For those new to freelancing, the non-disclosure agreement or NDA can be a scary thing. It should be scary. It is not something to be taken lightly. Some can go an entire career and never see one, while others see many.

A non-disclosure agreement is known by many names, like:

• propriety information agreement
• secrecy agreement
• confidential disclosure agreement
• confidentiality agreement

They all serve as an agreement between the freelancer — writer, designer, developer, copywriter, etc. — and the client they intend to work for, in order to protect information the client deems confidential.

If you are unfamiliar with NDA, this article will be helpful in helping you make good decisions before you sign one.