# How do visitors see the user directory when hide\_user\_profiles\_from\_public is enabled?

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-visitors-see-the-user-directory-when-hide-user-profiles-from-public-is-enabled/397252
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [February 27, 2026, 11:30am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-visitors-see-the-user-directory-when-hide-user-profiles-from-public-is-enabled/397252 "2026-02-27T11:30:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Moin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/moin/32/554653_2.png) [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [February 27, 2026, 11:30am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-visitors-see-the-user-directory-when-hide-user-profiles-from-public-is-enabled/397252/1 "2026-02-27T11:30:50Z")

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I saw that the description of `hide_user_profiles_from_public` was changed in [UX: Correct setting description by jjaffeux · Pull Request #38110 · discourse/discourse · GitHub](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/pull/38110)

It used to be:

> Disable user cards, user profiles, and the user directory for anonymous users.

Now it’s:

> Disable user cards and user profiles for anonymous users. Aggregated stats will still be available in the user directory.

I am curious how visitors can see the user directory while the setting is enabled. I enabled it on my forum, logged out, and tried to visit `my-forum.discourse.group/u`, but I couldn’t see the user directory and was redirected to the home page.

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### Author: ![j.jaffeux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/j.jaffeux/32/60297_2.png) [@j.jaffeux](https://meta.discourse.org/u/j.jaffeux)
#### Post date: [February 27, 2026, 11:56am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-visitors-see-the-user-directory-when-hide-user-profiles-from-public-is-enabled/397252/2 "2026-02-27T11:56:49Z")

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It’s a mix situation, it’s visible through the API, we don’t have a simple solution without potentially breaking other expectations. For now we preferred to clarify that it’s not an air tight protection.

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### Author: ![system](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/system/32/443519_2.png) [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2026, 11:57am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-visitors-see-the-user-directory-when-hide-user-profiles-from-public-is-enabled/397252/3 "2026-03-29T11:57:19Z")

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