Adding Regular Expressions

Regular expressions can be used to locate any items which consistently match a pre-determined format. 

Some examples include; 

• A 16-digit reference number
• Passport Number
• An email address
• A telephone number

FileHound will return any string of data which appears to match the format of a regular expression. This tool is useful for locating all documents within a given directory which could potentially contain personally identifiable information.

To create Regular Expressions, navigate to the Expressions Manager in the menu.

 To create a new Regular Expression, click the Add Regular Expression button in the toolbar.  

In the popup that appears, enter a Name for your Regular Expression, as well as a valid RegEx code, as highlighted in the example below.

Before saving your new Regular Expression, always test it using the Test box near the bottom of the popup. Valid RegEx codes will return a response highlighted with a green tick , as in the example below.

To confirm and proceed, click the Save button.