Visibility, explained
Every Homespun app has one of three visibility settings, chosen by whoever deployed it. This page describes exactly what each one means today, not what it might mean later.
Private
Section titled “Private”Only the app’s owner, plus anyone the owner has specifically invited as a member, can open it at all. If you’re not on that list, you’ll see a plain “you’re not a member of this app” message instead of the app itself.
Anyone who has the URL can open the app. There’s no invite list to be gated by; the address itself is the access control. Link addresses are always generated by Homespun (an unguessable word combination plus a short suffix), never chosen by the owner, specifically so they aren’t guessable.
Public
Section titled “Public”The owner can pick the web address themselves instead of getting a generated one. As of today, opening a public app works the same as opening a link app: anyone with the address can open it, there just isn’t a searchable directory of public apps yet that would help a stranger find one without already having the address. Treat “public” today as “link, but with a memorable address I chose,” not as “listed somewhere for anyone to browse.”
What visibility doesn’t control
Section titled “What visibility doesn’t control”Visibility is only about who can open the app’s page at all. It’s separate from what someone can do once they’re in: whether they can add, edit, or delete specific data is controlled by the app’s manifest, not by visibility. See Manifest reference if you’re curious how that’s declared.
Today’s default
Section titled “Today’s default”If whoever deployed an app didn’t choose a visibility setting, it defaults to private visibility. This default has changed before and may change again; this page is the one place that states the current value, so check back here rather than assuming.