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Public and Private Projects

Learn the difference between public and private projects.

Updated this week

New Sharing Options on Projects

In September 2024, we began transitioning from the "Project Members" logic, where users could join any public project in Productive on their own.

This functionality is being replaced with new project-sharing options (Beta), that align more closely with the sharing mechanisms used for budgets, Docs, and dashboards.

As part of this update, the distinction between Private and Public projects will be phased out.


Key Changes:

1) New Sharing Options

The new project-sharing settings will allow for more controlled and customizable project access.

2) Removal of Public and Private Projects

The concept of Public and Private projects will be phased out.

  • Public Projects: Existing public projects will still be visible and accessible to all employees.

  • Private Projects: Existing private projects will remain shared only among the previously designated members.

Understanding Public and Private Projects

Although the Public vs. Private project structure is being phased out, some users may still see this division in their accounts during the transition period.

If you do not see the project-sharing icon in the upper-left corner of your project, it means your organization is still using the previous Public/Private project access system.

In this case, the information below still applies to you. Once the new sharing options are available to your account, you will be notified.

Productive currently supports two types of projects:

  • Public Projects: All team members can collaborate. These are ideal for projects that require broad team involvement.

  • Private Projects: Only invited team members can collaborate. These are suitable for sensitive projects where access needs to be restricted.

Converting Project Types

You can convert projects from Private to Public and vice versa. Here’s what to know:

  • Converting from Public to Private: Any new members must be manually added by the project manager.

  • Converting from Private to Public: All project data will be accessible to the entire team.Steps to Convert Project Type

Steps to Convert Project Type

  1. Open the project sidebar and select "Edit project".

  2. Set the project as public or private and select "Update project" to save the changes.

Important: Private Project Visibility

Private projects are visible to users with full project access in your organization, such as Coordinators (unrestricted), Managers (unrestricted), Profitability Managers (unrestricted), and Admins.

This means they can join these projects, as dictated by their permissions.


New Project-Sharing Options

The new project-sharing functionalities, paired with customized user permissions, will help control access more effectively and securely.

You’ll have the ability to manage who can see, edit, and collaborate on projects with more precision.

Looking Ahead

The transition to the new project-sharing system is currently underway and will be gradually rolled out to all users.


If you’re still using the Public/Private system, don’t worry—this article provides all the information you need to continue working as usual during the transition.

Once the new sharing options are available, you’ll be notified and can start using the updated system right away.

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