A confidentiality agreement, also called a non-disclosure agreement or NDA, is a contract in which one or both parties promise not to share private information they receive. Businesses sign them before discussing a deal, employers ask new hires and volunteers to sign one, and buyers sign them before seeing a company’s financial records. Enforceability depends on local law, so have a lawyer check NDAs that protect valuable information.
Below are 36+ confidentiality agreement templates for different relationships. A mutual NDA suits two companies sharing information both ways, while a unilateral version protects only the side disclosing. There’s also an employee confidentiality agreement, plus volunteer, agency and buyer versions, a data confidentiality agreement and a detailed template for complex deals.
Choose mutual or one-way based on who is actually disclosing. A mutual NDA can slow talks down when only one side has anything to protect.
Confidentiality agreements are often signed before other deals. You can also check out our patent agreement templates for inventions, deal memo templates for early terms, and employment contract templates that include confidentiality clauses.
Effective Confidentiality Agreement Templates
Agency’s Confidentiality Agreement Template
Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement Template
Mutual Confidentiality Agreement Template
Buyer’s Confidentiality Agreement Template
Detailed Confidentiality Agreement Template
Data Confidentiality Agreement Template
Employee Confidentiality Agreement Template
Unilateral Confidentiality Agreement Template
Staff’s Confidentiality Agreement Template
Information Confidentiality Agreement Template
Assistant’s Confidentiality Agreement Template
Important Confidentiality Agreement Template
Patient’s Confidentiality Agreement Template
Basic Components of a Confidentiality Agreement Template
Some basic components of a confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement are as follows:
1. Parties to the Agreement:
The parties to a confidentiality agreement must be properly identified. The party that provides confidential information is called the disclosing party, and the party that receives it is called the recipient.
2. Details of the Confidential Information:
The agreement must describe in detail the information that is to be kept confidential. Both parties must agree on the details provided, or to be provided, in the confidentiality agreement.
3. Terms & Conditions:
When entering into the agreement, the parties must be aware of all its terms and conditions, for example how long the information must be kept secret.
4. Effects of disclosing the information:
The agreement must clearly explain the consequences of disclosing the confidential information, so that the parties are fully aware of them. The parties must know what action can be taken against them if they fail to keep the information secret.
5. Non-Confidential Information:
A non-disclosure agreement should also describe the information that is not confidential or is already known to the public or the recipient. Given the importance of the confidential information, these details must be very accurate.
6. Other Information:
Any other relevant information or provisions related to confidentiality must also be stated in a non-disclosure agreement.
Best Confidentiality Agreement Templates
Medical Center’s Confidentiality Agreement Template
State Department’s Confidentiality Agreement Template
Company’s Confidentiality Agreement Template
Contractor’s Confidentiality Agreement Template
Proprietary Acknowledgement Confidentiality Agreement Template
Board of Directors Confidentiality Agreement Template
Code of Ethics Confidentiality Agreement Template
Business Buyer’s Confidentiality Agreement Template
Confidentiality Agreement Template
Confidentiality Agreement Template
Consultant’s Confidentiality Agreement Template
University’s Confidentiality Agreement Template
HR Department’s Confidentiality Agreement Template
Different Types of a Confidentiality Agreement
There are two basic types of confidentiality agreement: unilateral and bilateral. These types are further classified as well. All of them are explained below.
Unilateral Confidentiality Agreement:
In this type of confidentiality agreement, one party promises to keep the other party’s information confidential. It is also known as a one-way confidentiality agreement and is the most basic type. Employers mostly use it when hiring employees.
Bilateral Confidentiality Agreement:
In a bilateral confidentiality agreement, both parties promise to keep each other’s information confidential. This type is mostly used when two businesses work together and need to keep each other’s information and data secret. It is also known as a mutual confidentiality agreement.
Further classifications of confidentiality agreements are listed below:
Basic Confidential Agreement:
This type of confidential agreement is very flexible and it can easily be used for almost every situation.
Employee Confidentiality Agreement:
This type of confidentiality agreement is mostly used to stop employees from disclosing important company information during their employment and after it ends.
Interview Confidential Agreement:
This type of agreement is signed between a company and an interviewee to stop the interviewee from sharing any information about the company’s interview process.
Inventor’s Confidential Agreement:
This type of confidentiality agreement is used by inventors to protect their unpatented work.
More Confidentiality Agreement Templates
Vendor’s Confidentiality Agreement Template
Confidentiality and Security Agreement Template
State Bank’s Confidentiality Agreement Template
Extensive Confidentiality Agreement Template
Example Confidentiality Agreement Template
Simple Non Disclosure Agreement Template
Law Firm Confidentiality Agreement Template
Mutual Confidentiality Agreement Template
Simple Confidentiality Agreement Form Template
Employment Confidentiality Agreement Template
Healthcare Confidentiality Agreement Template
Sample Staff Confidentiality Agreement Template
Specific Confidentiality Agreement Template
Defining Confidential Information in an NDA
Choose a one-way or mutual structure according to who will disclose information. The agreement should fit the actual exchange and be reviewed under the relevant law.
- Identify the parties, permitted purpose and information to be protected.
- Define permitted recipients, exclusions and handling obligations.
- Review duration, return or deletion arrangements and any necessary exceptions.
Worked Example
Example: two businesses discussing a potential collaboration may both share confidential material. A one-way sample protecting only one party may not reflect that exchange. Identify what each party will disclose and who needs access for the evaluation.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid claiming ownership of information merely because it is confidential. Do not assume an NDA makes an unlawful disclosure or restriction permissible.
Related Templates
- Patent Agreement Templates
- Deal Memo Templates
- Copyright Notice Templates
- Short Form Agreement Templates
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an NDA replace information-security controls?
No. Limit access, use suitable sharing methods and manage records appropriately. A signed agreement does not prevent accidental exposure by itself.
Should every document be treated as confidential forever?
Use definitions and time periods suited to the information and applicable law. Distinguish protected material from public or independently obtained information.
