Theme
Sharing files
A share is a link you send to somebody who has no account here. They open it in a browser and download, or upload, or both.
Creating one
- On Files, select what you want to share.
- Choose Share.
- Fill in the form.
- Choose Create link.
- Copy the link and send it.
The settings
General
| Setting | Notes |
|---|---|
| Name | Required. What the share is called |
| Description | Optional. Shown to whoever opens it |
| Access | Download only, or Upload and download |
Security
| Setting | Notes |
|---|---|
| Protect with a password | Anyone opening the link must type it. Your account may require this |
| Expires | 1 day, 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, a date you pick, or never |
| Allowed addresses | Optional. IP addresses or ranges that may open it |
| Access limit | How many times the link can be opened. 0 means unlimited |
Set an expiry
A link with no expiry works forever, including after the recipient has left their job and their laptop has been sold.
Your administrator may cap how long a share can last. If your chosen expiry is refused, that is why.
Folder and file permissions
You choose what recipients may do inside what you shared.
Reaching and listing the shared location is always granted; it is required for a share to work at all, so it is given automatically.
You cannot grant a permission you do not hold yourself. If an option is unavailable, it is because you do not have it here, or because your share policy does not allow it.
Notifications
Reveal who shared this to recipients puts your name on the share.
Notify these email addresses sends each address a message with the link when you create the share. Type an address and press Enter or the plus button to add it; an address still in the box when you choose Create link is added too. The message comes under your site's name, not under any product name. Recipients are not shown each other's addresses. If the share has a password, the message says so but never includes it; give the password separately. The list is set when you create the share: editing a share sends no further messages, and the edit form only shows who was notified at creation.
Managing your shares
Shares lists every link you have created: whether it is password protected, how many times it has been used, and when it expires.
Edit changes a share's settings. Leaving the password field blank keeps the current password.
Delete stops the link working immediately.
What a recipient sees
A plain page, in your organization's branding, with what you shared.
If you shared a folder, they get a file browser of that folder, with only the actions you granted. If you shared a single file, they get a card with the file's name, size and modification time, and a Download button.
If you set a password, they are asked for it first.
When they choose Leave, their session on the share ends and they can close the tab. Opening the link again counts as a new access against the limit, and the page tells them when there are none left.
If sharing is not offered
Sharing is not enabled for your account. Your administrator controls this, for the whole organization and per person. Ask them.
Good habits
- Send the link and the password separately. A link and its password in one email protect nothing.
- Set an access limit when you know how many people should open it.
- Delete the share when it has served its purpose. It is one click, and it is the only thing that reliably stops a forwarded link.