Privacy — What Not to Share
Simple rules for keeping sensitive information out of your Claude conversations
A quick but important lesson
Claude is a helpful tool, but a conversation with it isn’t the same as a private chat with a trusted coworker. This lesson covers simple, practical rules for what to keep out of your conversations, so you can use Claude confidently without creating risk.
The basic rule of thumb
Key idea: Before pasting something into Claude, ask yourself: “Would I be comfortable if this text were visible outside my company?” If the answer is no, leave it out or replace it with placeholder details first.
Things to never type or paste in
- Passwords, PINs, or login credentials — of any kind, for any system.
- Full social security numbers, bank account or card numbers.
- Other people’s private medical or health information.
- Confidential client data your company has promised to protect (contracts under NDA, private client financials, unreleased deals).
- Anything your company’s IT or compliance team has specifically told you not to share with outside tools.
A useful trick: use placeholders
Often you can still get Claude’s help by swapping out the sensitive part with a stand-in. Instead of pasting a real client’s financial details, write “Client X has a budget of $50,000” and let Claude help with the wording or structure — the sensitive real numbers stay out of the conversation entirely.
| Instead of pasting | Try |
|---|---|
| A real client’s full name and account number | “Client A, account ending in 1234” |
| An employee’s home address and phone number | “An employee’s contact details” (just describe the situation) |
| A real password you’re troubleshooting | Never paste a real password — describe the problem instead |
What’s usually fine to share
Most everyday office writing is perfectly fine to work on with Claude: a general email draft, a public-facing announcement, a summary of a meeting with no sensitive figures, a to-do list, a policy explanation. The goal isn’t to be afraid of Claude — it’s to apply the same judgment you’d already use before pasting something into any external website or email to a stranger.
Watch out: If you’re ever unsure whether something is sensitive, treat it as sensitive. Check with your manager or IT team if your company has specific guidelines — many workplaces do, and they may already be covered in this platform’s other courses or your company handbook.
A simple habit to build
Before you paste a large block of text — a document, an email thread, a spreadsheet of names — take three seconds to scan it for anything that shouldn’t leave the building. This one habit prevents almost every privacy mistake before it happens.
Try it: Look at the last document you might have pasted into any online tool. Would you have needed to remove or replace anything sensitive first? Make a mental note for next time.