Techniques are described that enable a user to create and use a secret user account on a social networking system that is undiscoverable by other user accounts unless invited to interact by the secret account. In some cases, a social networking system receives a request to create a secret account, and creates the secret account. The social networking system may provide, in association with the secret account, account settings for the secret account that cause the social networking system to exclude the secret account from search results on the social networking system, and obscure activity by the secret account from a first user account. The social networking system may cause presentation of a control in a user interface associated with the secret account to invite a second user account to interact with the secret account.