Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting Guide

Diagnose and fix common Privnote issues with this step-by-step guide.

Issue: "Note not found" or "This note has been destroyed"

This message appears when the note has already been read and destroyed, or when it has expired.

Cause 1: You accidentally clicked the link yourself before sending it. The note was destroyed when you opened it.
Cause 2: The recipient already opened the note. Check your notification email to confirm.
Cause 3: The note expired before being read. If you set a time limit, it may have passed.
Cause 4: Someone intercepted the link and read it before the intended recipient. If unexpected, treat the information as compromised.
Solution: Create a new note and resend. Be careful not to click the new link yourself.

Issue: Notification email not received

If you enabled notifications but did not receive an email when the note was read:

Check your spam or junk mail folder — notification emails are sometimes filtered.
Verify you entered the correct email address when creating the note.
Notifications may be delayed by several minutes during high-traffic periods.
Some email providers aggressively filter automated emails. Try a different email provider.

Issue: Recipient cannot open the link

If the recipient reports the link does not work or shows an error:

Ensure the complete URL was copied, including the # fragment after the note ID. Some messaging apps truncate long URLs.
Try sending the link via email instead of a messaging app to preserve the full URL.
Ask the recipient to try a different browser or disable browser extensions that may interfere.

Issue: Password prompt not appearing

If the note opens without asking for a password:

The note was likely created without a password. Passwords must be set before clicking "Create note" — they cannot be added afterward.
Create a new note and ensure you click "Show options" and enter a password before creating it.

Issue: Note content appears garbled or incorrect

If the note content appears corrupted or different from what was written:

Critical: This may indicate you are using a phishing clone site. Verify the domain is exactly privnote.com.
Documented clone sites like privnotes.com modify note content (e.g., replacing cryptocurrency addresses) before delivery.
If content was modified, treat all information shared as potentially compromised and change any credentials immediately.