---
schema_version: "1"
id: 8c177733d28c7b34e3449629e4e35a33902146267f4dc93926fb6938de5b2dcd
title: Protect Sensitive Data with Private Notes
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/sales/264-0-0/notes_private_notes.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sales.notes_private_notes.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: e6e7b6de3a294c2559a707e5e0837b85b83c90094ae3784160ecd7721a2c265f
description: You rely on notes to streamline your workflow and increase productivity. With private notes, you can record sensitive information while keeping the note in context. You can also selectively share private notes.
products:
  - Sales Cloud
  - Cross Cloud
  - Service Cloud Voice
release: "264"
---
# Protect Sensitive Data with Private Notes

You rely on notes to streamline your workflow and increase productivity. With private notes, you can record sensitive information while keeping the note in context. You can also selectively share private notes.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: Salesforce Classic (not available in all orgs), Lightning Experience, and all versions of the Salesforce mobile app</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: <strong>Group</strong>, <strong>Essentials</strong>, <strong>Starter</strong>, <strong>Professional</strong>, <strong>Enterprise</strong>, <strong>Performance</strong>, and <strong>Unlimited</strong> Editions</td></tr></tbody></table>

As you develop business relationships with your customers, you can become privy to confidential information that you don’t want everyone to see. You could learn about an upcoming product launch, or the timing of a new initiative. Use private notes to record this information.

You have these sharing options for private notes:

Visible to Records

Anyone with read access to the related record can see the note. Create and share the note without choosing any options.

Privately Shared

The note is visible to the rep and who the rep has explicitly shared it with. Users with View All Data permission also have access to the note. However, you can’t privately share notes in the Notes & Attachments related list.

In the partner portal, private notes work differently. Partners can’t share private notes with anyone who isn’t an administrator.

In Lightning Experience, open a note in the Notes related list and click **Share**. To maintain privacy, open the Who Can Access section and click **Prevent others from sharing and unsharing**.

In Salesforce Classic, open a note in the Notes related list, click **Note Sharing Settings**, and then click **Sharing Settings**. Select **Prevent others from sharing and unsharing** under the Who Can Access section.

Private Only

Only the owner of the note can see it. Users with View All Data permissions also have access to the note.

- Lightning Experience
    - Create a note in the Notes related list and don’t relate it to anything. By default, the note is private.
    - If you relate a note in the Notes related list to a record, click **Share to Records** and select **Prevent note from being viewed by other users with access to this record**.
    - Open a note in the Notes & Attachments related list, edit it, select **Private**, and save your change.
- Salesforce Classic
    - Open a note in the Notes related list, click **Note Sharing Settings**, then **Sharing Settings**. Click **Make Private** and **Make Private** again.
    - Open a note in the Notes & Attachments related list, select **Private**, and save your change.
    - If you change a note that’s related to a record to a private note, the note is no longer related to the record. The owner of the note and users with View All Data Permissions can still see the note.