eDiscovery data extractions
Getting data out of enterprise platforms is the part that stalls most SAR and disclosure projects. We have specific, hands-on experience extracting data from the systems organisations actually use – and we know where the problems hide.
What is eDiscovery data extraction?
eDiscovery data extraction is the process of searching for, collecting and exporting electronic data – emails, files, chat messages and their metadata – from enterprise platforms so it can be reviewed and disclosed. For a DSAR or SAR, an FOI request, or a legal disclosure obligation, it is the step that turns “we hold this person’s data somewhere” into a complete, structured set you can actually work with.
It matters because the response you send is only as good as the data behind it. Miss a mailbox or an archive and your disclosure is incomplete; pull the wrong scope and you risk over-disclosing information you should have withheld. Getting the extraction right – across Microsoft Purview, Mimecast and Google Vault – is what makes the rest of a DSAR, FOI or disclosure response defensible.
The problem
You’ve received a Subject Access Request, an FOI, or a legal disclosure obligation. You know what data you need. The difficulty is getting it out of the systems where it lives.
Enterprise platforms like Microsoft 365, Mimecast, and Google Workspace are powerful tools — but extracting specific data from them in a structured, compliant, and complete way is a specialist task. The interfaces are complex, the options are buried, and the consequences of getting it wrong range from missing data to accidentally disclosing information you shouldn’t have.
Most organisations don’t do this often enough to build deep expertise. When they need to, they either spend days working it out from scratch or pay for a full eDiscovery platform they don’t need.
What we do
We extract the data you need from the platforms you use, cleanly and completely. No trial and error. No missing mailboxes. No unexpected gaps in the export.
We have hands-on, practical experience with the specific tools involved — not theoretical knowledge, but the kind that comes from doing this repeatedly and knowing exactly where things go wrong.
Purview eDiscovery
Content searches across Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams. We build the right queries, handle holds, manage exports, and deal with the edge cases that trip people up — partial matches, nested attachments, Teams chat exports, and mailbox permission issues.
Mimecast
Targeted extractions from Mimecast’s archive, including journal-based captures that may contain data not present in the live mailbox. We handle search construction, result verification, and the export process — including dealing with Mimecast’s particular quirks around date ranges and custodian matching.
Google Vault
Matter-based searches and exports across Google Workspace — Gmail, Drive, and Chat. We scope and build the searches, apply the right retention and holds, run the exports, and handle Vault’s export formats and metadata decisions — the choices that cause downstream headaches if they aren’t anticipated up front.
Why people struggle with this
The tools themselves aren’t the problem. The problem is that they’re designed for people who use them every day — and most privacy teams don’t.
Microsoft Purview, for instance, has evolved significantly over recent years. The interface has changed, permissions models have shifted, and the eDiscovery workflow that worked last year may not work the same way now. Mimecast’s archive searches behave differently depending on how the organisation’s journaling is configured. Google Vault’s export format decisions can create downstream headaches if you don’t anticipate them.
These aren’t problems you can solve by reading a help article. They require someone who has encountered them before, knows the workarounds, and can get the extraction right first time.
Who this is for
Organisations that receive SARs but don’t have the internal capacity — or the specialist expertise — to handle them consistently and compliantly. This includes organisations dealing with complex or high-volume requests, those without a dedicated DPO, and teams that have been caught out before and want to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
If you already have a privacy function but occasionally need additional hands for complex or sensitive requests, we work alongside your team without getting in the way. Once the data is out, our redaction features help you review and redact it, and our done-for-you SAR service can take the whole request off your hands.
How it works
We extract the data you need from the platforms you use, cleanly and completely. No trial and error. No missing mailboxes. No unexpected gaps in the export.
We have hands-on, practical experience with the specific tools involved — not theoretical knowledge, but the kind that comes from doing this repeatedly and knowing exactly where things go wrong.
Briefing
You tell us what you need — the custodians, date ranges, data types, and the purpose of the extraction. We confirm the approach and any access requirements.
Extraction
We access the relevant platform, build and execute the searches, verify completeness, and export the data in the format you need.
Verification
We check the results against the original brief, flag any gaps or anomalies, and confirm the data set is complete before handover — the foundation of a defensible response.
Handover
You receive clean, structured data ready for review — or we load it directly into Redaktr if you’re using us for the full SAR processing service.
Standalone or combined
This service works on its own – if you just need someone to get the data out, that’s what we’ll do. But it also pairs naturally with our done-for-you SAR processing service, where we handle the entire lifecycle from extraction through to compliant disclosure.
Either way, you get someone who knows the platforms, understands the regulatory context, and has done this enough times to know where the problems are before they arise.
eDiscovery data extraction FAQs
Which platforms can you extract data from?
We have hands-on experience with Microsoft Purview eDiscovery (searching Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams across Microsoft 365), Mimecast’s archive, and Google Vault across Google Workspace — Gmail, Drive and Chat. These are the systems organisations most often need to search for a DSAR, FOI or disclosure request.
How does data extraction help with a DSAR or SAR?
A Subject Access Request obliges you to find and return an individual’s personal data. Extraction is the collection step: building the right searches, capturing the relevant mailboxes, files and messages, and exporting them completely so nothing in scope is missed and nothing out of scope is accidentally pulled in.
Can you help with FOI and legal disclosure as well?
Yes. The same extraction work supports FOI responses and legal disclosure obligations. In each case the priority is the same: a structured, complete data set that stands up to scrutiny. You can read more about keeping that defensible on our defensibility page.
Do I have to use your full SAR service to get an extraction?
No. Extraction is available on its own if you just need the data out of the platform. It also combines with our done-for-you SAR service, where we handle the whole request from extraction through review and redaction to compliant disclosure.
What format is the extracted data delivered in?
You receive clean, structured data ready for review, exported in the format you need. If you’re using Redaktr to review and redact, we can load it directly into the platform — see our features for what happens next. Not sure which route fits your request? Contact us and we’ll talk it through.