Are Your Notion Pages Public? Privacy Settings Explained (2025)
Explore our comprehensive 2025 guide to Notion privacy. Learn how pages remain private by default, discover secure sharing options, and adopt best practices to protect your data effectively.
Nov 26, 2025
Notion’s default setting keeps your pages private, only you can see your work unless you change the permissions. In 2025, understanding these privacy controls
is vital to protect sensitive information while leveraging collaboration tools effectively.
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Key points
Your pages are NOT public when they are created. New pages are private by default, ensuring your content remains secure unless you invite others.
Multiple sharing options let you grant access (view, comment, or edit) to collaborators.
Making Notion pages public and other workspace settings offer flexible, yet controlled, ways to share your work externally beyond your team.
Every new Notion page starts off private, only you can view and edit it unless you change the settings.
In personal workspaces, your pages remain exclusive until you invite others by adjusting share options.
Within shared workspaces or teamspaces:
Pages might inherit settings from the larger group environment.
Access is typically limited to workspace or team members unless further settings are modified.
This default setup prioritizes privacy and gives you granular control over who sees your content, ensuring that your sensitive information stays secure unless you consciously decide to share it.
Customizing Access and Permissions
Notion's sophisticated Share menu enables customization of access and permissions. You can invite collaborators directly and toggle between public link sharing and restricted access to suit your needs. The platform offers:
Full Access – complete editing rights and share capabilities.
Can Edit – adjustments without resharing rights.
Can Edit Content - allows users to edit pages and properties within a database but not its structure or views.
Can Comment – focused feedback.
Can View – secure, read-only access.
These granular settings empower you to maintain tight control over who interacts with your pages, ensuring that public exposure is only granted when intended, and that essential content remains accessible solely to approved individuals. Even if you copy a page’s link, it remains accessible only to those who’ve been granted permission. Easily customize your settings for optimal collaboration.
While most Notion users rely on standard sharing and permission settings, databases come with a few unique access options designed for collaborative work, including the powerful Database Page-Level Access, which lets you decide who can edit individual entries without altering the overall database structure.
What is Database Page-Level Access?
Database page-level access is a premium feature (available on Business and Enterprise Plans) that allows you to grant specific permissions to individuals for individual pages within a larger database. This is done by leveraging a "Person" property in your database. In essence, you can control who can see and edit specific entries, adding a granular layer of privacy and control to your collaborative workflows.
How to Set It Up
Setting up page-level access is quite straightforward. Here’s how you can do it:
Open your database and click on the Share button in the top-right corner.
In the "Share" menu, you'll find the Page-level access section. Click on Add a new rule.
From here, you can select a Person or Created by property from your database.
Choose an access level for the selected property (e.g., Can view, Can comment, Can edit).
Click Create rule, and you're all set!
You can create multiple rules for different people or teams, giving you fine-grained control over who sees what.
What Others See & Restrictions
It's important to understand how these permissions interact with existing database permissions. Page-level permissions are additive.
If someone already has "Can comment" access to the entire database and you grant them "Can edit" access to a specific page, they will be able to edit that single page while still only being able to comment on all others.
If a person has no access to the database and you grant them page-level access to a single page, they will only be able to see and interact with that specific page. The rest of the database will remain hidden from them.
This makes it a perfect solution for sharing a single task with a contractor, a specific project document with a client, or a confidential note with a team member, without exposing the entire database.
Modifying and Deleting Permissions
As your projects evolve, so will your permission needs. Modifying or deleting a permission rule is just as easy as setting it up.
Go back to the Share menu of the database.
Open the dropdown menu for the existing rule you want to change.
From there, you can either select Delete permission rule to remove it entirely or choose a different access level to modify the permissions.
Requesting Access
What happens if someone stumbles upon a page they need access to? Notion has a built-in workflow for that. If a user without the necessary permissions tries to access a page, they will be prompted with an option to Request edit access. By clicking this, a notification is sent to the page creator, who can then approve or deny the request with a single click.
Managing Public vs Private Settings
To publish: Enable the “Publish to the web” option to make your Notion page publicly accessible, detailed steps are provided below.
To revert: Turn off “Publish to the web” to make your page private again, see the detailed guide below.
Benefits of publishing:
Enhances collaboration by allowing broader access.
Simplifies sharing with external audiences.
Makes your content searchable for subscribers or search engines (if enabled).
Risks of making a page public:
Unintended exposure of sensitive information or metadata like names and emails.
Overlooked subpages may reveal more content than intended.
Once live, managing duplicate or outdated content can be challenging if settings aren’t regularly reviewed.
Options for handling subpages and metadata:
Review each subpage’s settings independently if you want varied visibility.
Limit metadata sharing by adjusting contributor profiles and permissions.
Regularly inspect all published elements to ensure only the intended content remains public.
This streamlined process ensures clarity in managing your Notion page’s public and private statuses while balancing accessibility and security.
Publishing Your Notion Page
One-click publishing: With a simple toggle in the Share menu, you can instantly make your Notion page public.
Instant public link generation: Publishing creates a unique URL, allowing anyone with the link to view the page and its subpages.
Metadata visibility: Published pages may display contributor details, names, profile photos, email addresses, integrated into the public record.
Potential risks: Once public, content can be duplicated or shared broadly, exposing sensitive information.
Customization options: Modify your URL slug and disable duplication to control exposure.
Always review your metadata and permission settings post-publication to ensure your desired privacy level is maintained.
Quick reversal: Unpublishing is just as simple – toggle off the published status to retract public access instantly.
Confirm settings to secure your content before sharing with audiences.
Reverting to Private Mode
Open your Notion page and click the “Share” button.
Toggle off the public access or “Published” status to unpublish the page.
Optionally, move the page into a private folder:
Drag and drop it into a secured workspace section.
Double-check by reopening the “Share” menu to ensure the page displays as private.
Confirm that no external links or permissions remain, keeping your content secure.
Practical Tips and Best Practices for Privacy
Regularly audit your Notion sharing settings by revisiting the Share menu on each page. Set reminders to check if any permissions have changed unintentionally.
Use permission levels judiciously:
Grant "Can view" or "Can comment" access for users who only need to review content.
Limit "Can edit" or "Full access" permissions to trusted collaborators only.
For pages containing confidential or sensitive data, keep them private or move them into secure folders. If you must share, consider creating separate pages with redacted information instead of full details.
Avoid using public links for sensitive content; if a public link is used, ensure that it’s only shared with intended audiences and disabled if no longer needed.
Regularly review inherited permissions from teamspaces and adjust as needed to maintain strict privacy controls.
Document any updates to permission settings for future reference, and train team members on these best practices to maintain a consistent security protocol across your workspace.
Regular Privacy Check-Ups
Regular privacy check-ups ensure your Notion workspace remains secure. Routinely audit your Share menu and workspace permissions to prevent accidental exposure.
Verify pages aren’t inadvertently set to public.
Review team and workspace access for trusted collaborators.
Adjust sharing settings based on current needs.
Confirm that link permissions remain restrictive.
By regularly reviewing these settings, you minimize unauthorized access risks and keep your content safe. Stay proactive with periodic audits to maintain precise control over your Notion pages and protect sensitive data. Perform this check biweekly to ensure ongoing privacy compliance and promptly address any unexpected settings changes. Stay secure always.
Securing Sensitive Information
To secure sensitive data in Notion, follow these guidelines:
Avoid storing confidential or personal information on shared pages.
Use granular permissions to restrict access strictly to authorized team members.
Regularly audit your sharing settings and revoke permissions when needed.
Move highly sensitive materials to private folders or isolated sections.
Ensure that public links are disabled when dealing with confidential content.
By applying these practices, you minimize exposure risks and keep your workspace secure. Always double-check settings to protect data and maintain control over who accesses your valuable information. Regular updates and careful monitoring ensure continuous privacy and data integrity excellently.
Advanced Considerations
Notion API limitations: The API currently records only last-edited timestamps, lacking built-in view tracking. This limitation means you must rely on alternative tools or workarounds for comprehensive visitor analytics.
Managing integrations: Grant explicit permissions for each integration to access your content. Secure embedding of Notion pages on external sites requires diligent control over access, ensuring only trusted third-party apps and websites connect with your data.
Advanced customization: Leverage features like custom URLs, toggled duplication, and precise embed controls to fine-tune your public pages. These options help balance accessibility with robust privacy safeguards, allowing advanced users to optimize display without compromising security.
Page View Tracking and API Insights
Notion’s API does not track page views, offering only last edit timestamps.
This limitation hinders accurately assessing content relevancy.
To monitor page views, consider using third-party integrations or custom scripts.
Differentiate between editing actions and passive viewing data.
These workarounds help gauge audience engagement while preserving Notion’s robust privacy.
Experimenting with external analytics and periodic audits can bridge this gap, ensuring you capture vital insights on page views and overall content performance effectively for success.
Integration and Embedding Controls
Customize your public page URL and slug for consistent branding and safe embedding.
Manage duplicate page settings to prevent unauthorized copying.
Safely embed pages by selectively granting external integrations access.
Use granular permissions to control embedded content features.
Regularly audit settings for enhanced security.
Adjust embed settings and API permissions to safeguard sensitive data and ensure that only approved users can access external integrations.
Maintain constant oversight to optimize seamless integration performance and robust security.
Yes. When you create a new Notion page, it is private by default, visible only to you unless you change the settings or place it in a shared workspace.
How can I make a Notion page public?
You can make a page public by clicking the Share button and toggling on the option to share the page via a public link, allowing anyone with the link to view it.
What information is exposed when publishing a Notion page?
When published, the page’s content and metadata—including contributor names, profile photos, and email addresses—may be exposed if those details are present.
Can I restrict who sees my Notion page within a team?
Yes. Notion’s sharing settings allow you to invite specific individuals or groups, restricting access to only those you select within your team.
What permission levels are available in Notion?
Notion offers several permission levels such as Full Access, Can Edit, Can Comment, and Can View, each letting you control how users interact with your content.
How do I unpublish a Notion page?
To unpublish a page, open the Share menu and toggle off the public link or published status, reverting the page back to a private state.
Is it safe to share a public link from Notion?
It can be safe if you’re not sharing sensitive information; however, anyone with the link can view the page, so use caution when publishing important data.
How can I check who has access to my Notion pages?
Review the Share menu on your page to see a list of invited collaborators and shared links, helping you monitor who currently has access.
What settings control embedding and duplication of Notion pages?
Within the Share menu, you can toggle settings that allow or prevent others from embedding or duplicating your page, giving you control over content reuse.
Are there any API capabilities to track page views in Notion?
No. The Notion API currently only provides the last edited date and does not support tracking page views, though viewing activity may be available within the app.
