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When should I use public vs private boards?
When should I use public vs private boards?

Which privacy settings make sense for your Canny feedback boards

Jacques Reulet avatar
Written by Jacques Reulet
Updated over a week ago

Overview

Public Boards are visible to anyone with the URL to your board:

Typical use cases include:

  • Gathering feedback from the public

  • Creating a community around your product where users can interact

  • Keeping prospective clients updated on upcoming features

Private Boards are restricted to a specific selection of people:

Typical use cases include:

  • Limiting feedback so it only comes from verified clients

  • Gathering feedback from internal employees/teams within your company

  • Allowing specific stakeholders to weigh in on projects (and keeping them up-to-date on progress)

  • Enabling individualized feedback from a specific subset of users

Note: Each board has its own privacy settings.

Public Boards

  • All boards are public by default.

  • Public boards are visible to anyone on the internet.

  • You have the options to allow boards to appear in search results on engines like Google.

  • Canny does not allow for fully anonymous feedback. A person must be identified in some way before they can create posts, vote, or comment. This can be done automatically via Canny Identify or users can create a free Canny account before giving feedback.

Private Boards

  • Private boards allow you to restrict access to specific people.

  • You have a range of options to choose from:

  1. Users/Customers
    Only people who are signed in and identified as users/customers of your product via the Canny Identify SDK or single sign‑on (SSO) can access the board to leave feedback. An unidentified person who tries to access the board will be prompted to log in. They will not be able to access the board until they are identified.
    ​
    You can set up an SSO redirect to send users back to your website to log in. They will be redirected to Canny afterward.
    ​

  2. Segment
    This is based on user segmentation. It allows you to restrict a board to a specific cohort of people based on attributes you have selected. Learn more
    ​

  3. Teammates
    Restrict access to a board to people with a corporate email address. For example, if Amira from Appy wants access to the board, she would need to verify her work email: "amira@appy.com". Teammates can be verified via Google G-Suite, Microsoft Azure AD, Okta, other SSO integrations, or through email verification.
    ​

  4. Specific people
    This is the most controlled option. This allows you to invite specific individuals rather than all individuals who meet specific criteria. Just enter the email addresses of the people you want to whitelist for access to this board. They will need to accept the email invite to gain access to the board. This option is great for boards dedicated to specific clients and beta testing.

Remember, you can create multiple boards in Canny—each one with its own privacy settings. Just bear in mind that any fellow Canny admins will have access to view all boards and feedback. 


If you have any questions or just need some clarification, don't hesitate to reach out. We're always happy to answer any questions! 🥳

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