Not everything needs to be public. Some documents are meant for a select audience—shared intentionally, not discovered through search. Scribd allows you to control visibility by setting a document as private or public.
How private documents work
Unlike public documents, a private document:
- Has a unique URL – Without this specific link, the document cannot be accessed.
- Is not indexed by search engines – It won’t appear in Google, Scribd search, or other search results.
- Does not appear on your Scribd profile – Even if someone visits your profile, they won’t see it.
- Cannot be embedded elsewhere – If shared, it can be viewed via the direct link, but the document embedding options are not available to readers.
- Is not downloadable through an embed – If you embed your own private document on another site, readers will not be able to download it from that destination—regardless of your document's download settings on Scribd.
Sharing private documents
A private document gives you full control over access. Only those with the full URL—including its unique identifier—can view it. Without this direct link, the document remains locked, accessible only to the account that uploaded it.
If you want to keep a document restricted while still sharing it selectively, set it to private before uploading. Your work stays exactly where you want it—out of search results, off your profile, and visible only to those who have the link.