What Never To Paste
A quick guide to the kinds of text you should never drop into a public AI chatbot, with safer alternatives.
The never list
Some things should simply never go into a public AI tool. That includes passwords and login codes, full credit card or bank numbers, secret API keys, unreleased company plans, and another person's private records. Once that text leaves your device, you cannot pull it back.
Why it matters
Imagine pasting a block of company code that still has a live password inside it. That password is now on an outside server, and if it ever leaks, someone could log into your systems. The same goes for a spreadsheet of customer emails: one careless paste can turn into a privacy problem that is hard to undo.
Safer ways to get the same help
You can still get great help without exposing secrets. Remove or mask the sensitive parts first, then ask your question about the rest. For example, replace a real API key with the word KEY, or describe a problem in general terms instead of pasting the live file. When in doubt, ask your manager or IT team which tool is approved for that kind of work.
Key takeaways
- Never paste passwords, keys, full card numbers, or secret plans.
- One careless paste can leak data you cannot pull back.
- Mask the sensitive parts, or ask which tool is approved.
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