> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dataerai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Restricted fields
> Protect sensitive columns within a dataset so they stay hidden unless a viewer is explicitly granted access.
Sometimes a dataset is safe to share broadly *except* for a few sensitive columns — personal identifiers, embargoed measurements, or anything that shouldn't travel with the rest of the data. Dataerai supports a **visibility policy per field** on a dataset, so individual columns can be withheld while the rest of the data is shared.
## Field visibility
Each field in a dataset has a visibility:
| Visibility | Who can see it |
| -------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Public** | Anyone who can read the dataset (the default). |
| **Restricted** | Only viewers who are explicitly granted access to restricted fields. |
| **Hidden** | Withheld from normal access entirely. |
A field policy is set on the **dataset**, so it survives re-uploads and new versions — governance stays in place as the data evolves.
## How restricted fields behave
When someone reads a dataset, restricted fields are filtered out of what they see unless they have been granted access to restricted fields. This filtering is enforced on the server, so it applies consistently everywhere the dataset's data is read — a restricted column doesn't leak through any view, export, or query.
Restricted fields stay protected even when a dataset is shared [publicly](/sharing/public). Public viewers see only the public fields.
## Setting and granting access
Field-level visibility is **enforced everywhere a dataset is read** — its filtering is always active. The controls for *configuring* a policy and for granting people clearance to restricted fields are not yet exposed in the web app, so today this is an administrator-assisted feature rather than self-service. If you need to lock down specific columns or grant a collaborator access to them, contact your organization administrator.
Access to restricted fields is a distinct read clearance, separate from ordinary [Read access](/sharing/permissions): granting someone Read on a dataset does not reveal its restricted fields unless they also hold that extra clearance.
## Next steps
Roles and how access cascades.
Where field policies apply.