# How to Handle PII in Staging Databases Without Losing Realistic Data

DevFeed: [How to Handle PII in Staging Databases Without Losing Realistic Data](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/how-to-handle-pii-in-staging-databases-without-losing-realistic-data-5317.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://neon.com/blog/handle-pii-staging-databases>)

Author: Carlota Soto

Published: 2025-11-17T19:18:17Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Blog -- Neon Docs](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/blog-neon-docs.md>)

Topics: [pii](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/pii.md>), [Databases](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/databases.md>), [Python](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/python.md>), [CSV](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/csv.md>)

Tags: [compliance](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/compliance.md>), [databases](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/databases.md>), [how-to](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/how-to.md>), [pii](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/pii.md>), [product](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/product.md>), [python](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/python.md>), [safety](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/safety.md>)

## AI overview

This article explains how to preserve realistic staging data while protecting personally identifiable information (PII). It discusses exporting production data to CSV, using Python scripts to anonymize sensitive fields, and loading the results into staging. Deterministic hashing can preserve foreign-key relationships, but manual scripts become risky and difficult to maintain as schemas and teams evolve.

## Source excerpt

If you've got real data, you've got a real problem. And that problem has a name - PII. Suppose your production database contains names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers. In fintech, you might also have credit card numbers and transaction histories. In healthtech, medical reco...