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Author: mintlify[bot]

guides/hidden-pages.mdx

@@ -8,10 +8,18 @@ You can use hidden pages for content that is not strictly confidential, but isn'
 
 A page is hidden until you add it to a group, tab, or other navigation element in your `docs.json`.
 
+<Warning>
+**Hidden pages are publicly accessible!** While hidden pages don't appear in your site's navigation, they are still publicly accessible to anyone who has the direct URL. These pages are not password-protected or restricted in any way - they're simply not displayed in menus, sidebars, or other navigation elements. If you need true access control, use [Authentication](/settings/authentication-personalization/authentication) instead.
+</Warning>
+
 <Note>
 Some navigation elements like sidebars, dropdowns, and tabs may shift or appear empty on hidden pages.
 </Note>
 
+## SEO and Search Indexing
+
+Hidden pages can still be indexed by search engines and appear in search results unless you explicitly prevent this. By default, hidden pages may be excluded from indexing, but you can control this behavior:
+
 If you want hidden pages to be indexed for SEO purposes and for their contents to appear when people search within your docs, add the following setting to your `docs.json`:
 
 ```
@@ -22,6 +30,14 @@ If you want hidden pages to be indexed for SEO purposes and for their contents t
 
 If you want to exclude a specific hidden page's content from search engine and internal search results, add `noindex: true` to the frontmatter of the page.
 
+## When to Use Hidden Pages vs. Authentication
+
+Hidden pages are different from authenticated or private pages:
+
+- **Hidden pages**: Publicly accessible via direct URL, just not shown in navigation
+- **Authenticated pages**: Require login credentials to access
+- **Private pages**: Restricted to specific user groups
+
 If you have pages that you want only specific groups of your own users to have access to, you can use the selective groups access available through [Personalization](/settings/authentication-personalization/personalization#showing-hiding-pages).
 
-If you have pages that you want to maintain strict access control to, you can use [Authentication](/settings/authentication-personalization/authentication).
+If you have pages that you want to maintain strict access control to, you can use [Authentication](/settings/authentication-personalization/authentication).