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Public vs. private channels

April 15, 2026

What the Is public toggle does and how it interacts with custom domains.


The Is public toggle on channel settings controls whether unauthenticated visitors can read the channel.

Public channels

  • Reachable at /en/c/<perma-name> and on any verified custom domain.
  • Articles marked searchable are indexed and surface in the public search box.
  • Feeds (RSS, sitemap) include the channel.

Private channels

  • Only org members with access can view content.
  • Custom domains on a private channel do not route — the middleware requires both verified DNS and public status.
  • Useful for drafts, staging, or internal wikis.

Per-article controls

Inside a public channel, individual articles can still be hidden from readers:

  • Publish window — the article is only visible between its publish-since and publish-until timestamps.
  • Is archived — hides the article from listings and search.
  • Is searchable — excludes it from the search index while keeping the direct permalink live.