diff --git a/client/src/routes/public/Shard.jsx b/client/src/routes/public/Shard.jsx
index 431df8b..7758251 100644
--- a/client/src/routes/public/Shard.jsx
+++ b/client/src/routes/public/Shard.jsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { describe } from '../../lib/shardEvents.js'
 import { ago } from '../../lib/format.js'
 import { api } from '../../api/client.js'
 import PlayersOnline from '../../components/PlayersOnline.jsx'
+import { useAuth } from '../../contexts/AuthContext.jsx'
 
 // ── Gold-supply sparkline ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
 function Sparkline({ series }) {
@@ -54,6 +55,11 @@ export default function Shard() {
     ]).then(([status, idoc, economy, online]) => ({ status, idoc, economy, online })),
   )
   const { events, connected } = useShardFeed({ max: 30 })
+  const { user } = useAuth()
+  // Staff in-game location is privileged: only admins/moderators see it. Players
+  // and the public see that staff are online but not where. The server enforces
+  // this too (it omits the location fields entirely for non-privileged callers).
+  const canSeeLocation = user?.role === 'admin' || user?.role === 'moderator'
 
   const status = data?.status
   const online = status?.pluginConnected
@@ -119,7 +125,7 @@ export default function Shard() {
               <PlayersOnline />
             </div>
 
-            {/* Staff online — linked staff accounts only, with location */}
+            {/* Staff online — linked staff accounts only; location is admin/mod-only */}
             <section className="panel" style={{ padding: 20, marginBottom: 24 }}>
               <div className="sans" style={{ color: 'var(--accent)', fontSize: '0.7rem', letterSpacing: '0.12em', textTransform: 'uppercase', marginBottom: 12 }}>
                 Staff online
@@ -134,9 +140,11 @@ export default function Shard() {
                         <span style={{ flex: 'none', width: 8, height: 8, borderRadius: '50%', background: '#7fd0a4' }} />
                         {p.name || p.serial}
                       </span>
-                      <span className="dim" style={{ flex: 'none', fontSize: '0.78rem' }}>
-                        {p.map || '—'}{p.x != null ? ` (${p.x}, ${p.y})` : ''}
-                      </span>
+                      {canSeeLocation && (
+                        <span className="dim" style={{ flex: 'none', fontSize: '0.78rem' }}>
+                          {p.map || '—'}{p.x != null ? ` (${p.x}, ${p.y})` : ''}
+                        </span>
+                      )}
                     </div>
                   ))}
                 </div>
diff --git a/server/src/router/v1/public/public.routes.js b/server/src/router/v1/public/public.routes.js
index e172df5..a11504e 100644
--- a/server/src/router/v1/public/public.routes.js
+++ b/server/src/router/v1/public/public.routes.js
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ publicRouter.get(
 publicRouter.get(
   '/shard/online',
   // #swagger.tags = ['Public · Shard']
-  // #swagger.summary = 'Staff online now (linked staff accounts; name + serial + map only)'
+  // #swagger.summary = 'Staff online now (linked staff accounts; location is admin/moderator-only)'
   /* #swagger.responses[200] = { description: 'Online players', content: { "application/json": { schema: { type: "array", items: { $ref: "#/components/schemas/ShardOnlinePlayer" } } } } } */
   shard.getOnline,
 )
diff --git a/server/src/router/v1/public/shard.controller.js b/server/src/router/v1/public/shard.controller.js
index 642e9a8..64fbdf1 100644
--- a/server/src/router/v1/public/shard.controller.js
+++ b/server/src/router/v1/public/shard.controller.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ const shardEvents = require('../../../model/shardEvents/shardEvents.model')
 const shardState = require('../../../model/shardState/shardState.model')
 const uoLinkConfig = require('../../../model/uoLinkConfig/uoLinkConfig.model')
 const broadcast = require('../../../utils/shardBroadcast')
+const auth = require('../../../utils/auth')
 
 const log = require('../../../utils/logger')('public-shard')
 
@@ -70,12 +71,31 @@ async function getEconomy(req, res) {
 }
 
 // GET /public/shard/online — players online now whose account is linked to a
-// STAFF website user (admin/editor/moderator). Shows name + location (map +
-// coordinates); no vitals or account. Non-staff players are never listed.
+// STAFF website user (admin/editor/moderator). Everyone sees that a staff member
+// is online (name + serial); their in-game location (map + coordinates) is only
+// included for privileged viewers (admin/moderator) so it is never exposed to
+// players or the public via the network tab. Non-staff players are never listed.
+function canSeeStaffLocation(req) {
+  const viewer = auth.getUserFromRequest(req)
+  return !!viewer && (viewer.role === 'admin' || viewer.role === 'moderator')
+}
+
 async function getOnline(req, res) {
   try {
     const rows = await shardState.listOnlineLinked()
-    return res.json(rows.map((r) => ({ serial: r.serial, name: r.name, map: r.map, x: r.x, y: r.y, z: r.z })))
+    const showLocation = canSeeStaffLocation(req)
+    return res.json(
+      rows.map((r) => {
+        const entry = { serial: r.serial, name: r.name }
+        if (showLocation) {
+          entry.map = r.map
+          entry.x = r.x
+          entry.y = r.y
+          entry.z = r.z
+        }
+        return entry
+      }),
+    )
   } catch (err) {
     log.error('shard.getOnline', err)
     return res.status(500).json({ message: 'Internal Server Error' })
diff --git a/server/test/publicShardOnline.test.js b/server/test/publicShardOnline.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bbfa3e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/test/publicShardOnline.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+// Staff-location visibility on GET /public/shard/online. The endpoint is
+// token-free, so it inspects the caller's session (getUserFromRequest) and only
+// includes each staff member's in-game location (map/x/y/z) for admins and
+// moderators. Players and the public still see who is online, but not where.
+//
+// Point the DB at a closed port BEFORE requiring anything that builds the pool,
+// so any stray query fails fast instead of hanging. The model + auth are stubbed,
+// so the DB is never actually hit.
+process.env.DB_HOST = '127.0.0.1'
+process.env.DB_PORT = '59999'
+
+const { test, after, afterEach } = require('node:test')
+const assert = require('node:assert/strict')
+
+const ctrl = require('../src/router/v1/public/shard.controller')
+const shardState = require('../src/model/shardState/shardState.model')
+const auth = require('../src/utils/auth')
+const db = require('../src/utils/db')
+
+after(() => db.close())
+
+function mockRes() {
+  return {
+    statusCode: 200,
+    body: null,
+    status(c) {
+      this.statusCode = c
+      return this
+    },
+    json(b) {
+      this.body = b
+      return this
+    },
+  }
+}
+
+// One online staff member with a location the model would return.
+const ONLINE_ROW = { serial: '0x1', name: 'Lady Mod', map: 'Felucca', x: 1495, y: 1628, z: 10 }
+
+const originals = {
+  listOnlineLinked: shardState.listOnlineLinked,
+  getUserFromRequest: auth.getUserFromRequest,
+}
+afterEach(() => {
+  shardState.listOnlineLinked = originals.listOnlineLinked
+  auth.getUserFromRequest = originals.getUserFromRequest
+})
+
+// Stub the model to return the staff member, and the session to the given viewer.
+function setup(viewer) {
+  shardState.listOnlineLinked = async () => [ONLINE_ROW]
+  auth.getUserFromRequest = () => viewer
+}
+
+const LOCATION_KEYS = ['map', 'x', 'y', 'z']
+
+for (const role of ['admin', 'moderator']) {
+  test(`getOnline includes location for a ${role}`, async () => {
+    setup({ id: 1, username: 'staff', role })
+    const res = mockRes()
+    await ctrl.getOnline({}, res)
+    assert.equal(res.statusCode, 200)
+    assert.equal(res.body.length, 1)
+    const entry = res.body[0]
+    assert.equal(entry.name, 'Lady Mod')
+    assert.equal(entry.serial, '0x1')
+    assert.equal(entry.map, 'Felucca')
+    assert.equal(entry.x, 1495)
+    assert.equal(entry.y, 1628)
+    assert.equal(entry.z, 10)
+  })
+}
+
+test('getOnline omits location for a logged-in player', async () => {
+  setup({ id: 2, username: 'joe', role: 'player' })
+  const res = mockRes()
+  await ctrl.getOnline({}, res)
+  assert.equal(res.statusCode, 200)
+  const entry = res.body[0]
+  // Still shows they are online…
+  assert.equal(entry.name, 'Lady Mod')
+  assert.equal(entry.serial, '0x1')
+  // …but the location fields are absent entirely (not null/placeholder).
+  for (const k of LOCATION_KEYS) assert.ok(!(k in entry), `expected "${k}" to be omitted`)
+})
+
+test('getOnline omits location for an unauthenticated request', async () => {
+  setup(null) // getUserFromRequest returns null for anon callers
+  const res = mockRes()
+  await ctrl.getOnline({}, res)
+  assert.equal(res.statusCode, 200)
+  const entry = res.body[0]
+  assert.equal(entry.name, 'Lady Mod')
+  assert.equal(entry.serial, '0x1')
+  for (const k of LOCATION_KEYS) assert.ok(!(k in entry), `expected "${k}" to be omitted`)
+})
+
+// An editor is staff but not admin/moderator — they should not see location.
+test('getOnline omits location for an editor', async () => {
+  setup({ id: 3, username: 'ed', role: 'editor' })
+  const res = mockRes()
+  await ctrl.getOnline({}, res)
+  const entry = res.body[0]
+  for (const k of LOCATION_KEYS) assert.ok(!(k in entry), `expected "${k}" to be omitted`)
+})