How to password-protect a presentation link
The client types one password in the browser and the deck plays. That is the whole experience on their side. On yours there are two different things people mean by 'password-protect a presentation', and they solve different problems.
Password on the file vs password on the link
A password on the file locks the .key document. Whoever receives the file needs Keynote and the password to open it, and once they have both, they have the file: they can copy it, edit it and forward it.
A password on the link sits in front of a hosted deck. The viewer opens a URL in any browser, enters the password, and watches the presentation play. No file leaves your Mac and there is nothing to forward except a link that still asks for the password.
Keynote's built-in password
In Keynote for Mac, choose File → Set Password. Apple lets you add a hint and, on a Mac with Touch ID, open the deck with your fingerprint. Two things to know before you rely on it: Apple states that a forgotten password cannot be recovered, and the password protects the .key file only. An HTML or movie export is a new file without it (the PDF export dialog offers its own password option).
Adding a password to a Linkdeck link
Password protection is part of Pro. Export the deck to HTML, zip the folder, upload it, then open the deck's settings in your dashboard and set a password. The link does not change. Anyone opening it sees a password prompt before the first slide loads; after a correct entry the deck stays accessible in that tab for two hours, then asks again.
Wrong guesses are rate-limited, and the password is stored as a hash on our side. You can change or remove it at any time from the same settings panel.
Sending the password separately
- Put the link in the email and the password in a text message, or say it on the call.
- Use a phrase the client will recognise, not 'password123'. They will type it on a phone.
- Change the password after the pitch if the deck goes to a second audience.
- Do not paste link and password into the same Slack message; the whole point is that they travel apart.
Email gate as the softer alternative
If you want to know who opened the deck rather than stop strangers, turn on the email gate instead. The viewer enters an email address once and the deck plays; you get the address, when they first opened it, and how many times they came back. It is less friction than a password and gives you a name for the follow-up. Both can be on at the same time.
Questions
Can I recover a Keynote file password?
No. Apple's guide says there is no way to recover a forgotten presentation password. Keep it in your password manager before you share the file.
How long does the password entry last?
Two hours, in the browser tab where it was entered. Closing the tab or opening the link in another browser means entering it again. Changing the password stops new viewers immediately; someone who already entered the old one can keep watching until their two hours run out.
Does the password stop downloads?
Viewers never download the source .key either way: a Linkdeck link plays the export in the browser. A determined viewer can still screenshot or record the screen, as with any presentation you show.
Upload, set a password, send the link
Password and email gate are on Pro, €12 a month. The first deck is free to try.