Customizing Share Links

Users configure individual Share Links to fit a specific sharing scenario, and site administrators set site-wide defaults that apply to every Share Link on the site. Some site-wide settings also prevent users from making certain selections.

Site-Wide Sharing Settings

Several settings are available only to site administrators and govern the behavior of every Share Link on the site.

The Allow Share Links to use custom URLs setting, disabled by default, controls whether users can change the address of their Share Links from the system-generated URL. The Require internal notes setting forces users to provide an internal note for every Share Link. The Custom "Not Found" Message setting lets site administrators customize the page shown to visitors who attempt to access an unavailable Share Link.

Customizing Your Link URL

By default, Files.com generates a random alphanumeric URL key for your Share Links. This prevents bad actors from guessing the address of your links.

Site administrators control the Allow Share Links to use custom URLs setting, which determines whether users can change a Share Link's URL from the autogenerated address. When the setting is enabled, users who manage a Share Link can change its address to a new, unique text value. A custom URL produces a friendly name that is easier to share verbally or through marketing materials.

A custom URL is convenient, and it also carries a security risk: a guessable URL can be discovered the same way a common password can. Only site administrators have the option to enable this setting.

Descriptive Text for Your Visitors

The publicly visible description for a Share Link provides extra information or instructions to Share Link visitors. As a security measure, this setting supports Markdown formatting but not HTML.

Custom Message For Unavailable Links

The Custom "Not Found" Message setting lets site administrators customize the page shown to visitors who attempt to access an unavailable Share Link. This is a useful place to publish the contact information your counterparties need to get assistance. You can use Markdown to format the message; HTML tags are not allowed for security reasons.

A Share Link can be unavailable for several reasons: the publish date is in the future, the expiration date is in the past, the maximum number of recipients has accessed the link, or the link has been revoked.

Only a single Custom "Not Found" Message setting exists, and it applies to any unavailable Share Link address. There is no way to override this message for individual Share Links.

Internal Notes

Depending on how your organization uses Files.com, your users may create dozens or even hundreds of Share Links they need to manage. The internal note associated with each link is a convenient way to track its purpose.

Visitors to a Share Link do not see the text you enter as an internal note. It is only visible to internal users.

Site administrators can enable the Require internal notes site setting. When that setting is enabled, Share Link creators cannot leave the internal note blank when saving a Share Link.

Even when the Require internal notes setting is not enabled, Share Link creators can always see and change the internal note for their links.

Allowed Actions for Visitors

By default, each link allows visitors to download the contents. Each Share Link can be configured to allow different levels of access.

For live Share Links, you can select among five options for the allowed actions, ranging from previews only to full file management. You can only assign allowed actions that are permitted by your own privileges. For example, if you have download access but not upload access, you cannot create a Share Link that allows visitors to upload.

A Share Link that allows only uploads functions much like an Inbox. The visitor can upload items but cannot view any of the files that have been uploaded. To allow uploads, you must include at least one folder path in your Share Link, and you cannot include any file paths. When a visitor to an uploads-only Share Link tries to upload items with duplicated names, the duplicates are automatically renamed, even when your site's settings allow overwrites from logged-in users.

Rather than using the Allowed Actions of a Share Link to enable both downloads and uploads, associate an Inbox with the Share Link. This gives visitors restricted access (previews or downloads) to the items you are sharing while also permitting uploads through the Inbox.

For snapshot Share Links, you can select between previews only and downloads.

User Permissions Limit Allowed Actions

Users can never create a Share Link that gives more access than they have. For example, if a user account does not have permission to upload to a folder, that user cannot create a Share Link that allows visitors to upload.

If a user is assigned non-recursive sharing permissions on a folder, subfolders are not included when the folder is shared. Similarly, if a permission fence is placed on a folder below a folder the user has permission to share, the fenced folder cannot be shared.

Full Permissions Are Required For Online Editor Integration

A site administrator can enable the Use Online Editor for Full Access Share Links setting. This lets visitors view and edit standard business document files stored within the Share Link using your site's Online Editor Integration. Using an online editor in a Share Link requires Full access, including download, upload, modify, and delete.

Displaying a Watermark During Previews

You can add a watermark to any preview generated in a Share Link. The automatic watermark is only displayed when previewing the file on the Share Link page. A downloaded file does not contain the automatic watermark. This is useful to discourage screenshots when your link supports previews only.