How do I control status page visibility?

Every status page has a visibility setting that controls who can view it. You can change visibility at any time from the page settings without taking it offline.

The Three Visibility Modes

Public

Anyone who has the URL can view the page. No login, no key, no barrier.

This is the right choice for most customer-facing status pages. Customers expect to be able to check your status page without signing up for anything, especially during an outage when trust matters most.

Use public when: you want full transparency with customers, prospects, and the public.

Protected

Visitors must enter an access key before they can view the page. The access key is a short code you generate from the dashboard and distribute to authorized viewers.

The access key gate is shown before any page content loads. Visitors enter the key once per browser session and are not required to create an UpCanary account.

Use protected when: you want to share a status page with a specific group - beta users, enterprise customers, internal stakeholders - without making it fully public.

Private

Only signed-in members of your UpCanary team can view the page. Visitors who are not logged in see a “page not found” response rather than a login prompt (to avoid confirming the page exists).

Use private when: the status page is for internal operational awareness only and should never be accessible outside your team.

Access Key Management

When your page is set to Protected, you manage the access key from Status Page Settings > Access:

• Generate key - creates a new random access key. Do this when first setting up a protected page.
• Copy key - copies the current key to your clipboard so you can share it.
• Rotate key - generates a new key and immediately invalidates the old one. Any visitor using the old key will be prompted to enter the new one. Use this if the key has been shared too broadly or you suspect it has leaked.

There is no way to view who has entered a valid access key - the key is not tied to individual visitor identities.

Changing Visibility

To change a page’s visibility:

1. Open the status page from the Status Pages list.
2. Click Settings.
3. Under Visibility, select the new mode.
4. Click Save.

The change takes effect immediately. If you switch a public page to private, any visitor currently viewing it will see a “page not found” on their next page load or refresh.

Comparison

	Public	Protected	Private
Customers can access	Yes	With key	No
Requires UpCanary account	No	No	Yes (team member)
Access key needed	No	Yes	No
Good for	Customer-facing	Selective sharing	Internal only

Related Documentation

• Create a Status Page - Set visibility when creating your page
• Status Page Overview - How automated status pages work
• Customize & Brand - Theme your status page
• Custom Domains - Serve your page from your own domain