Introduction to Ghost

What Ghost does

This guide assumes you are new to Ghost. Ghost is a workspace for privacy compliance tasks so you do not have to jump between unrelated tools.

You will use it to:

• Redact documents (usually PDFs) when you need to share a bundle for a privacy request or similar, without exposing other people's personal data.
• Use the Privacy Request Manager (known as DSAR Manager under GDPR) so each privacy request is a case with a status, deadline, tasks, and a clear history instead of only email.
• Maintain an Article 30 register (Records of Processing Activities / RoPA under GDPR): a structured register that lines up with typical regulatory expectations for how you document personal data processing.
• Manage compliance across breaches, DPIAs, third parties, consent records, training, policies, and more through a unified Compliance module.

Everything you save in Ghost belongs to an organisation. You sign in, then work inside one org at a time. Your subscription and settings apply to that org.

Organisation and matters

After you sign in, check which organisation is active. If you belong to more than one, use the organisation switcher in the header to pick the right workspace.

Some organisations split work into matters(for example one matter per client or brand). When matters are enabled, you will see a matter control near the org switcher. The panel is labelled "Matters in this organisation". Each matter has its own privacy request cases, redaction sessions, and Article 30 register data, so you keep work separated.

1. Choose the organisation you need.
2. If you use matters, choose the matter that matches the job you are about to do.
3. Check the context strip directly below the header. On desktop it shows the active matter name and an initials badge so you always know which matter you are working in. (On mobile the strip is hidden to save vertical space; use the workspace switcher to confirm.)
4. Then open the product area you need from the steps in the next section.

If you cannot see any matters, your admin may still be setting them up or your role may need access. Ask an owner or admin in your organisation.

Product areas

Ghost connects several product areas through the same header. Open the tools menu (workspace menu) in the top bar: you should see entries such as Dashboard, Document Redaction, Article 30 Register, Privacy Request Manager, and Compliance. The items you see depend on your organisation's subscription and your role.

Dashboard has a collapsible sidebar with three views. Overview is the default landing page with high-level metrics. My Work shows tasks assigned to you, urgent cases, processing activities due for review, and recent activity so you can see what needs your attention right now. Analytics shows cross-module metrics with date-range filtering so you can spot trends and overdue items across privacy requests, Article 30 register, compliance, and redaction without switching between tools.

Document Redaction takes you to your list of redaction sessions. From there you upload files, open a session, mark sensitive areas, and export a redacted file.

Privacy Request Manager opens the privacy requests area. The left sidebar lists Dashboard, New Case, Templates, Reports & Analytics, and Configuration at the bottom. Start from Dashboard to see all cases, or New Case to create one.

Article 30 Register opens the Article 30 register dashboard. From there you add processing activities through a step-by-step wizard, run gap analysis, use the review queue, and export for audits.

Compliance opens the Compliance hub with access to breach reporting, DPIAs, third-party management, consent records, legal basis tracking, staff training, policies, and data retention schedules. Each area has its own register accessible from the Compliance sidebar.

Roles and access

Your organisation assigns you a role (for example owner, admin, operator, or read-only). That role decides whether you can create cases, edit processing inventory entries, run exports, change billing, or manage settings.

If a button or page is missing, it is usually one of three things: your role, your organisation's subscription, or a matter you are not assigned to. Ask an owner or admin to confirm your access. You can also check the pricing page for a full breakdown of what each plan includes.

Next steps

Follow these tutorials when you are ready to work inside each area:

1. Redaction workspace basics for Document Redaction.
2. Privacy Request Manager overview for cases and the dashboard.
3. Article 30 Register overview for your register of processing activities.
4. Compliance hub overview for breaches, assessments, third parties, and the rest of the compliance programme.
5. Settings and team management for roles, invitations, billing, and advanced toggles.

The Resources hub also lists videos and other material you can use beside these guides.