Privacy & Visibility Options

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Understanding and controlling who can see your content is essential for using Stashed safely and effectively.

Visibility Levels

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Stashed has multiple layers of visibility control:

1. Platform Level

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Public — Your profile and public stashes appear in:

• Search engine results (Google, etc.)
• Stashed search and discovery
• Public listings and feeds
• Shared links work for anyone

Private — Your profile is hidden from:

• Search engines
• Public listings
• Other users’ discovery
• Only accessible via direct URL (if logged in as you)

2. Profile Level

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Public Profile

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Visible to Everyone:

• Username
• Display name
• Bio
• Avatar and banner
• Public stashes you’ve created
• Number of stashes/links (if enabled)

Hidden from Everyone:

• Email address
• Private stashes
• Passwords
• Account settings
• Activity logs

Private Profile

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Visible:

• Only to you when logged in

Hidden:

• Everyone else (shows 404 or “Profile Not Found”)

3. Stash Level

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Each stash has its own visibility setting independent of your profile.

Public Stash

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Anyone Can:

• View the stash page
• See all links and descriptions
• See tags and metadata
• Share the URL
• Find it in search (if profile is public)

No One Can (Without Permission):

• Edit or delete links
• Add new links
• Change settings
• See password if protected

Private Stash

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Only You Can:

• View the stash
• See all content
• Edit and manage
• Share with password

Everyone Else Sees:

• 404 error or “Not Found”
• Or login prompt if URL known

Visibility Matrix

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Note: Public stashes from a private profile won’t appear in public listings, but the direct URL may work for those who have it.

Password Protection

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Password protection adds an extra layer on top of visibility settings.

How It Works

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Public Stash + Password:

• Stash appears in search/listings
• Title and description visible
• Content requires password
• Good for: Teaser content, controlled access

Private Stash + Password:

• Stash doesn’t appear anywhere public
• URL + password required to access
• Maximum privacy
• Good for: Sensitive content, private sharing

When to Use Password Protection

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Use Password When:

• Sharing with specific people only
• Work-in-progress before public launch
• Sensitive but not secret content
• Client or team collaboration
• Gated content for community

Don’t Need Password When:

• Content is fully public
• Already private (double protection unnecessary)
• Sharing broadly (password becomes burden)
• No sensitive information

Security Considerations

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Passwords Provide:

• ✅ Access control
• ✅ Plausible deniability (content hidden)
• ✅ Easy revocation (change password)
• ✅ Simple sharing (QR code or text)

Passwords Don’t Provide:

• ❌ Encryption of data
• ❌ Protection from screenshots
• ❌ Prevention of password sharing
• ❌ Hiding from search engines (if public)

For Maximum Security:

• Use Private visibility + Password
• Choose strong passwords
• Share passwords securely
• Rotate passwords periodically
• Monitor for unauthorized access

Search Engine Indexing

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What Gets Indexed

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Public Stashes from Public Profiles:

• ✅ Stash title and description
• ✅ Link titles and URLs
• ✅ Profile information
• ✅ Tags (may appear in search)

Private Stashes:

• ❌ Never indexed
• ❌ Not in sitemap
• ❌ Blocked by robots.txt

Password-Protected Public Stashes:

• ⚠️ Title/description may be indexed
• ⚠️ Content behind password not indexed
• ⚠️ May show in search results

Controlling Indexing

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Per Stash:

• Private stashes automatically blocked
• Public stashes are indexable by default

Site-Wide:

• Private profile blocks all indexing
• Individual stash settings override

Removing from Search Engines

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If You Want De-indexing:

1. Make stash or profile private
2. Search engines will eventually drop it
3. Can take weeks or months
4. Use Google Search Console for faster removal (if you own the domain)

Note: Stashed.in controls the domain, so you can’t use Search Console directly.

Sharing Strategies

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Sharing Public Stashes

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Best Practices:

• Share URL directly (social media, email, chat)
• Post in relevant communities
• Include in your portfolio
• Link from your website

Where to Share:

• Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Mastodon
• Reddit (relevant subreddits)
• Discord/Slack communities
• Personal blog or website
• Email newsletter

Sharing Private Stashes

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With Password:

1. Share the stash URL
2. Share password separately (different channel recommended)
3. Use QR code for easy mobile sharing
4. Consider password manager sharing

Without Password:

• Only you can access
• Use for personal organization
• Work-in-progress storage
• Sensitive information

Sharing with Specific People

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Method 1: Password + Private

1. Set stash to Private
2. Enable password protection
3. Generate strong password
4. Share URL and password via secure channel
5. Recipients can access with both

Method 2: Unlisted (Public but Not Linked)

1. Keep stash Public
2. Don’t share URL publicly
3. Share URL only with intended people
4. No password needed
5. Relies on URL secrecy (not truly secure)

Method 3: Multiple Passwords (If Available)

1. Create different passwords for different groups
2. Track who has which password
3. Revoke specific passwords if needed
4. More granular control

Privacy Best Practices

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✅ Do

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Think Before Publishing:

• Would you mind this being public?
• Could this reveal sensitive information?
• Is this appropriate for your audience?

Use Appropriate Visibility:

• Public for shareable content
• Private for personal bookmarks
• Password for controlled sharing

Regular Audits:

• Review your public stashes periodically
• Check what’s visible on your profile
• Update visibility as needed

Secure Password Sharing:

• Use encrypted messaging
• Share password separately from URL
• Consider QR codes for mobile
• Rotate passwords if shared broadly

Respect Others’ Privacy:

• Don’t share links to private content
• Don’t repost password-protected content
• Ask permission before sharing others’ stashes

❌ Don’t

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Don’t Share Sensitive Data:

• Personal information (addresses, phones)
• Financial data (account numbers, passwords)
• Confidential work documents
• Private communications

Don’t Rely Solely on Passwords:

• Passwords can be shared
• Not encryption
• Use Private visibility for true privacy

Don’t Assume Deletion is Instant:

• Search engines cache content
• Others may have screenshots
• Export your data before deleting

Don’t Share Passwords Publicly:

• No social media posts
• No public forums
• No public GitHub repos
• No public documentation

Special Use Cases

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Professional Portfolio

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Goal: Showcase your curation skills

Settings:

• Profile: Public
• Best stashes: Public
• Work-in-progress: Private
• Client work: Private + Password

Tips:

• Curate your best public stashes
• Use consistent branding
• Write professional descriptions
• Link from your resume/website

Team Collaboration

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Goal: Share resources with team

Settings:

• Profile: Private or Public (your choice)
• Team stashes: Private + Password
• Personal stashes: Private

Tips:

• Use descriptive stash names
• Organize with tags
• Share password via team channel
• Rotate password when team members leave

Educational Use

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Goal: Share resources with students

Settings:

• Profile: Public (for discoverability)
• Class stashes: Public or Password-protected
• Answer keys: Private + Password

Tips:

• Organize by topic/week
• Use consistent naming
• Include clear descriptions
• Consider password for enrolled students only

Content Creator

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Goal: Share curated resources with audience

Settings:

• Profile: Public
• Free resources: Public
• Premium resources: Private + Password
• Personal: Private

Tips:

• Use password for paid content
• Promote public stashes
• Engage with your audience
• Regular updates keep people coming back

Troubleshooting

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Stash Not Visible to Others?

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Check:

• Is stash set to Public?
• Is your profile Public?
• Is password protection enabled? (they need password)
• Are they using correct URL?

Stash Appearing in Search When It Shouldn’t?

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Solutions:

• Make stash or profile Private
• Wait for search engines to update (weeks)
• Remove from any public sharing
• Contact support if urgent

Can’t Access Password-Protected Stash?

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Solutions:

• Verify you have correct password
• Check for typos (case-sensitive)
• Clear browser cache
• Ask owner to verify password
• Request password regeneration if needed

Want to Make Public Stash Private?

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Steps:

1. Go to stash settings
2. Change visibility to Private
3. Save changes
4. Stash immediately hidden from public
5. Existing URLs show 404 to others

Legal & Compliance

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Terms of Service

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Remember:

• You own your content
• Stashed has license to display it
• Don’t share copyrighted material without permission
• Respect others’ privacy and rights

GDPR / Privacy Rights

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Your Rights (if applicable):

• Access your data
• Export your data
• Delete your data
• Correct inaccuracies

How to Exercise:

• Use export feature for access
• Use delete feature for removal
• Edit profile for corrections
• Contact support for assistance

Content Responsibility

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You Are Responsible For:

• Content you publish
• Ensuring you have rights to share
• Not violating others’ privacy
• Complying with applicable laws

Stashed Is Not Responsible For:

• User-generated content
• How users share stashes
• Password management by users
• External link content

Next Steps

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Related documentation:

• Password Protection
• QR Code Passwords
• Profile Settings

Quick Reference

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