Enable anonymization safely (and understand what changes)
If you just need the essentials, follow this:
- Confirm anonymization fits your compliance and operational needs
- Understand what is removed: Name + all URNs/addresses
- Understand what remains: UUID, groups, language, custom fields
- Acknowledge it is permanent and irreversible
- Request enablement via the support widget and confirm your use case
- Adopt privacy-first workflows (use custom fields instead of names)
You’re done. Once enabled, contacts and exports are anonymized automatically for that account.
Step-by-Step Process
Contact Information Anonymization permanently removes personally identifiable information (PII) from contacts while keeping operational data usable for analysis and workflows.
When anonymization is enabled:
- The contact’s Name is replaced with a random code.
- All addresses (URNs) are removed from visibility (phone numbers, Facebook IDs, Telegram IDs, etc.).
- Exports (contacts, flows, data) are anonymized automatically.
[CAPTURE: Contact profile showing anonymized name and no addresses.]
Even after anonymization, you can still:
- segment contacts using groups
- run flows and campaigns
- analyze custom field data (empty fields display None)
- reference contacts using their UUID
- manage multilingual messaging via Language
Note: UUIDs are preserved so contacts can still be uniquely identified internally without revealing identity.
Anonymization is permanent and cannot be undone.
- Once enabled, anonymization applies to existing and future contacts.
- New contacts created by imports or inbound messages will be anonymized automatically.
- Exported data (contacts, flows, analytics) will be anonymized automatically.
- Anonymization applies only to the account where it is enabled (parent/child accounts are not affected).
[CAPTURE: Export file preview showing anonymized contact data.]
Common use cases include:
- GDPR or privacy-first programs
- Research and data collection projects
- High-risk environments
- Programs where identities are not required for operations
Contact anonymization must be enabled by the RapidPro team.
- Open the support widget in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
- Contact support and request Contact Information Anonymization.
- Confirm your use case and acknowledge permanence.
[CAPTURE: Support widget location in the RapidPro interface.]
If your needs go beyond the current anonymization behavior, share feedback with support to help improve the feature.
- Enable anonymization before importing sensitive data when possible.
- Validate compliance requirements internally first.
- Use custom fields instead of names for operational logic.
- Communicate clearly with stakeholders about irreversibility.
Common Issues & Quick Fixes
Problem: Can I still message anonymized contacts?
Fix: Yes. Messaging continues normally as long as flows are active and channels are configured. Addresses are removed from visibility in the UI and exports, but the system can still route messages operationally.
Problem: Are phone numbers completely deleted?
Fix: Phone numbers (and other URNs) are removed from contact profiles and exports and cannot be viewed or retrieved through the UI after anonymization.
Problem: Can anonymization be disabled later?
Fix: No. Once enabled, anonymization is permanent for that account.
Problem: Why do I still see custom fields after anonymization?
Fix: This is expected. Custom fields remain available for segmentation, analysis, and workflows; empty fields display None.