Private and Password-Protected Pages

Not every page should be public. ContextOwl controls access per article: keep a page members-only, or lock it behind a password for anonymous readers.

Set visibility

Every article has one of three visibility tiers. Set it in the composer's ACCESS control, or in the ACCESS panel on the article's docs page:

• PUBLIC: anyone can read it when the workspace is public.
• INTERNAL: members only. Signed-out visitors get a "sign in to view" prompt.
• PRIVATE: hidden from anyone who is not a member.

A page is only publicly readable when both its workspace is public and the article is public. Internal and private articles are excluded from public docs, search, the sitemap, and machine-readable exports; signed-in members with read access still see them.

Agents can set the same tier through update_article with visibility set to public, internal, or private. REST and cowl articles update --visibility use the same access control.

Move pages between sections

A sidebar section can be public, internal, or private too. A reader needs access to the workspace, the section, and the page, so the strictest setting wins.

A move never opens a page to more readers. When a published page leaves an internal or private section for a more open place, it keeps that access as its own visibility. The rule also covers a deleted section, a workspace import, and an OpenAPI or import sync.

A draft or a page in review keeps its own visibility when it moves. Only members read these pages, and members read every section.

The private IMPORTED section is the exception to the rule. An import puts its pages there until you move them to their sections, so the section holds pages and is not an access boundary. A page that leaves IMPORTED takes the access of its new section. You can publish an imported page before or after the move. In a public section, it then opens to readers with no change to its visibility.

A published page that you move into IMPORTED from an internal or private section keeps that access. A later move out of IMPORTED does not open it.

When a move keeps the access of a page, the sidebar editor shows a notice. It names the page and the section that the page left, or it gives the number of pages. The audit log records the change. To open a page, change its visibility in ACCESS.

Agents get the same rule. place_article and the REST placement call return visibility and visibilityChanged. visibility is the access after the move, and visibilityChanged is true when the page kept the access of its old section. To open the page, call update_article with visibility.

Add a password

1. In the ACCESS panel, type a password in Set password.
2. Select SET.

The article now shows a lock on its Visibility row. Passwords are stored hashed, so ContextOwl never keeps the plaintext. Select CLEAR to remove the password.

What readers see

• Members (viewer and up) read locked pages without entering a password.
• Anonymous readers get a Password required prompt and select UNLOCK. The unlock lasts for that browser session.

Plan

Internal, private, and password-protected pages are a paid feature. If those options are disabled, upgrade your plan from Admin > Plan.