Monday.com: Private vs. Shareable vs. Main Boards – What’s the Difference? - Solution for Guru

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Monday.com: Private vs. Shareable vs. Main Boards – What’s the Difference?

Overview

Monday.com offers three board types—Main, Shareable, and Private—each designed to support different levels of visibility, collaboration, and security. Understanding how these board types work is essential for organizing your workspace efficiently and securely.

This guide breaks down the key differences and helps you choose the right board type for your needs.


🔳 What Is a Board in monday.com?

A board in monday.com is a customizable workspace where you manage tasks, projects, or data. You can track statuses, assign people, and automate workflows.

There are three board types:

Board TypeWho Can AccessBest For
MainAll team members in the accountInternal team collaboration
ShareableInternal users & external guestsWorking with clients, vendors, freelancers
PrivateOnly invited membersConfidential or sensitive projects

📘 Main Boards

✅ Default for team-wide collaboration

Who can access it?

  • All members and admins in your workspace

Use cases:

  • Internal task tracking
  • Company-wide projects
  • Department roadmaps

Key features:

  • Automatically visible to all team members
  • Easy to collaborate across teams
  • Supports automations, integrations, dashboards

⚠️ Guests and external users cannot access Main Boards.

🌐 Shareable Boards

✅ Designed for collaboration with external users

Who can access it?

  • Internal team members and external guests

Use cases:

  • Client project tracking
  • Freelancer task lists
  • Vendor coordination

Key features:

  • Invite people outside your organization (e.g., via Gmail or other domains)
  • Guests can only see the shareable board they’re invited to
  • Same board functionality as Main Boards

🔐 Ideal for keeping external collaboration separate from internal data.

🔒 Private Boards

✅ For confidential projects or personal work

Who can access it?

  • Only people explicitly invited to the board

Use cases:

  • HR or legal workflows
  • Leadership planning
  • Personal project drafts
  • High-level strategic boards

Key features:

  • Hidden from everyone else by default
  • Can be made visible to others later
  • Supports full feature set including automations and integrations

🧠 Great for sensitive or limited-access content.


🧩 Quick Comparison Table

FeatureMainShareablePrivate
Visible to all team members
Invite external guests
Controlled user access
Ideal for sensitive data⚠️*
Supports automations/integrations
Can be used in dashboards
External collaboration

⚠️ Shareable boards can include limited sensitive data, but with strict permissions and guest controls.

🎯 When to Use Each Board Type

ScenarioRecommended Board Type
Planning an internal team sprintMain Board
Collaborating with a freelancerShareable Board
Tracking personal goalsPrivate Board
Sharing updates with a clientShareable Board
Creating a leadership-only roadmapPrivate Board

🚨 You must be the board owner to change its type.

📚 FAQs

Can I turn a Private board into a Shareable one?
Yes, as long as you’re the board owner. Just change the board type in settings.

Do Shareable boards cost more because of guest access?
No. monday.com allows up to 4 guests per paid seat.

Can guests access dashboards?
Only if the dashboard includes only Shareable boards that the guest has access to.

What happens if I remove someone from a Private board?
They lose all access immediately. Their updates remain visible.