Separate the labels
A public address is an identifier you can use to inspect public chain activity. A private key can authorize actions for an account. A recovery phrase can restore access to keys derived by a compatible wallet. Ethereum’s security guidance stresses keeping the phrase and keys secret.
If you are unsure what you copied, stop before pasting it into any lookup. A list of recovery words belongs in a trusted recovery process for your wallet, not in a blockchain search field.
Understand the privacy tradeoff of a public lookup
Public does not mean unrelated to privacy. Your address’s activity may be publicly visible, and linking that address to a name can reveal more than either fact alone. Bitcoin.org explains how publishing identifying information can connect someone to otherwise pseudonymous activity.
Skooby sends a searched address to its relevant data provider. Its saved casebook is held in the current browser’s storage. If you share a device, anyone with access to that browser profile may also be able to see those saved addresses.
Use the least information the task needs
For checking a specific payment, you may only need its transaction ID and the expected recipient address. There is usually no reason to include a balance screenshot, your entire address list, or account login details in the same note.
Before sharing an export, read its columns and consider who needs them. If the question concerns one payment, sharing one verified transaction reference may be clearer than sharing a whole recent history.
- Identify whether the input is an address or a transaction ID.
- Select the correct network.
- Use a lookup that asks only for public information.
- Verify findings with the linked explorer.
- Share only the evidence needed for the question you are answering.
Sources & scope
These guides combine Skooby product walkthroughs with the references below. Examples are illustrative. Skooby’s scans cover a limited recent window of native BTC or ETH activity.