January 2024

January 2024 introduced Permission Fences and a range of automation and logging improvements.

The list of features highlights the most notable updates, including key improvements and new capabilities. It also includes changes that may require action, such as updates affecting security, compliance, or system configurations. Reviewing these updates ensures you stay informed and can take any necessary steps to maintain smooth operations.

Permission Fences

We've added the ability to "fence off" a folder from its parent so that recursive permissions do not apply to the fenced folder. You're most likely to find this feature useful if you're trying to make access permissions match a previous storage solution without reorganizing your folder structure.

Permission fences are available now for all sites. You can create a new permission fence folder behavior using any SDK, or use the Permissions display within the web interface.

Learn more about Permission Fences.

Minor Updates

Override Subfolder Locking for Administrators

We've added a new site-wide setting that lets administrators ignore subfolder locking. Locking the folder structure of a folder prevents users from making changes that can break your automated processes, but disabling and re-enabling subfolder locking each time a site administrator needs to add folders is friction. The new setting keeps users out of critical folders while letting site administrators add folders when they need to. The setting is off by default; any site administrator can turn it on.

Learn more about locking folder structure.

Append Timestamp Setting Included In Rename Uploaded Files

We've consolidated the "Append Timestamp" folder setting into the more widely-used "Rename Uploaded Files" folder setting. All existing Append Timestamp settings have been converted to the Rename Uploaded Files setting and behave exactly the same as before the conversion. No action is required on your part.

Learn more about the available folder settings.

New Copy Files Automation Setting to Always Overwrite When Copying

Copy File Automations avoid wasteful transfers by not overwriting a file with another file of the exact same size. In rare cases this caused files not to transfer. We've added a setting that forces the Copy File Automation to always overwrite destination files that have the same name and size as the source file. Review your Copy File Automations to confirm the setting reflects the behavior you want. If you do not intend to repeatedly transfer files with the same name and size but different contents, we recommend leaving the option disabled.

Learn more about the Overwrite Files settings for Automations.

Automation Performance Optimizations

We've increased the efficiency of Automations that work on extremely large folders. Copy Automations that previously took a long time to run are now much faster. No action is required to take advantage of this improvement.

Learn more about using Copy Automations.

Improved Inbound Emails Log

We've improved the readability of error messages in your Inbound Emails Log. It's now easier to see exactly which files could not be stored, along with the reason they were rejected. No action is required; new log entries use the new formatting.

Learn more about receiving files via email.

Better Logging for Move Automations

We've improved how automations that move files to multiple folders are logged. All file transfers are captured in the action history logs: the last transfer of a file is recorded as a Move, and any other transfers are logged as Copies. No action is needed to enable the new logging. Old automation runs are not updated to reflect this change.

Learn about Automation Run Logs.

AS2 Changes Included in Settings Changes Log

Changes to your AS2 setup are now included in the Settings Changes Logs. This simplifies troubleshooting AS2 issues. No action is required to take advantage of the new logging. AS2 settings changes made before this update was released are not included in the logs.

Learn more about Settings Changes Logs.

Wasabi Remote Server Connection

We've updated our Wasabi Remote Server integration to match changes made by Wasabi. No action is needed to take advantage of the updated connection. Existing connections are automatically upgraded.

Learn more about our Wasabi integration.

Zapier + Regional Data Routing

We've improved how Regional Data Routing settings interact with Zapier integrations. Zapier servers can connect even when your Files.com site is using regional data routing. The update applies to existing Zapier connections and takes effect automatically for new ones.

Learn more about using Zapier with Files.com.

Decryption Auto-Rename Timestamp

When a GPG Decryption operation would overwrite a file, the timestamp is now appended to the file's base name rather than the full name. For example, when file.txt.pgp is decrypted but file.txt already exists, the new file is named file_20240208192850.txt rather than file.txt_20240208192850. This makes it more convenient to edit or preview your decrypted files within Files.com. No action is needed to enable this behavior.

Learn more about configuring GPG Decryption and Encryption.