How to know if someone read your secret note, and delete it before they do
Sent a secret link and not sure it arrived? Sent it to the wrong chat? Every GoneNote note comes with a private link that tells you if it was opened and lets you destroy it early.
Two links: one to send, one to keep
When you create a note, GoneNote gives you two links:
- The secret link (
/n/…) is the one you send. It opens the note once. - The private link (
/d/…) is only for you. It shows whether the note was read and lets you destroy it. It can’t open the note.
How to check if your note was read
1. Create the note
Write your note on gonenote.com and click Create secret link.
2. Open “Track or delete this note”
Under the share buttons, open Track or delete this note. It’s marked “Only for you”.
3. Save the private link
Click Copy private link and keep it somewhere only you can see, such as your own notes or a message to yourself. Don’t send it to the recipient.
4. Check the status
Open the private link any time. It says “Not opened yet” with the expiry date while the note is waiting, “Opened 1 of 3 times” if you allowed several views, or “This note no longer exists” once it has been read, destroyed or has expired.
Sent it to the wrong person? Destroy it
Open your private link and click Destroy now. From that moment, the secret link shows “This note is gone” to anyone who opens it. If it already says the note no longer exists and you didn’t destroy it, it was read or expired: change any password that was in it.
What “read” means
A note counts as read when someone opens the link and confirms they want to see it. Link previews in chat apps don’t count, because GoneNote asks before showing the note (unless you turn that off in Options), so a preview bot can’t accidentally burn it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I see who opened my note?
No. GoneNote doesn’t record who opens a note, only whether it was opened. That protects your recipient’s privacy too.
What if I lost the private link?
Then you can’t check or delete the note, because we don’t know which note is yours: there are no accounts. The note still self-destructs after it’s read or when it expires.
Can someone else use my private link to read the note?
No. The private link only shows the status and lets you destroy the note. It can’t reveal the content.
Does deleting the note remove it everywhere?
It deletes the encrypted note from our server, so the secret link stops working. If someone already read it, it’s already gone from the server anyway.