How It Works

Send a secret that opens once, then vanishes

No accounts, no apps, no jargon. Here's the whole idea in plain language — you'll get it in under a minute.

1

You write your secret

Type a message or attach files — a password, a private note, a document. Before it ever leaves your device, your browser locks it in a sealed box that only a special key can open.

2

You get one link to share

shhnote hands you a single link and hides the key inside it, after the #. Send that link however you like — text, email, chat. The key travels with the link, never through this site's server, so nobody here can peek inside the box.

3

They open it — then it's gone

The recipient presses a button, their browser unlocks the box, and the secret is deleted from this site's server: right away for a one-time secret, or when the timer you chose runs out. Open a one-time link again and there's simply nothing there. No copies, no history, no trace.

Think of it like a note that burns after one reader. You seal it, hand it off, and once it's been read, it's gone. Even we — the people who run this site — can never read what's inside or bring it back.

Private

We can't read it

Your secret is scrambled on your device. We only ever store the sealed box — never the key.

Temporary

It doesn't stick around

One view, or a timer you choose. Whichever comes first, the secret is deleted for good.

Accountable

Anyone can check our work

shhnote is open source. Security experts can — and do — read exactly how it works.

Do I need an account?

No. There's nothing to sign up for and nothing to install. Open shhnote, write your secret, share the link. That's it.

What if the link is seen by the wrong person?

A one-time secret can only be read by the first person to open it — after that it's destroyed, and you'll know something read it because the intended recipient finds nothing. For extra safety you can add a passphrase and share it separately, so the link alone isn't enough. And if you change your mind, you can destroy the secret yourself with your private burn link.

Can shhnote read my secret?

No. The key that unlocks it never reaches us — it stays tucked inside your link, on your side. We only hold a scrambled version we have no way to open.

What happens if nobody opens it?

You pick an expiry — anywhere from 15 minutes to 14 days. When the timer runs out, the secret is deleted automatically, whether it was opened or not.

Want the real cryptography behind these promises? Read the detailed version → Or see all questions.

Send a secret that opens once, then vanishes

You write your secret

You get one link to share

They open it — then it's gone

Three promises, in one line each

We can't read it

It doesn't stick around

Anyone can check our work

The short answers

Try it — it takes ten seconds