---
title: "Mine / Public"
description: "Mine and Public are the two halves of your library: Mine holds the items you own and can edit, Public holds the read-only catalogue Fincanva curates."
canonical_url: "https://fincanva.com/docs/getting-started/mine-public"
last_updated: "2026-09-04"
md_url: "https://fincanva.com/docs/getting-started/mine-public.md"
---

# Mine / Public

Mine and Public are the two halves of your library, shown as two tabs above every strategy and screener list. **Mine** holds the items you own — the only ones you can edit, save, delete, or mark Live. **Public** holds a read-only catalogue that Fincanva curates and that every user sees the same way. The split is about ownership, not visibility: a Public item is not something you shared, it is something Fincanva published.

**Also seen as:** the **Public** badge on an item that came from the catalogue

## Can you edit a Public strategy or screener?

No — and this is the rule that surprises people most: **editing a Public item forces a copy first.** You can open a Public strategy or screener and read every setting, but you cannot save a change to it. The app blocks the save and tells you the way round: `Public strategies can't be saved. Use "Copy to Mine" to make an editable version.` On the screener side it reads `Public screener — use Copy to Mine to create your own version.`

Once you have used **Copy to Mine**, you own the copy outright and can change anything in it. The Public original is untouched and stays in the catalogue for everyone — see [Duplicate and Copy to Mine](/docs/getting-started/duplicate-and-copy-to-mine) for what the copy keeps.

## What is the difference between Mine and Public?

| | Mine | Public |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns it | you | Fincanva (no owner) |
| Can you edit and save it | yes | no — Copy to Mine first |
| Can you create items or folders in it | yes | no — `Create (disabled on Public tab)` |
| Can you delete it | yes | no |
| Can you mark it Live | yes | no |
| Can you favourite it | yes | yes — a plain bookmark that never locks |

## Defaults in Fincanva

- **Your plan caps how many saved strategies Mine may hold on Free alone:** Free holds one, and Starter, Advanced, Ultimate and Professional do not cap the library. The 999 you see beside those plans is a safety maximum that stops runaway creation, not an allowance a plan buys you. See [what each plan includes](/docs/account-security/what-each-plan-includes).
- **Saved screeners are not limited by your plan.** Every plan carries the same 999 safety maximum, so the two counts no longer move together: saved strategies are capped by your plan on Free, screeners are not capped by any plan. They are still counted separately, and Public is a catalogue you do not own, so nothing in it counts against either number.
- The Public tree's folders are organised by Fincanva, not by you: `Public folders are managed by Fincanva — copy items to Mine to organize.`
- Everything you create lands in Mine — a new strategy or screener, a Duplicate, a **Copy to Mine**, and a screener saved from a [Fin](/docs/getting-started/fin) suggestion.
- A Copy to Mine arrives at the top level of Mine with no folder, so you file it wherever you want afterwards.
- Copy to Mine on something that is not Public is refused with `Copy to Mine is only available for Public items.` — an item you already own is Duplicated instead.
- Starring works on both tabs. A Public item's star is only a bookmark; the star lock that comes with going Live applies only to your own strategies (see [Starring strategies and screeners](/docs/strategies/starring-strategies-and-screeners)).

## Worked example

You find a Public strategy in the catalogue and want it to rebalance monthly instead of quarterly. You open it, change the rebalance cadence, and try to save — the save is blocked with `Public strategies can't be saved. Use "Copy to Mine" to make an editable version.`

So you choose **Copy to Mine**. A copy appears at the top level of the Mine tab, owned by you and no different from anything else you built. You set it to monthly, save, and back-test it. The Public original still rebalances quarterly and still sits in the catalogue exactly as it was, for you and for everyone else.