# Can categories be viewed by others who don't have the access authority?
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-categories-be-viewed-by-others-who-dont-have-the-access-authority/64169
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [June 8, 2017, 4:49pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-categories-be-viewed-by-others-who-dont-have-the-access-authority/64169 "2017-06-08T16:49:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@xiasummer](https://meta.discourse.org/u/xiasummer)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2017, 4:49pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-categories-be-viewed-by-others-who-dont-have-the-access-authority/64169/1 "2017-06-08T16:49:35Z")
I really like the discourse system. So I made a small discourse forum only for my own use. And it has only one user (Me) and forbiddens any viewing without an account. I write my personal notes there so I’m really don’t want others to read.
Also I have some hidden categories that only the moderator can view (That’s only me).
But when I see the basics about the discourse system, I found there are a few anonymous viewing and some unlogged in viewing. Is is right? Will my secrets be revealed?
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### Author:  [@hutchinsfairy](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hutchinsfairy)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2017, 6:20pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-categories-be-viewed-by-others-who-dont-have-the-access-authority/64169/2 "2017-06-08T18:20:25Z")
Put your browser into incognito mode (or equivalent) and you should be able to see what an anonymous user sees.
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2017, 7:18pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-categories-be-viewed-by-others-who-dont-have-the-access-authority/64169/3 "2017-06-08T19:18:13Z")
Did you require login and disable new account creation?
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### Author:  [@xiasummer](https://meta.discourse.org/u/xiasummer)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-categories-be-viewed-by-others-who-dont-have-the-access-authority/64169/4 "2017-06-10T14:54:47Z")
yes, I had. Only by invitation and requires login to read anything.
I tried not logging in, can only see the logo of the forum.
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2017, 4:36pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-categories-be-viewed-by-others-who-dont-have-the-access-authority/64169/5 "2017-06-10T16:36:43Z")
Isn’t that what you wanted?
Perhaps you want to make a normal user account. It will see only the categories that it has permission to read.
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### Author:  [@xiasummer](https://meta.discourse.org/u/xiasummer)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2017, 2:28am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-categories-be-viewed-by-others-who-dont-have-the-access-authority/64169/6 "2017-06-11T02:28:12Z")
Hi, yes that is what I wanted. I don’t want any one read my own discourse as a notebook of mine.
But Why I see
The anonymous view is
I’m wondering why there is anonymous viewers?
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### Author:  [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2017, 3:17am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-categories-be-viewed-by-others-who-dont-have-the-access-authority/64169/7 "2017-06-11T03:17:25Z")
When someone hits your Login page (yourself probably) it counts as one anon pageview.
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### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2024, 12:44pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-categories-be-viewed-by-others-who-dont-have-the-access-authority/64169/8 "2024-06-08T12:44:43Z")
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