scrub.txt: Client-Side Data Scrubber for AI Privacy

Safely use AI services without exposing sensitive data — scrub before sending, rehydrate after receiving.

Overview

As organizations adopt AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, protecting sensitive data becomes critical. scrub.txt is a client-side data scrubber that detects and replaces sensitive information — emails, API keys, phone numbers, and more — with realistic dummy values before text is sent to any AI service. After receiving the AI response, it restores the original values seamlessly.

Key Features

  • 55+ Built-In Detection Patterns – Covers personal info, financial data, API keys/secrets, auth/config values, and network identifiers.
  • Custom Rule System – Create type-aware replacement rules for Person, Company, Project, Location, and other categories.
  • Three-Step Workflow – Scrub sensitive data, use it with any AI tool, then rehydrate the response with original values.
  • Entirely Client-Side – Zero network calls after the initial page load. No data ever leaves the browser.
  • Works Offline – Built as a Progressive Web App (PWA) for full offline functionality.
  • No Tracking or Analytics – Zero data storage, analytics, or telemetry of any kind.

How It Works

  1. Scrub
    • Paste text containing sensitive data into scrub.txt.
    • The tool automatically detects and replaces sensitive values with realistic fakes.
  2. Use with AI
    • Copy the scrubbed text and use it freely with any AI service.
    • The AI processes the request without ever seeing real sensitive data.
  3. Rehydrate
    • Paste the AI response back into scrub.txt.
    • The tool restores all original sensitive values in place.

Screenshots

scrub.txt scrubbing interface showing sensitive data replaced with dummy values.

Scrubbing Sensitive Data

Paste text with sensitive data on the left, get scrubbed output with realistic dummy values on the right. 18 items detected and replaced including credentials, API keys, and personal info.

scrub.txt rehydrate feature restoring original values in an AI response.

Rehydrate AI Responses

Paste the AI response back in and scrub.txt restores all original sensitive values automatically.

scrub.txt rules panel showing custom word configuration and detection pattern toggles.

Custom Rules & Detection Patterns

Configure custom words and phrases, toggle 55+ auto-detection patterns across personal info, financial data, keys and secrets, and more.

Tech Stack

Layer Technologies
Frontend React, Vite, CSS
Core Engine JavaScript (pure functions)
PWA vite-plugin-pwa for offline support
Size ~55KB gzipped total

Detection Categories

  • Personal Info – Emails, phone numbers, names, addresses
  • Financial – Credit card numbers, bank accounts, financial identifiers
  • Keys & Secrets – API keys, tokens, passwords, connection strings
  • Auth & Config – OAuth tokens, JWTs, configuration values
  • Network – IP addresses, URLs, domain names

Benefits of This Approach

  • Privacy by Design – Sensitive data never leaves the user’s browser.
  • AI Tool Agnostic – Works with any AI service including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and others.
  • Zero Trust Architecture – No backend, no accounts, no data collection.
  • Portable Engine – Pure function-based core that could power CLI tools, browser extensions, or IDE plugins.

Get in Touch

Interested in protecting sensitive data while leveraging AI tools across your organization? Contact us to discuss enterprise data privacy solutions.

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