Privacy settings in Sway

How does privacy work in Sway?

When you create a Sway, it becomes a private web page. It is not posted anywhere and can't be indexed. This means you won't be able to find it by searching on a search engine (such as bing.com or google.com) or your company site. 

When you share your Sway, you can set the permissions for who can view your Sway. Even if someone has a link to the Sway, he or she must meet specific requirements to be allowed to view the content in it. Learn more about who can see your Sway.

What do the different permissions settings mean?

• Specific people: The author has specified that only specific people can view the Sway. Only the people permitted will be able to access it.

• Those in your organization: The Sway can only be accessed by people in the author's organization or school.

• Anyone with a link: Anyone who has the link will be able to access the Sway.

  Note: By default, if you create a Sway while logged into your school or work account, it can be viewed by anyone in your organization with the link. If you create a Sway while logged into your Microsoft account, by default it will be accessible by anyone with the link. Users can change the default setting at any time by choosing a different permissions option.

If I send a link to my Sway to someone who hasn't signed in, what will he or she see?

• If the Sway’s permissions are scoped to specific people or people in your organization:

  • The recipient of the link will not be able to view your Sway without logging in; instead, he or she will be prompted to log in to see the content. 

• If the Sway’s permissions are set to anyone with a link: 

  • The recipient will open the link and be able to view your Sway right away. He or she will not be required to sign in to see the content.

Learn more about who can see your Sway.

How can I share my Sway with only specific people? 

There is a setting in the Share menu that allows you to share your Sway with only specific people. Learn more about how to share your Sway.

How can I add a password to my Sway?

While you can add a password to your Sway, we recommend you use the options of sharing your Sway with Specific people or Those in your organization with a link. These options will require viewers to sign in, and this is the ideal method of securing content.

If I share my Sway, can viewers of my Sway share it with other people?

• If you share your Sway with Specific people, they will not be able to share it with anyone.

• If you share your Sway with Those in your organization with a link, they will be able to share your Sway, but only with people within your organization.

• If you share your Sway with Anyone with a link, they will be able to share your Sway with anyone.

Learn more about sharing your Sway and permission levels.

How can I change who has access to my Sway?

To change who has access to a Sway you've already shared, click Share > More options > Reset the Share settings. We’ll permanently change your Sway's web address to a new one so you can re-share it with whomever you want.

How do I delete my Sway?

1. Go to Sway.office.com/my to see the list of Sways you've created under the My Sways section of the page.

   Note: If you are currently editing a Sway, click on the Sway button in the upper left corner to navigate to Sway.office.com/my.

2. On the Sway you'd like to delete, click Discover more available Sway options . 

3. Click Move this Sway to the Recycle Bin (trash can).

4. Click Yes, delete it.

How do I restore my deleted Sway?

1. Go to Sway.office.com/my.

   Note: If you are currently editing a Sway, click on the Sway button in the upper left corner to navigate to Sway.office.com/my.

2. On your My Sways page, click the Deleted tab.

3. On the Sway you want to restore, click the check box in the upper right corner. 

4. Click Restore.

See Also

Frequently Asked Questions about Sway