Public vs Private Status Pages
Status pages are about communication, but not all communication is meant for the same audience.
One of the most common questions teams face is whether their status page should be public, private, or somewhere in between.
The answer depends less on technology and more on trust, audience, and expectations.
What Is a Public Status Page?
A public status page is accessible to anyone without authentication.
Its purpose is to communicate service health transparently to:
- customers
- prospects
- partners
- support teams
- the general public
Public status pages typically include:
- current system status
- incident timelines
- maintenance announcements
- historical incidents
They are designed to answer questions before users open support tickets.
What Is a Private Status Page?
A private status page is restricted to a specific audience.
Access is usually limited via:
- login or SSO
- invite-only links
- IP allowlists
Private status pages are commonly used for:
- internal teams
- enterprise customers
- partners or resellers
They often contain more detailed or sensitive information.
Key Differences at a Glance
| Aspect | Public Status Page | Private Status Page |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | Anyone | Restricted |
| Audience | Customers, public | Internal teams, select users |
| Transparency | High | Controlled |
| Detail level | High-level | Detailed |
| SEO value | Yes | No |
| Support impact | Reduces tickets | Improves coordination |
When a Public Status Page Makes Sense
A public status page is the right choice when:
- customers depend on your service
- downtime affects revenue or workflows
- you want to reduce support load
- transparency builds trust in your market
For most SaaS products with external users, public is the default.
When a Private Status Page Is the Better Option
Private status pages make sense when:
- information is sensitive
- incidents involve customer-specific data
- access should be limited by contract
- updates are operational rather than customer-facing
This is common in regulated industries or internal platforms.
Common Fear: “Public Status Pages Make Us Look Unreliable”
This fear is widespread and mostly unfounded.
In practice:
- users expect outages
- transparency increases credibility
- silence damages trust more than incidents
A well-maintained public status page signals professionalism, not weakness.
Can You Use Both?
Yes. Many teams do.
A common setup:
- public status page for customer-facing communication
- private status page or dashboard for internal details
This balances transparency with operational safety.
How This Fits Small SaaS Teams
Small teams often assume private-only communication is simpler.
In reality, public status pages:
- scale better than inbox replies
- reduce repeated questions
- set expectations clearly
If users rely on your service, public communication usually wins.
Status Pages and Monitoring
Monitoring detects problems.
Status pages explain them.
Whether public or private, a status page works best when informed by reliable monitoring.
💡 If you want a deeper explanation, see:
Status Page vs Uptime Monitoring
Related:
Where StatusPage.me Fits
StatusPage.me supports both public and private status pages.
Teams can:
- run a public page for customers
- create private pages for internal or enterprise use
- control visibility per component or incident
Learn more:
StatusPage.me
See pricing:
Pricing
FAQ
Should a SaaS status page be public by default?
For most SaaS products with external users, yes. Public pages reduce support load and build trust.
Can I hide sensitive incidents on a public page?
Yes. Public pages should focus on user impact, not internal details.
Do private status pages help with compliance?
They can. Private pages allow controlled communication in regulated environments.
Will a public status page hurt SEO?
No. It can actually improve trust and brand perception.
