Obfuscator examples
These examples show practical ways to use Obfuscator. Use them as starting points, then adjust the Fields, Rules, and review steps for your own data.
Example: Prepare a customer file for a demo
Goal: Create a demo File that keeps useful business Fields but does not show original customer details.
Example Fields:
Customer IDCustomer NameEmailRegionOrder Status
Possible Rules:
| Field | Rule choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
Customer ID | Generate random characters | Keeps an ID-like value without showing the original ID. |
Customer Name | Generate fake full name | Makes Records readable without exposing real names. |
Email | Generate fake email | Keeps an email-like value for testing and review. |
What to check:
- Names and emails no longer show original values.
- Non-sensitive Fields such as
RegionandOrder Statusstill support the demo. - The output has the expected number of Records.
Example: Mask employee IDs while keeping recognizable edges
Goal: Let reviewers recognize employee IDs by their beginning and ending characters without seeing the full value.
Example Field:
Employee ID
Possible Rule:
| Setting | Example choice |
|---|---|
| Text obfuscation variation | Mask while keeping first and last |
| Characters to keep at the start | 2 |
| Characters to keep at the end | 2 |
| Mask character | * |
What to check:
- The middle of each value is masked.
- Very short values may remain easier to recognize, so review short IDs carefully.
- Values shown as
NULLremain unchanged; review blank-looking values in your own File.
Example: Replace sensitive notes with fixed text
Goal: Keep a Field in the output so downstream users know notes existed, but remove the original note text.
Example Field:
Review Notes
Possible Rule:
| Setting | Example choice |
|---|---|
| Text obfuscation variation | Replace with fixed text |
| Replacement value | Redacted |
What to check:
- Values shown as
NULLremain unchanged. - Blank-looking values can depend on how the File was imported, so review a few examples before sharing.
- The output still has the Field needed by downstream review.
Example: Randomize invoice dates
Goal: Keep date-like values for testing while removing the original dates.
Example Field:
Invoice Date
Possible Rule:
| Setting | Example choice |
|---|---|
| How should values change? | Pick a random date in a range |
| Earliest date | A reviewed start date |
| Latest date | A reviewed end date |
What to check:
- Dates fall within the expected range.
- The date range is appropriate for the test or demo.
- Any date Fields not covered by Rules are still safe to include.
Example: Remap whole-number IDs
Goal: Replace distinct whole-number IDs while keeping them distinct in the output.
Example Field:
Vendor ID
Possible Rule:
| Setting | Example choice |
|---|---|
| How should values change? | Remap each value to a unique number |
| Minimum value | A reviewed lower bound |
| Maximum value | A reviewed upper bound |
What to check:
- The range is large enough for the number of distinct input values.
- Repeated input values map consistently within the Run.
- The output IDs do not need to match a real external system.