Blind CVs in one click — for one candidate or a hundred
Remove names, contact details, photos and other identifiers consistently, so clients judge candidates on skills and experience. Perfect for DE&I programmes, public-sector tenders and confidential searches.
- Consistent field removal
- Works on batches
- Original kept securely in your vault
Choose exactly what a client sees
Set defaults for your agency, then adjust per shortlist.
| Field | Default in blind CV | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Replaced by candidate reference | Name can signal gender and ethnicity |
| Email, phone, address | Removed | Prevents clients contacting candidates directly |
| Photo | Removed | Removes appearance-based bias |
| LinkedIn, portfolio & social links | Removed | Links reveal identity |
| Date of birth, nationality | Removable | Can signal age and origin |
| Employer names | Optional | Useful in confidential or small-market searches |
| Schools & universities | Optional | Reduces educational-prestige bias |
| Skills, experience, achievements | Kept | What the client should judge on |
Blind CVs are becoming table stakes
Clients increasingly ask for them — and agencies use them to protect their own placements.
Fairer shortlists
Removing names, photos and other signals helps clients focus on capability, supporting their DE&I commitments.
Protect your fees
Without contact details, clients cannot approach candidates directly and bypass the agency.
Tenders & public sector
Many frameworks and public bodies require anonymised submissions for evaluation.
Anonymisation that fits the way you already work
Toggle it on at export
Format the CV as normal, switch on "Blind CV" and export. The layout stays the same; identifying fields disappear and a candidate reference appears in place of the name.
- Preview exactly what the client will see
- Adjust fields for this shortlist only
- Export PDF, Word or secure link
Same rules, every candidate
For tenders and large shortlists, apply anonymisation to an entire bulk batch so every CV is treated identically — no forgotten phone number on CV 47.
- Up to 100 CVs per batch on Pro
- Consistent references across the set
- ZIP download of all blind CVs
Reveal candidates at the right time
The original CV stays in your encrypted vault. When the client is ready to interview, export the named version in one click — no re-uploading or re-formatting.
Common manual anonymisation mistakes
The reasons agencies stop redacting CVs by hand.
What goes wrong manually
- Name removed from the header but left in the file name or footer
- Email hidden in a hyperlink or document properties
- Photo deleted but still embedded in the PDF
- Different fields removed by different consultants
- Hours of redaction before a tender deadline
What FormatMyCV does instead
- Rebuilds the CV so identifying data is not carried over
- Removes links and contact details from the whole document
- Photos are never placed in the blind template
- One agency-wide rule set
- Seconds per CV, whole batches at once
Present candidates on their credentials
A practical guide to blind shortlists
Which fields should you remove? Which should you keep? When should candidates be revealed? Our guide walks through a workflow that does not slow your desk down.
Where blind CVs are most often required
Candidate data, handled carefully
Anonymisation is one part of protecting candidates. Here is the rest.
- Encrypted in transit and at rest — CVs are protected from upload to export.
- Access controls and audit logs — only your workspace can see your candidates, and exports are logged.
- Retrieve or delete on demand — respond quickly to candidate data requests.
- GDPR-friendly workflows — anonymise before sharing and keep only what each stage needs.
- No copy-pasting into public chatbots — consultants use the AI tools inside the FormatMyCV editor instead.
Key terms explained
Plain-English definitions of the terms used on this page.
- Anonymised CV
A CV with identifying details — name, contact details, address, photo and links — removed so the candidate can be assessed on skills and experience. Also called a blind CV.
- Blind shortlist
A shortlist of candidates presented with identifying information removed, used to reduce unconscious bias or to keep a confidential search discreet until the client is ready to meet candidates.
- Candidate reference
A code (for example "Candidate A7") used in place of a name on an anonymised CV, so a blind candidate can still be discussed and tracked.
- Data minimisation
A data-protection principle (for example under GDPR) that you should only collect and share the personal data needed for a specific purpose. Sending anonymised CVs at early stages applies this principle.
Anonymisation FAQs
What is a blind or anonymised CV?
A blind CV is a candidate CV with identifying details removed so it can be assessed on skills and experience alone. FormatMyCV removes names, contact details, addresses, photos and links — and optionally employers and schools — in one click, replacing the name with a candidate reference while keeping your branded layout.
What can FormatMyCV remove?
Names, email addresses, phone numbers, postal addresses, photos, social and portfolio links, and — when you choose — employer names and schools. Fields are removed consistently across every CV in a shortlist.
Is anonymisation reversible?
On your side, yes. The original CV stays in your encrypted workspace vault, so you can reveal the candidate to the client at the right stage without re-uploading anything. The exported blind CV itself contains no identifying details.
Can I anonymise a whole batch?
Yes. Switch on anonymisation for a bulk batch (Pro plan) and every CV is exported with the same fields removed.
Does anonymisation help with GDPR?
Sharing only the information a client needs at each stage is good practice under GDPR and similar data-protection rules (data minimisation). Anonymisation makes that practical at scale; it does not replace your own compliance responsibilities.
Will the CV still look professional?
Yes. The blind CV uses the same branded template, with a candidate reference in place of the name, so it reads as a finished document rather than a redacted one.
Keep reading
Create your first blind CV in seconds
Upload a handful of real candidate CVs, pick a template and compare the output with what your team produces by hand today.
Unlimited team seats on every plan · Cancel anytime · GDPR-friendlyAsk us anything about your CV workflow
Send a note and a real person replies within one business day — or book a 20-minute demo and watch your own CVs reformatted live.
Reach us directly
- Emailsupport@formatmycv.com
- London+44 20 3807 7392
- DemoBook a 20-minute demo
London N1 7GU
United Kingdom
Replies within one business day · No sales sequences · GDPR-friendly