A Loom “Password Protected” link returning an “Access Denied” error means the video’s security policy is blocking the viewer before or immediately after they submit the password. This problem typically occurs when a creator sets a password on a video that also has its primary privacy setting configured to “Only people in your workspace” or “People with an email domain.” When this conflict exists, external viewers cannot access the video even with the correct password because they fail the workspace authentication check.
Fast Fix
Open the video on Loom.com, click the Share button, and change the primary privacy dropdown from “Only people in your workspace” to “Anyone with the link.” Re-enter and save your desired password. If you are a viewer receiving this error, log out of any personal Loom accounts or open the shared link in an Incognito window to bypass stale session cookies.
Diagnostic Snapshot
| Parameter | Operational Detail |
|---|---|
| Failure Layer | Access Control List (ACL) conflict or authenticated session mismatch |
| Common Symptoms | “Access Denied” after entering password; prompt says “You do not have access” |
| User Scope | External recipients, contractors, or multi-account users |
| Admin Rights Required | No for video owners; Workspace Admin required if domain restrictions are enforced |
| Data Loss Risk | None |
Diagnostic Path: Pinpointing the Access Conflict
Follow this decision path to determine whether the problem sits with link-level permissions, account-level authentication, or browser cache:
Viewer encounters "Access Denied" on Password-Protected Link
│
├──> Does the error appear BEFORE the password prompt displays?
│ └── YES: Workspace domain restriction is blocking external access.
│
├──> Does the error appear AFTER typing the correct password?
│ └── YES: Conflicting ACL rule or browser cookie/identity collision.
│
└──> Does the link work in an Incognito / Private browsing tab?
├── YES: Stale browser session or wrong active Loom profile.
└── NO: File-level permissions require creator reconfiguration.
- Verify Conflicting Security Layers (The Root Cause): Loom allows creators to stack access rules. If a video is restricted to
@company.comemail addresses, Loom checks the viewer’s identity first. If an external recipient clicks the link, Loom rejects them outright—or accepts the password and then immediately blocks them because they lack a company login. - Detect Account Identity Collisions: If a viewer is logged into Loom with a personal Google or Apple account in their current browser session, Loom evaluates that personal identity against the video’s permissions. Even if the link is password-protected, the personal login can trigger an instant domain failure.
- Inspect Enterprise Single Sign-On (SSO) Enforcement: If your company enforces mandatory SSO, links generated by certain team members may inherit enterprise security wrappers. For identity verification loops involving enterprise accounts, see Fix: Loom “SSO” sign-in loop for Enterprise accounts.
Resolution Steps
Step 1: Correct the Video Privacy Level (Creator Fix)
The video creator must align the link’s visibility setting with its password protection:
- Open your video on Loom.com.
- Click the Share button in the top right corner.
- Look at the top access dropdown (often labeled Who can access):
- If it is set to Only people in your workspace or People with the link in [Company], external viewers will always be blocked.
- Change this setting to Anyone with the link can view.
- In the security settings menu directly below, confirm that Protect with password remains toggled on.
- Enter or update the password and click Save.
- Send the freshly generated link to the viewer.
Incorrect Configuration:
[Only People in Workspace] + [Password Protection] ──► External Viewer = ACCESS DENIED
Correct Configuration:
[Anyone with the Link] + [Password Protection] ──► External Viewer = PASSWORD PROMPT ──► ACCESS GRANTED
Step 2: Clear Session Identity Conflicts (Viewer Fix)
If the creator confirms the link is set to “Anyone with the link,” the viewer’s browser is likely sending conflicting account credentials.
- Right-click the Loom link and select Open link in incognito window (Chrome) or New private window (Safari/Firefox/Edge).
- Navigate to the link.
- When prompted, enter the password.
- If the video loads in private browsing, the viewer must clear their Loom cookies:
- In Chrome, go to
chrome://settings/content/all. - Search for
loom.com. - Click Delete all data and sign back into the correct business profile.
- In Chrome, go to
- In Chrome, go to
chrome://settings/content/all. - Search for
loom.com. - Click Delete all data and sign back into the correct business profile.
Step 3: Check Folder and Workspace Inherited Permissions
Videos placed inside specific team folders can inherit restrictive policies that override manual link configurations.
- Check where the video resides in your library.
- If it is located in a restricted team folder, folder-level access policies may override the video-level password setting.
- Move the video to your Personal Library or a public workspace directory. If you are having trouble finding or moving files across team spaces, consult How to Resolve: Loom “Team Workspace” missing shared folders.
Advanced Policy Checks for Workspace Admins
If the creator selected “Anyone with the link” but the option is greyed out, or the link still defaults to “Access Denied,” an organization-wide data loss prevention (DLP) policy is in effect.
- Review Workspace Sharing Settings:
- Navigate to Workspace Settings > Security.
- Check the rule for External Video Sharing.
- If your enterprise administrator set external sharing to Disabled, employees cannot share videos outside the domain, even by applying a password.
- Navigate to Workspace Settings > Security.
- Check the rule for External Video Sharing.
- If your enterprise administrator set external sharing to Disabled, employees cannot share videos outside the domain, even by applying a password.
- Corporate DLP Restrictions: If corporate security software is actively blocking content distribution pipelines or external screen links, see Fix: Loom “Screen Recording” blocked by Corporate Security (DLP).