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Channel permissions
{!channels-intro.md!}
{!channel-privacy-types.md!}
Configure channel permissions
You can configure the following permissions for each channel, regardless of its type.
Subscription permissions:
- Who can administer the channel
- Who can subscribe themselves
- Who can subscribe anyone
- Who can unsubscribe anyone
Messaging permissions:
Moderation permissions:
For the organization as a whole, you can:
Any permission, including whether a channel is private, public, or web-public, can be modified after the channel is created.
Private channels
Private channels (indicated by ) are for conversations that should be visible to users who are specifically granted access. There are two types of private channels in Zulip:
- In private channels with shared history, new subscribers can access the channel's full message history. For example, a newly added team member can get ramped up on a secret project by seeing prior discussions.
- In private channels with protected history, new subscribers can only see messages sent after they join. For example, a new manager would not be able to see past discussions regarding their own hiring process or performance management.
{!channel-admin-permissions.md!}
Administrators can export messages in private channels only if granted permission to do so by a subscriber.
Users who do not have special permissions (they are not organization administrators, and have not been granted access to channel metadata) cannot easily see which private channels exist. They can find out that a channel exists only by attempting to create a channel with the same name, if they have permission to create channels. They can't get any other information about private channels they are not subscribed to.
!!! warn ""
If you create a [bot](/help/bots-overview) that is allowed to read messages
in a private channel (e.g., a **generic bot**, *not* an **incoming webhook bot**,
which is more limited), an administrator can in theory gain access to messages
in the channel by making themselves the bot's owner.
Public channels
Public channels (indicated by ) are open to all members of your organization other than guests. Anyone who is not a guest can:
- See information about the channel, including its name, description, permission settings, and subscribers.
- Subscribe or unsubscribe themselves to the channel.
- See all messages and topics, whether or not they are subscribed.
You can configure other permissions for public channels, such as who is allowed to post.
Guest users can't see public (or private) channels, unless they have been specifically subscribed to the channel.
Web-public channels
{!web-public-channels-intro.md!}
Web-public channels are indicated with a globe () icon.