validating data exports to ensure no credit card numbers or SSNs are included for compliance. ## Frequently asked questions ### What PII types can the tool detect? It can detect emails, phone numbers, SSNs, credit cards, IPs, URLs, passports, ID cards, bank accounts, and API keys. ### Is the text I input stored or shared? The tool processes text locally in your browser and does not store or transmit your data. ### Can I customize which PII types to scan? Yes, you can select specific PII types from the dropdown to focus the scan on relevant data. ### What does the output look like? The output is a JSON array with objects containing the type, matched text, start and end positions, and optional context. ### How accurate is the detection? The tool uses pattern matching for common PII formats, but accuracy may vary based on text quality and format. ## Related tools - [Data Boundary Processor](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/data-boundary-processor): Advanced boundary value processing tool that identifies and handles minimum/maximum values in numerical data. Perfect for data validation, range checking, statistical analysis, and data preprocessing. Features: - Multiple boundary detection methods (absolute, percentile, standard deviation) - Flexible handling strategies (clip, remove, replace, transform) - Custom range validation - Asymmetric boundary handling - Batch processing capabilities - Comprehensive boundary statistics - Data quality assessment - Visual boundary reports Common Use Cases: - Data validation and quality control - Sensor data range checking - Financial data limit enforcement - Statistical data preprocessing - Machine learning feature engineering - Database constraint validation - [Podcast Chapter Marker Builder](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/podcast-chapter-marker-builder): Build every podcast chapter format from one timecoded list: Podcasting 2.0 JSON + RSS tag, ID3v2.4 CHAP+CTOC burned into an MP3, Vorbis comments, mp4chaps, YouTube timestamps and SRT, with a per-player support matrix. - [SSL Checker](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/ssl-checker): Check SSL certificate information, validity, and security configuration - [Text Pad & Align](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/text-pad): Pad text to a fixed width and align it left, right, center, or justified, with a chosen pad character. - [JavaScript Deobfuscator](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/javascript-deobfuscator): Deobfuscate and analyze obfuscated JavaScript code to improve readability and understanding - [JSON Formatter](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/json-formatter): Format and validate JSON data - [Luhn Checksum Calculator](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/luhn-checksum): Validate or generate numbers using the Luhn algorithm (mod-10). Works for credit cards, IMEI, IMEISV, SIN, NPI and any custom Luhn-based identifier. - [MAC Address Validator](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/mac-address-validator): Validate MAC addresses and identify vendor information ## Samples - [Android Image Processing Java Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/android-image-processing-java): Android Java image processing examples including reading/saving images, scaling, and format conversion - [Android Image Processing Kotlin Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/android-image-processing-kotlin): Android Kotlin image processing examples including reading/saving images, scaling, and format conversion - [Copyright-Free MP3 Audio Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/mp3-samples): Collection of royalty-free audio samples for testing and development purposes including nature sounds, meditation music, and ambient audio - [Web Image Processing Python Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/web-image-processing-python): Web Python image processing examples using PIL/Pillow including reading, saving, resizing, and format conversion ## Related content - [PII Detection and Log Redaction Review](https://elysiatools.com/en/hubs/pii-log-redaction): Find likely personal data in logs, text, and PDFs, redact review copies, validate identifier patterns, and require human approval before sharing.