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Draftable Clean v26.6.0 expands the range of file types you can scan and clean, introduces PDF conversion for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, and gives administrators stronger control over organisation-wide cleaning standards. This release also refreshes licensing, deployment, and the day-to-day desktop and Outlook experience. Here are the five key features in this release:
  • Excel and PowerPoint support — scan and clean metadata in .xlsx and .pptx files using the same review workflow as Word and PDF documents
  • Image file support — detect and remove metadata from JPEG, PNG, TIFF, GIF, and BMP images, with profile editor settings tailored to image metadata types
  • PDF conversion — convert Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files to PDF in the desktop app and Outlook add-in, configurable per cleaning profile
  • Enforce must-clean metadata types across all profiles — administrators can require specific metadata types to always be removed, regardless of which cleaning profile is applied
  • Enterprise policy and deployment updates — lock Outlook add-in defaults via Group Policy, configure add-in settings as individual registry fields, and deploy without a separate .NET 10 Desktop Runtime prerequisite on the MSI
A note from our product team Draftable Clean has been built from the ground up based on feedback from our customers. We would love to hear from you as we continue to develop this product. If you have feature ideas or product performance feedback, please share any suggestions with us by contacting product@draftable.com.

Core Functionality

Excel and PowerPoint document support

Draftable Clean now supports Excel (.xlsx) and PowerPoint (.pptx) documents alongside Word and PDF. Files are scanned using the same risk-rated workflow, and cleaning behaviour is controlled through your existing profiles — Preserve, Remove, or Replace per metadata type. Excel-specific metadata — such as formula cell references — can be reviewed in the viewer, where references are shown as a comma-separated list.

Image file support

This release adds support for JPEG, PNG, TIFF, GIF, and BMP image files. Image metadata is detected during scan, displayed in the review workflow, and removed according to the active cleaning profile. The profile editor exposes the metadata types relevant to images so administrators and users can configure image cleaning with the same granularity as document formats.

PDF conversion for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Draftable Clean v26.6.0 introduces PDF conversion in the desktop application and Outlook add-in. When configured in a profile, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files can be converted to PDF so metadata can be addressed in a consistent output format. Conversion options respect profile settings and are integrated into the existing Scan, Review, Clean, Share workflow.

Expanded cleaning for Word, PDF, and mixed batches

Word (.docx) cleaning is improved in this release, including correct comments author replacement and preservation of obfuscated text where default profiles require it. PDF cleaning covers a broader set of embedded images, annotations, and document structures. After cleaning, replaced metadata values are surfaced in the UI so you can confirm what changed. Replaced values and risk ratings continue to use the five metadata categories: Personal Information, Document Properties, Tracked Changes & Comments, Document Content, and Other Metadata.

Licensing, trials, and first-run experience

v26.6.0 includes a new licensing flow and self-serve free trial so organisations can evaluate Draftable Clean without contacting sales first. On first run, users acknowledge terms and conditions and telemetry preferences. Anonymous telemetry and automatic error reporting help improve product quality while keeping document processing local. The desktop application has been migrated to .NET 10, and the MSI installer no longer requires .NET 10 Desktop Runtime as a separate prerequisite.

Integrations

Outlook add-in improvements

The Outlook add-in receives a refreshed pop-up panel experience in Outlook Classic and clearer handling of unsupported files in the send flow. These changes build on the add-in capabilities introduced in the first release — domain-based profile selection, send protection controls, and automatic attachment cleaning — with a focus on reliability across Outlook Classic and Outlook Modern.

Ease of Use

Settings, updates, and system tray

Cleaning profile workflows are improved for creating, editing, and setting defaults. The application updates itself in the background by default, and a system tray icon supports minimise-to-tray so Draftable Clean stays available without occupying the taskbar. In-app tooltips on document risk categories and clearer Author labelling in the metadata viewer (formerly Author/Creator) make review faster. Knowledge base links now point to the Draftable Clean troubleshooting documentation.

Admin Configuration

Enforce must-clean metadata types across all profiles

Administrators can now enforce must-clean metadata types across all profiles. When configured, specified metadata types must be removed regardless of which cleaning profile is active — including new custom profiles created after the policy is applied. This gives legal and IT teams a consistent baseline for sensitive metadata that must never be shared externally.

Group Policy and Outlook add-in lockdown

Group Policy templates are updated for v26.6.0:
  • Admins can lock the Outlook add-in default profile and behaviours so end users cannot override organisation standards.
  • Add-in settings are exposed as individual Group Policy registry fields, replacing the previous single JSON blob — simplifying scripting and template management for teams that deploy policies at scale.
  • A new ADMX template surfaces DomainRules and AddInSettings policies explicitly.
Organisations that scripted the previous JSON blob should update their templates to use the new individual fields.

Deployment and prerequisites

The machine-wide MSI no longer lists .NET 10 Desktop Runtime as a prerequisite check, which may simplify allowlisting for IT teams that previously managed that dependency separately. ADMX/ADML templates, Intune deployment, and silent MSI installation continue to be supported for enterprise rollout.

Reliability

Local processing and service architecture

All metadata scanning and cleaning remains local — documents never leave the user’s machine during processing. v26.6.0 uses an in-app REST API by default, with automatic fallback to the Sweeper Windows Service where needed, so new installations are less dependent on a separate Windows service for everyday use. If you ever need help troubleshooting issues with Draftable Clean, please reach out to support@draftable.com.