DSAR Automation: Run Every Data Subject Access Request From Intake to Response
Obtainer is DSAR automation that carries a data subject access request through every step, from intake to a drafted response, without the spreadsheet and the scramble. It verifies the requester, finds where the person's data lives, compiles a manifest, drafts the reply, and tracks the deadline, while a human stays in control of what is disclosed.
found
scanned
Assembling the cover letter from the template...
Helps you comply, not legal advice
In short
A DSAR, or data subject access request, is a request from a person to see the personal data an organization holds about them, which GDPR requires you to answer within one month and CCPA within 45 days. DSAR automation is software that runs the repetitive steps of fulfilling that request so a small team can meet the deadline without missing anything. Obtainer automates intake, requester verification, discovery of where the person's data lives across your systems, a reviewable source-system manifest, a drafted response and cover letter from templates, and a deadline countdown. Nothing is released automatically: a human redacts and approves at a review gate before anything is disclosed, so you stay in control of what is disclosed. Obtainer helps you comply. It is not legal advice, and the legal calls, exemptions, whether a request can be refused, retention, stay with your team. It is DSAR fulfillment only, self-serve from $49/mo, not a six-figure governance suite like OneTrust or DataGrail.
Last updated July 2026
What you get
DSAR automation, built for privacy, legal, and ops teams
One request, one workflow
Intake, verification, discovery, manifest, draft, and deadline live in a single flow, so a DSAR stops being a scramble across email threads and spreadsheets.
Discovery is the hard part, handled
Obtainer leads with AI-native discovery of where a person's data lives across your systems, the gap most teams cite, instead of leaving you to hunt it down by hand.
Deadline-safe by design
Every request carries its GDPR one-month or CCPA 45-day clock, which reduces the risk of missing one, though the responsibility to respond stays with your team.
You approve every disclosure
Nothing leaves the building on its own. A human redacts and approves at the review gate, so you stay in control of what is disclosed.
How it works
From an intake request to a ready-to-review response in four steps
Intake the request
Log the privacy request and confirm the requester's identity before any data is gathered, so you disclose to the right person.
Discover the data
Obtainer surfaces where the person's personal data lives across your systems and compiles it into one reviewable source-system manifest.
Draft the response
Generate a deadline-safe response and cover letter from templates, ready for your team to review.
Redact and approve
A human masks third-party and exempt data and approves the final disclosure. Obtainer helps you comply. It is not legal advice.
Frequently asked
Questions teams ask about dsar automation
Can a DSAR be automated?
The repetitive parts can, and that is where the hours go. Software can automate intake, requester verification, discovery of where a person's data lives, manifest assembly, a drafted response, and the deadline countdown. The judgment parts stay human: what is in scope, which exemptions apply, and what gets redacted. Obtainer runs the mechanical steps and holds a review gate before anything is disclosed.
How long does it take to respond to a DSAR?
The GDPR gives you one month from receipt, extendable by two further months for complex or numerous requests if you tell the person why within the first month. The CCPA gives a business 45 calendar days, extendable by another 45 with notice. The clock starts when the request arrives, and any time spent verifying the requester comes out of it.
What is the hardest part of fulfilling a DSAR?
Discovery. Writing the reply is quick once you know what to say, but finding every place a person's data actually lives, across CRMs, help desks, email, files, and databases, is where teams lose days and where an incomplete response comes from. Obtainer leads with discovery for that reason and compiles every source into one reviewable manifest.
Do you need software to handle DSARs?
Not for one a year. A spreadsheet works until volume, short deadlines, or scattered data make manual handling risky. If you field DSARs regularly, or a single request touches a dozen systems, software that automates discovery and tracks the clock pays for itself by preventing the missed source and the blown deadline. Obtainer starts at $49/mo, self-serve.
Run a data subject access request end to end
Obtainer finds where a person's data lives across your systems, compiles it into one manifest, drafts the deadline-safe response, and tracks the GDPR and CCPA clock. You review, redact, and approve what gets disclosed. Helps you comply; not legal advice.