--- title: "What is a non-disclosure agreement?" description: "A non-disclosure agreement is a signed promise to keep your information private. Read what one covers and why every assistant signs before work." url: https://assistbpo.com/glossary/non-disclosure-agreement/ updated: 2026-09-20 publisher: AssistBPO (SS Support Network LLC) language: en-US --- # What is a non-disclosure agreement? Glossary What is a non-disclosure agreement? A non-disclosure agreement is a signed contract in which one or both parties promise not to share defined confidential information or use it outside an agreed purpose. It names what counts as confidential, who may see it, how long the duty lasts and what happens to copies once the relationship ends. Updated September 2026 · Reviewed by [Nimra Khalid](https://assistbpo.com/team/nimra-khalid/) ## How does a non-disclosure agreement work? 1. Define the confidential categories specifically, rather than claiming everything said in every meeting. 2. Name the permitted purpose, so the information can be used for the work and for nothing else. 3. Set the term: how long the duty runs after the engagement ends, and which categories run indefinitely. 4. List the carve-outs, such as information already public, already known, or demanded by a court. 5. State the ending: return, delete, and confirm in writing that nothing was kept locally. ## A worked example A specialist recruiter shares candidate lists, client fee arrangements and a scoring model with a remote research assistant. The agreement names those three categories, permits use only for building shortlists for named clients, and runs for three years past the end of the work. When one client relationship closed, the assistant deleted the working spreadsheets and confirmed it in writing. The recruiter can show that record to clients who ask how their data is handled. ## Where does a non-disclosure agreement show up in your tools? Most are signed through DocuSign, Dropbox Sign or Adobe Acrobat Sign, then filed wherever the engagement record lives, often HubSpot or a Google Workspace shared drive. The signature matters less than being able to find the document quickly when a client asks who exactly is covered. ## Common mistakes - Signing a template that defines confidential information so broadly no court would bother enforcing it. - Covering the supplier company but not the individuals who actually touch the data every day. - Never collecting the countersigned copy, so nobody can prove who agreed to what. ## Why does a non-disclosure agreement matter? Handing work to a remote team means handing over customer records, pricing and half-finished plans, and a handshake is not a control you can show a client. A specific written agreement sets the expectation before anything is shared and gives you something to point at afterward. It is also the baseline most larger buyers and insurers now expect to see. ## How does AssistBPO handle a non-disclosure agreement? Every AssistBPO assistant signs a confidentiality agreement with the group as a condition of employment, plus a client-specific one for each account they work on. The client-specific agreement names your data, your systems and the permitted purpose, and it keeps applying after the assistant moves off your account. We can also sign your own paper and your data processing terms where you would rather use them. [How we protect your business](https://assistbpo.com/security/)[Get a staffing plan](https://assistbpo.com/get-a-staffing-plan/) ## Related terms - [Background check](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/background-check/) - [Least privilege access](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/least-privilege-access/) - [Offboarding](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/offboarding/) - [GDPR](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/gdpr/) ## Where it is used - [How we protect your business](https://assistbpo.com/security/) ## Next in the A to Z - [Offshore staffing](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/offshore-staffing/) - [On-page SEO](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/on-page-seo/) - [Onboarding](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/onboarding/) [All 148 terms, A to Z](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/) Next step ## Your desk, staffed. Wherever you are. Tell us what is overloaded. A named person replies within 1 business day with a staffing plan, and we propose your assistant within 72 hours. [Get a staffing plan](https://assistbpo.com/get-a-staffing-plan/) [Book a 20-minute call](https://assistbpo.com/book-a-call/) Or call [+1-657-777-0006](tel:+16577770006) during US, UK or Australian business hours, or [hear our demo receptionist](https://assistbpo.com/demo-line/). - A named assistant proposed within 72 hours - Employed, screened and managed staff, never freelancers - Your hours, your tools, your data --- Source: https://assistbpo.com/glossary/non-disclosure-agreement/ · Contact: https://assistbpo.com/contact/ · Full site map for agents: https://assistbpo.com/llms.txt