Overview

Controlling access to sensitive data in monday.com is essential for maintaining privacy, compliance, and security—especially when working with HR records, financial data, client information, or confidential projects. This article covers the tools and best practices available to help you manage data visibility and permissions effectively.

---

? Key Tools for Controlling Data Access

Feature	What It Does
Board Types (Main, Shareable, Private)	Control who can view the board
Board Permissions	Define what users can do on a board
Column Permissions	Lock or hide specific columns
Item Permissions (Pro & Enterprise)	Limit who can see or edit individual items
User Roles & Admin Settings	Assign access levels across your workspace
Guest Access Controls	Manage what external users can see

?️ Choose the Right Board Type

Board Type	Visibility	Best Use Case
Private	Only invited users	Confidential/internal data
Shareable	Internal team + approved guests	Client collaboration
Main	All team members	General project/task tracking

? Use Private boards for sensitive information such as salary data, legal matters, or leadership strategy.

? Set Board Permissions

Control how users interact with boards:

1. Open the board
2. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) > Board Permissions
3. Choose:
   • Edit everything
   • Edit content only
   • View only
   • Custom permissions (Pro/Enterprise)

✅ Use View only or Custom permissions for viewers who shouldn’t make changes.

? Lock Sensitive Columns

Keep certain information (e.g., salary, internal notes, budgets) protected from unauthorized edits or views.

How to Lock a Column:

1. Click the column dropdown
2. Select Column Permissions
3. Choose who can edit or view the column

? Only board owners and selected users will see or modify locked columns.

? Use Item Permissions (Pro & Enterprise Plans)

Item permissions let you control visibility at the individual task or row level.

How to Set Item Permissions:

1. Open a board
2. Click Board Settings > Permissions
3. Toggle on Restrict item view/edit to assigned users

? Great for use cases like:

• Employees seeing only their own requests
• Clients viewing only their assigned tasks
• Restricting HR data by role

? Manage User Roles and Access

Assign appropriate access levels to control workspace-wide visibility:

Role	Permissions
Admin	Full access to everything
Member	Access to assigned boards and features
Viewer	Read-only access
Guest	Limited access to shareable boards only

How to Set Roles:

1. Click your avatar > Admin
2. Go to Users
3. Change user type under the User Type column

? Limit the number of Admins for security.

? Secure Guest Access

Guests are external users and can only access Shareable boards they’re invited to.

Best Practices:

• Only add guests to boards they need
• Lock columns to prevent changes
• Use item/column permissions as extra controls

? Guests cannot see Main or Private boards.

---

? Enterprise Security Features

If you’re on an Enterprise plan, you can implement additional controls:

• SCIM/SSO integration for identity management
• Audit logs to monitor data access
• Security policies (e.g., 2FA enforcement, session timeouts)

Ask your IT team to enable these from the Admin > Security section.

✅ Best Practices for Data Access Control

Practice	Why It Matters
Use Private boards for sensitive content	Prevents accidental exposure
Limit board access to necessary users only	Reduces data leakage risk
Regularly audit user roles and board permissions	Keeps access aligned with responsibilities
Educate users on permission usage	Encourages secure collaboration
Use dashboards for selective data visibility	Present summaries without exposing raw data

? FAQs

Can I prevent certain users from seeing specific columns?
Yes, with Column Permissions (Pro/Enterprise).

How do I stop someone from editing a board?
Use Board Permissions to make the board “View Only” or customize access.

Can guests see Private boards?
No. Guests can only access Shareable boards they’re invited to.

Is there a way to log who accessed sensitive data?
Yes, on Enterprise plans, use Audit Logs via the Admin panel.