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One-Way NDA (Unilateral Non-Disclosure Agreement) Template

A one-way NDA protects confidential information shared by a single Disclosing Party — for example a company sharing plans with a contractor, vendor, or job candidate who won’t be sharing anything sensitive back. Only the Receiving Party carries confidentiality obligations. Download the ready-to-fill template below, or read the full clause checklist first — it covers what a solid one-way NDA needs and the mistakes that most often make one weak.

Download the One-Way (Unilateral) Non-Disclosure Agreement

A complete, ready-to-fill PDF — 11 clauses, blanks for every detail, and a signature block for both parties. Free, no email, no account. Read it and adapt it before you use it; the cover page explains what it can and cannot do for you.

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Need the other party to sign it too? Send it for signature with a full audit trail and a tamper-evident seal on the finished file — they never need an account. See pricing.

This is a template, not legal advice

This document is a general-purpose template provided for information only. It is not legal advice, it does not create a lawyer–client relationship, and nobody has reviewed it against your situation.

Laws differ by country, state and province, and they change. A clause that is standard in one place can be unenforceable — or illegal — in another. Terms that are ordinary between two businesses can be void in a consumer or employment context.

Read every clause before you use it, fill in every blank, and delete anything that does not apply. For anything high-value, unusual, or that you could not afford to lose a dispute over, have a qualified lawyer in your jurisdiction review it before it is signed.

What a one-way NDA needs

  • Disclosing & receiving party names

    Full legal names (or company names) for the party sharing information (the Disclosing Party) and the party receiving it (the Receiving Party). Unlike a mutual NDA, these roles are fixed — they don’t switch.

  • Effective date

    The date the confidentiality obligations start — often the date of signing, but state it explicitly.

  • Definition of confidential information

    What actually counts as confidential — documents, source code, pricing, customer lists, verbal disclosures, etc. Vague definitions are the #1 source of disputes.

  • One-directional obligations

    Every duty in the document should bind only the Receiving Party. If you see “each Party shall...” anywhere, that’s leftover mutual-NDA language and needs to be one-way.

  • Permitted use

    What the Receiving Party is allowed to do with the information — usually limited to evaluating a specific deal, project, or relationship.

  • Exclusions (already-public info)

    Information that was already public, already known, or independently developed shouldn’t be covered. Every NDA needs this carve-out.

  • Term / duration

    How long confidentiality obligations last — commonly 1–5 years, sometimes indefinitely for trade secrets. State it as a fixed period.

  • Return or destruction of information

    What happens to shared materials when the relationship ends — return, delete, or destroy, and by when.

  • Governing law

    Which jurisdiction’s law applies if there’s ever a dispute. Matters most when the parties are in different states or countries.

  • Signatures & date

    Both parties sign and date the agreement. Until this happens, nothing in the document is binding.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Using a one-way NDA when both sides will actually be sharing sensitive information — that needs a mutual NDA instead, since a one-way NDA gives the Disclosing Party no protection for anything it learns from the other side.
  • Leaving reciprocal language in the document after copying a mutual NDA — “each Party shall keep the other’s information confidential” has no place in a one-way agreement.
  • Defining "confidential information" so broadly it covers everything, or so narrowly it covers nothing — both invite disputes.
  • Forgetting the exclusions clause, which can make an NDA unenforceable against information the other side already knew.
  • Leaving the term open-ended with no review date, so nobody remembers when the obligation actually ends.
  • Skipping a proper signature step — an NDA emailed as a PDF with no signature, or a "reply to confirm," is weak evidence of agreement if it’s ever challenged.

Turn this into a signed document

Fill in the template above in any PDF editor, then send it to the other party for signature. They sign online and never need an account, and the finished file comes back sealed with an audit certificate showing who signed, when, and from where.

Only you need to sign your own copy? Use the free self-sign tool instead — no account needed.

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Free plan: sign and send 3 documents a month, no card required. Unlimited documents and recipients start at $19/month.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between a one-way and a mutual NDA?+
A one-way (unilateral) NDA only protects information from one party — the Disclosing Party — for example when a company shares plans with a contractor or job candidate who won’t be sharing anything sensitive back. A mutual NDA protects both sides, and is the right choice whenever both parties will each be sharing confidential information with the other. Mutual NDA Template.
When should I use a one-way NDA instead of a mutual one?+
Use a one-way NDA when only one side is actually disclosing sensitive information — common with contractors, freelancers, job candidates, vendors, or early-stage pitches where the other party isn’t sharing anything confidential back. If both sides will be exchanging sensitive information, use a mutual NDA so both are protected.
Is a typed or e-signed NDA legally binding?+
Yes, in most countries. A typed or drawn electronic signature is legally recognized for ordinary business agreements under laws like the US ESIGN Act and UETA, the EU and UK’s eIDAS rules, and equivalents elsewhere — an NDA is a standard contract, not a document requiring notarization or a qualified signature. Are electronic signatures legally binding?.
Do I need a lawyer to draft an NDA?+
For a straightforward one-way NDA between a business and a contractor, employee, or vendor, many people draft their own using the standard clauses above. For higher-stakes deals, unusual terms, or anything involving trade secrets you can’t afford to lose, have a lawyer review it before it’s signed. This page is not legal advice.
Can I send an NDA to someone else to sign online?+
Yes. Download the template above, fill in the blanks, then send it for signature — the other party doesn't need an account to sign it. Evenseal's free plan covers up to 3 documents a month with no card required. Create a free account.

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