can you password protect pages folders

Only the file can be password protected from within Pages. If you don't want the file to open on your Mac without the password, then do not check, “Remember this password in my keychain,” in the password dialog. Record your document password where you can retrieve it — in case your forget, or if using keychain, in case it becomes damaged.

You can password protect (and encrypt) a folder that contains Pages documents, whether they are password protected or not.

In Finder, press shift+command+U to launch the Utilities Window.

1. Launch Disk Utility
2. File > New > Disk Image from Folder…
3. From the Select Folder to Image dialog, select the folder and click Image
4. From the New Image from Folder dialog
   1. Image Format
      1. Compressed - folder will be read-only with no ability to add documents later
      2. Read/write - intuitive
   2. Encryption: 256-bit AES Encryption
   3. Save
5. In the new password dialog, set your password
   1. You should strive for password complexity that shows strength as green
   2. Record your password where you can retrieve it.
   3. Again, the caveat about keychain as mentioned above
6. A new disk image will appear with the name you gave it, and a .dmg extension
   1. Double-click for the password challenge
   2. The disk image will mount on your desktop just like an installer. Double-click to open.

      If you chose Image format as read/write, you can drag additional Pages documents into this open folder

   3. Right-click on the mounted image and choose Eject to close it

You can edit Pages documents in-place in the mounted folder, but you will get a warning about space in the image container. If you want to increase the disk image size, open it in Disk Utility. It willl appear below the line in the left panel. Select the .dmg there, and from the Images menu, choose Resize…, and adjust accordingly.