A wedding website feels personal, but it is a web page. Guests forward the link, screenshots travel, and a link posted in a group chat can reach people you never invited. That does not mean you should share nothing; it means deciding consciously what goes on the page and who can open it. This guide explains how public a wedding website really is, what to leave off, and when a password helps.
How public is a wedding website?
There are three separate questions, and they have different answers:
| Question | What decides it | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Can it appear in search results? | Whether the page asks search engines not to list it | Choose a platform or setting that keeps it out of search |
| Who can open it? | Anyone who has the link, unless there is a password | Share the link personally; add a password if needed |
| What do people see before opening it? | The link preview in messaging apps | Check the preview by sending the link to yourself |
Keeping a page out of search does not make it private. Google's own guidance on blocking search indexing explains that a "noindex" rule keeps a page out of Google's results, but the page stays reachable for anyone with the address, and that sensitive content should be protected with a password instead.
What to leave off
Some details are better shared in a personal message than on a page that anyone with the link can open:
- Your home address, or the address where gifts should be sent
- Exact dates you will be away, such as the honeymoon, next to anything that identifies your home
- Children's full names, schools or photos, unless everyone involved is comfortable
- Phone numbers and personal email addresses (a contact form or the reply form is enough)
- Private events not everyone is invited to, such as the rehearsal dinner
- Door codes, gate codes or parking permits for a private venue
- Guest names or reply lists, which only you should see
- Stories or photos you would not want your manager or a distant relative to read
A useful test: imagine the page forwarded to someone you have never met. If something on it would worry you, move it to a personal message.
Look at your photos the same way. A picture taken outside your home can show the house number, the street sign or your car's number plate, and a photo of the ring box on your kitchen table says more than you meant. Choose photos taken somewhere public, or crop the details out, and ask friends before you post photos of them.
What is fine to share
Most of a wedding website is safe and useful on its own:
- Your first names, the date and the city
- The venue, its public address and a map, since the venue is a public place
- The schedule, dress code and practical notes
- Hotels, travel tips and your registry link
- Your story and photos you are happy for any guest to see
Our checklist of what to put on your wedding website covers each section in more detail.
Link previews: what a forwarded link reveals
When you paste a link into WhatsApp, Messages or email, the app shows a small preview built from the page's share tags: usually a title, a picture and sometimes a line of text. Anyone who receives a forwarded link sees that preview before tapping.
Send your link to yourself first and look at what appears. If the preview shows the date and venue, everyone who sees the message knows them too. That is usually fine; if it is not, a password page with a minimal preview is the answer.
When a guest password is worth it
A password adds a small step for guests, so it is worth it only when it protects something. Consider one if:
- The venue is a private home or a place where uninvited visitors would be a problem
- Your guest list is small and you do not want the details circulating
- You are sharing travel plans, a private after-party or other sensitive details
- The wedding involves someone with a public profile
How to share a password well:
- Keep it simple and easy to type on a phone, such as your names and the year.
- Print it on the details card, not on the main invitation.
- Include it in the same personal message as the link.
- Do not change it after you have shared it, unless it has leaked.
Our guide on putting your website on the invitation has wording for printing the address and password on cards.
Who can edit your website?
Privacy is also about who can change the page. Keep your editing link or login to yourselves, and share it only with your partner or the person helping you. Never post an editing link in a group chat or a public comment.
After the wedding
A wedding website does not have to stay online for good. Before the site is taken down, download your replies and anything you want to keep. If you prefer, switch the page to a short thank-you message so guests who return see something warm rather than old logistics. Our guide on what to do with your wedding website after the wedding covers the options and what to save.
How privacy works on our wedding websites
Every couple website asks search engines not to list it, so guests reach yours through your link or QR code. You can add an optional guest password: guests then see a simple page with your names, "You're invited" and a password box, and the link preview shows the same, without the date or venue. Your editor opens with your Etsy order number and email or your private edit link; anyone who has those can edit your website, so share them only with your partner. Replies are visible only in your panel. Your website stays online until 12 months after your wedding date, can turn into a thank-you page after the day, and you can take it offline yourself at any time. Read our privacy notice and the features, or open the Olive & Ivory demo. To set up a site, start with how to make a wedding website on your phone.
FAQ
Can anyone find our wedding website on Google?
Only if the page allows search engines to list it. Many wedding platforms ask search engines not to, or let you choose. Keeping a page out of search does not make it private, though: anyone with the link can still open it, so leave sensitive details off or add a password.
Should our wedding website have a password?
Add one if the venue is private, the guest list is small, or you share sensitive details such as travel plans. For most weddings with a public venue and ordinary details, sharing the link personally and keeping private information off the page is enough.
Is it safe to put our venue address on the wedding website?
Usually yes. A wedding venue is a public place, and guests need the address and a map. Keep your own home address off the page, and do not combine the venue with details of when your home will be empty.
What should we do if our wedding website link is shared publicly?
Take out anything sensitive first, then add a guest password if your platform allows it and send the new password to your guests personally. Watch your replies for names you do not recognize, and contact the venue if uninvited visitors could be a problem.