Password Protected Email
Password Protected Email lets you add an extra layer of protection when you share sensitive information over email. The email body and attachments can only be opened after the recipient enters a password that you share with them separately. You also choose how long the email stays accessible, and you can change or withdraw access even after the email has been sent.
What is Password Protected Email?
When you send a Password Protected Email:
The subject stays visible in the recipient’s inbox. It is not protected.
The email body and attachments are opened through Neo’s protected email portal.
Recipients need the password you share with them to unlock the email.
The email expires after the period you choose.
You can change the password or expiry, revoke access, or restore access after sending.
| alert-warning | Don’t put sensitive details in the subject line. The subject is sent as a normal email subject and is not protected. |
How it works
While composing an email, you turn on password protection and set:
| Setting | What to know |
| Email expiry | Required. The default is 30 days. You can choose anywhere from 1 to 60 days. |
| Password | Required. Must be at least 8 characters. |
| Password hint | Optional. Helps recipients recall or identify the password you shared separately. |
Once you send the email, each recipient gets a message saying you’ve sent a protected email, with an Unlock message button. Clicking it opens the protected email in a browser tab, where the recipient enters the password to see the body and attachments. Recipients don’t need a Neo account.
| alert-success | Availability: Password Protected Email is available on select Neo plans. If your plan doesn’t include it, you’ll still see the option in the composer, and selecting it shows the upgrade options. |
For senders
Send a Password Protected Email
Open the email composer and add your recipients, subject, message, and attachments.
Click the Password Protected Email option in the composer.
Set the Email expiry, enter a password, and add a password hint if you’d like.
Click Set email protection. A banner appears in the composer confirming that the email is protected and showing the expiry date.
Send the email as usual.
Share the password separately
Neo never sends the password to your recipients, and it isn’t included in the email. Share it yourself through another channel, such as a phone call, a message, or in person.
While setting up the email, you can show, hide, or copy the password to make sharing easier.
Add a password hint
A hint is optional. Recipients can view it on the password screen before they enter the password. Keep it useful but vague. Never include the password itself, or anything that makes it easy to guess.
Edit or remove protection before sending
Before you send, you can use the banner in the composer to:
Edit – change the expiry, password, or password hint.
Remove protection (X) – turn off protection for the draft. The email is then sent as a regular email.
Things to know when sending
Protection applies to the whole email. All recipients (To, CC, and BCC) use the same password and the same expiry, and it covers every attachment. You can’t set a different password or expiry for individual recipients.
Scheduled send and campaigns can’t be combined with Password Protected Email.
Drafts started on the web: If you create a protected draft on webmail, send it from webmail as well.
Old drafts: If you saved a draft with an expiry that’s now close to ending or no longer makes sense, Neo will prompt you to update the expiry when you send it. The expiry is counted from the time the email is actually sent.
Manage a Password Protected Email after sending
Open the email from your Sent folder. While the email is active, a protection banner appears with two options: Manage and Revoke access.
Click Manage to:
Change the expiry
Change the password
View or copy the current password
Edit the password hint
Changes apply immediately.
Change the password
When you save a new password, it becomes active straight away and the old password stops working. The link in the recipient’s email stays the same, so recipients don’t need a new email. You’ll need to share the new password with them yourself.
Someone who already has the email open may still be able to see content that has already been displayed or downloaded.
Change the expiry
You can change the expiry of an active email. The new date must be in the future and can’t be later than 60 days after the original send time.
Revoke access
You can revoke access at any time while the email is accessible.
Open the email from your Sent folder.
Click Revoke access.
Confirm when asked. Recipients will no longer be able to access this email.
Access is removed immediately. Recipients can no longer open the protected email or download its attachments, and the original notification stays in their inbox. If they open the link, they’ll see that access has been revoked.
| alert-warning | Please note: Revoking access can’t delete anything a recipient has already viewed, copied, screenshotted, or downloaded. |
Restore access
If access has expired or been revoked, you can restore it as long as the email is still within its 60-day maximum.
Open the email from your Sent folder.
Click Restore access.
Choose a new expiry date.
Confirm the changes.
Access becomes active again immediately. The existing password continues to work unless you change it. If the email has already reached the 60-day limit, Restore access isn’t available.
Expiry and the 60-day limit
A Password Protected Email expires automatically after the period you choose. The default is 30 days, and you can choose between 1 and 60 days.
No matter how many times you change the expiry or restore access, an email can stay accessible for a maximum of 60 days from the time it was originally sent.
| alert-success | Example: You send an email on Sep 1. The latest it can stay accessible is Oct 31, so you can’t extend or restore access beyond that date. |
Once an email expires:
Recipients can no longer open the body or attachments.
The original notification stays in their inbox, and the link shows that access has expired.
You’ll see the email marked as expired in your Sent folder.
You can restore access if the email is still within the 60-day limit.
Replies and forwards
Password protection applies only to the email you protect. It isn’t added automatically to replies or forwards, and replies that recipients send from their own email apps are regular emails.
If your reply or forward quotes content from a Password Protected Email, Neo lets you know before you send it so you can review who you’re sharing that content with. To keep the new email and its quoted content protected, turn on Password Protected Email for that message.
Unlock notifications
Neo notifies you the first time a recipient successfully unlocks your protected email. You’ll see the notification in your notification tray.
An unlock isn’t the same as a Read Receipt:
A Read Receipt shows that the email sent to the recipient was opened.
Unlocked shows that the correct password was entered and the protected content was accessed.
If you use Read Receipts, you may see both notifications, as they’re tracked separately.
For recipients
Open a Password Protected Email
You don’t need a Neo account to open a Password Protected Email. Ask the sender for the password if you haven’t received it. It isn’t included in the email.
Open the email and click Unlock message. The Neo protected email portal opens in a new browser tab.
Enter the password the sender shared with you.
Click Read Message.
Once the password is verified, you can read the email and open or download its attachments. The portal also works on mobile browsers.
Use the password hint
If the sender added a hint, you can view it on the password screen before you enter the password. If there’s no hint, you won’t see this option.
If the password doesn’t work
If you enter the wrong password, you’ll see an error message and can try again. Check for typos and extra spaces, and confirm the password with the sender. After repeated incorrect attempts, additional security limits may apply.
If the email has expired
You’ll see a message that the email has expired and its content can no longer be opened. Contact the sender if you still need access.
If access has been revoked
You’ll see a message that the sender has revoked access. Contact the sender if you still need access.
Using Password Protected Email on mobile
Sending: You can send a Password Protected Email from the Neo web app. In the mobile apps, you can identify protected emails in your Sent folder, but you can’t change the password, expiry, or hint, or restore access. Use webmail for these actions.
Drafts: If you created a protected draft on webmail, send it from webmail.
Receiving: Recipients can open the notification on their phone and tap Unlock message to open the mobile-friendly protected email portal in their browser.
Good to know
Forwarded notifications: Anyone who has the protected email link and the correct password can open the email. Neo can’t confirm that the person entering the password is the intended recipient, so share the password only with the people you want to have access.
Already viewed content: Changing the password, revoking access, or an email expiring can’t remove content that someone has already viewed, copied, or downloaded.
One password for everyone: Changing the password changes it for all recipients.
Frequently asked questions
Does Neo send the password to the recipient?
No. You need to share the password yourself, using a channel other than the email.
Is the subject line protected?
No. The subject remains visible in the recipient’s inbox.
Can I see my password after sending?
Yes. Open the email from your Sent folder and click Manage to view or copy it.
Can I protect only some attachments?
No. Protection covers the entire email, including the body and all attachments.
Can I use a different password for each recipient?
No. All recipients use the same password and expiry.
Can I extend access beyond 60 days?
No. The maximum is 60 days from the original send time.
Can a recipient without a Neo account open the email?
Yes. They only need the link in the email and the password.