Sharing
Sharing with Dropbox
Get more done every day with easy, secure sharing. Rather than send files back and forth as email attachments, share work instantly from your Dropbox account. Any file changes you make automatically update in real time with everyone who shares the file. Use Dropbox to simplify your workflow, from collaborating with colleagues to clients outside your company.
In this chapter, we’ll show you how to share files with anyone, invite a group to a shared folder, and request feedback in Dropbox or Dropbox Paper.
View-only permissions
Share anything you store in Dropbox. Decide first whether you want people to be able to edit your stuff, or just view it.
If you need someone to be able to see your files or folders, but not edit them, you can use Dropbox to share in two ways. You can invite people directly from your file or folder, or create a unique website link to send via email or your favorite messaging app.
View-only: Shared links
Generate a unique, view-only website link to share your file or folder.
A shared link opens a preview of the file or folder on dropbox.com, and recipients can view or download the content. Recipients don’t need to have a Dropbox account to view and download your content, but will to comment.
The people you share with will be able to see the latest updates, even after the link is created. A Dropbox link never “breaks,” even if you rename or move a folder or file in your Dropbox.
For added security, you can also set a password, expiration date, and disable downloads for shared links. Disable a shared link at any time. If the recipient of a shared link downloads the file or folder to their local computer and then make changes, it won’t be updated on your Dropbox account.
How to: share a file or folder via a unique website link
View-only: Direct share
You can also use Dropbox to directly invite someone to a file or folder with view-only permissions.
Select Can view when sharing the folder. The recipient must have a Dropbox account to accept your invitation to share.
The recipient has access to the file or folder in their own Dropbox account, but they can’t edit the content.
For added security, change permissions or make the file or folder private again.
How to share a file or folder via a direct invitation in Dropbox
Direct share a folder
If you want the people you share with to be able to edit your files, you can use Dropbox to directly share a folder with them.
Select Can edit when sharing the folder
Recipients must be signed into a Dropbox account to access and edit your content
Changes to the contents inside a shared folder are synced with members of that folder
Share with a group of people at once
Learn more about Dropbox shared folders.
How to: share with a group
Team members can create user-managed groups if their admin allows it:
Sign in to dropbox.com with your Dropbox Business credentials.
Click your team name at the bottom left of the page.
Click the button by your team name: Groups and members.
Click Create group.
Enter a name for your group.
- This is the name all team members will see. As the group manager, you can change the group's name at any time.
Click Create group.
Learn more about how to add and remove members from a group.
File requests
Use file requests to collect and receive files (up to 20 GB) from anyone, right in your Dropbox account. When someone clicks your file request link, all they have to do is choose files from their computer, enter their name and email, and click Upload. That’s it—there’s no need to sign in, so anyone can add files, even if they don’t have a Dropbox account. It’s an easy way to get files—like proposals from vendors—without having to walk people through the process.
All the files you collect are automatically organized into a single Dropbox folder. Only you can view files uploaded by others, unless you decide to share them.
How to: create a file request
Sign in to dropbox.com.
Click Files.
Click File requests.
Click Create a new file request.
Under What are you requesting?, enter a name for the folder that will store all collected files.
Under Where should these files go in your Dropbox?, you’ll see the path to the new folder. If you’d like to change the folder’s location, click Change folder. You can also click Add a deadline to set a deadline for the file request. Or select Allow late uploads and choose a timeframe.
Click Next.
Copy the file-request link or send invitations directly from your Dropbox account:
- Click Copy link to copy the file-request link and send it to anyone you’d like to collect files from.
- Or, enter the email addresses of the people you’d like to request files from, and send directly from your Dropbox account. Click Done to send the email invitations and return to the File requests screen.
You’ll receive an email whenever people upload files to your file request.
Dropbox Paper
Share ideas with Dropbox Paper, a feature that comes with every Dropbox account. Paper is more than a doc—it’s an online document workspace that brings creation and coordination together in one place. With Paper, you can write, organize the work with teammates, give and receive feedback, review designs, run meetings, and co-edit to your heart’s content. You can choose whether to share your doc, and whether others you share it with can edit, view, or comment on your work.
Paper can get your team in sync from your favorite web browser. Or, download the Paper desktop and mobile apps to work without distractions. Although Paper stores documents in the cloud, it doesn't use hard drive space on your computer or storage space on your Dropbox account.
How to: Dropbox Paper
Comment & collaborate
Collaborate with ease knowing important feedback isn’t buried in your inbox. Instead of sending comments back and forth over email, make suggestions right in the file you’re working on. Share feedback on text, images, and videos, or tag someone to let them know you’ve left comments. Depending on your permissions, you may even be able to edit text right inside the document.
