Are personal boards completely private?
Asked by jsmeltser:

Just started using Trello with the team I work with and want to create personal boards for projects outside of work. I know personal boards are private but are they completely private? For example, I've been an admin in the past with other team productivity tools and the admin had access to all data for each member whether the data was collaborative or private to the individual.

Here's my question, is data on my personal boards available to an admin or any other higher-level user on my team?


Answers:
author: Soumyadeep Mandal
body: Hi [@jsmeltser](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4012483) \& [@Alex](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4012571) ,

Welcome to the community!

Basically, When you create a board you have to choose the private board option for that and choose team to no team! It will create the board completely private and will store it at your account!

If you choose any team while creating a board and also choose private/personal board option the team admin will able to see only the board name and info but no one can access the board from inside.

For more information: <https://help.trello.com/article/1177-personal-vs-team-boards>

comments: author: Michael Pryor
body: "I've been an admin in the past with other team productivity tools and the admin had access to all data for each member whether the data was collaborative or private to the individual. "

That's mostly how it works with Trello as well. If your boards are in the team, then the team admins have access to it when your team is paid. If the team is free however, the admins do not have access to the board (if it is set to private).

Team admins do not have access to the boards that are not in the team though - so if you put your boards into a different team (or no team, which is weirdly, like a team) then they cannot see it.

If you are part of a paid enterprise, then the enterprise admins have access to all boards (no matter where they are).


author: jsmeltser
body: Thank you for the detailed response [@Michael Pryor](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/1131556) !

We are on the free tier. To clarify, as long as my boards are personal (no other members) and set to private - admins cannot see info in those boards on the free and business class tiers. BUT if we were to be on the enterprise tier, all information would be accessible.

Does that adequately summarize your response?


author: Michael Pryor
body: If your board is in Business Class team, then those Business Class team admins can see your board (regardless of the settings).

If your board is in a free team, or no team, then no one can see your board if it is set to Private (unless you add them to the board).

If your account is owned by an Enterprise, then the Enterprise admins can see your data (regardless of settings).


author: jsmeltser
body: Awesome, crystal clear now. Thank you again [@Michael Pryor](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/1131556) and [@Soumyadeep Mandal](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3861721)


author: Bart Kollau
body: I just want personal boards. How do I do that? Can I trust Trello? Because my board is automatically put in a Trello team board...... who has access to this???


author: Michael Pryor
body: Make a team called Personal. Put your board in that team. Don't add anyone to the team. Done.


author: Bart Kollau
body: But when I create a board it is automatically put in a team which I did not choose. After, I can not change to another team

is this new? It was never like this?

Also, a created another new board which automatically is put in a team from. Former company I worked for. Now, I can not get it out of this team. And I really do not know who sees my data now


author: Bart Kollau
body: When I create a new board Trello seems to choose the team and I can not choose or change it anymore. What happened?


author: Michael Pryor
body: It just auto created a team for you.   

All boards will eventually be in a workspace (currently called Team). Yes that's new.   

If the board is set it Private then only the people on the board and any team admins can see the board.   

If the visibility is set to Team Visible then anyone on the team can see it.   

If you created the team, then no one else would be on it so only you can see it.   

If you are the admin of the board in your old company's team and your old company wasn't a Trello Enterprise customer you can just move/change the team. I think there may be a bug with this at the moment though - we are investigating.


author: Bart Kollau
body: Hi Michael, the thing is: I can not see if I am the admin if the this team. So resume: I created a board. Trello puts is in a team. I know there are people in that tem./ However, I can not see the people in the team. I can not see if I am admin or not, I can not remove this board to another team, because Trello does not let me create a new term. To be honest, it is quite a mess now. Can I trust it?


author: Bart Kollau
body: Also, How can I remove myself from that team? There is now way at all to remove myself from a team...... and I know there are people in that team.....


author: Bart Kollau
body: Hi, I just did another test. I created another board. No option at all to create a new team. All new boards are put in that specific team from my old company. I can not delete a board anymore also


author: Bart Kollau
body: Is it possible to set up a time slot so I can share scree with you? Otherwise I really do not know what to do, it seems like full of bugs


author: Michael Pryor
body: If you go to <https://trello.com> on the Left Hand Side of the page, it will list your teams under heading called Teams. If you select the drop down arrow, you can select Members for any team to see the Members of the team.

Does your company possibly have a Trello Enterprise account?

Also, you could use loom.com to record a screenshare to show what you are having trouble with... just don't post it here if it has any account specific stuff you wouldn't want the public to see... send the link to us via email using the Help contact link <https://trello.com/contact>


author: Alex
body: Great question