Changes to shared links on Dropbox

Dropbox is moving to an improved shared link architecture, where links are centralized on the content being shared rather than on the team member doing the sharing. Since the beginning of 2024 all new links created have been on this new model.

To complete this update we’ll be moving over your existing user-based legacy links to the new model. This transition will occur from late August to November.

There is no action required by your team, and all links will continue to function. In very rare cases, links may have access restricted to ensure the continued security and privacy of your content.
 

Content-based links

This new shared link architecture will be based on content rather than on users. This means that for any file or folder there can be at most one view link and one edit link. The benefits of this new architecture include:

• Admins get improved visibility and control of shared links through tools, like the Activity Log and External Sharing Visibility report
• There are specific links for editing, meaning it’s easier to manage edit access to shared documents and folders
• Shared files and folders will appear in search results and in the Recents filter on your Dropbox account
• Settings for sharing files and folders, including passwords and expiry dates, will be universal for all users who access the link
• If a member of the team leaves, or their account is deactivated, links created by that member will still function as long as the content they link to remains shared

Permission changes

A majority of content shared with you will remain accessible. In some cases, where there are multiple user-based links to the same content, with different access settings applied to each link, some link visitors may lose access or the ability to download content. Examples of these scenarios are listed below:

• Password protected links: If one of the user-based links required a password, access to the new link will be limited to those who already had access to the file or folder. You’ll need to request access if it’s your first time using the link.
• Links with expiration dates: If several user-based links exist with differing expiration dates, the new link will default to the soonest expiration date after the migration. If you can’t access a file, that link may have expired.
• Audience setting: If there are user-based links with differing audience settings, the new link will default to the most restrictive of those audiences. For example, if one user-based link had its audience set to Anyone with link, and another had its audience set to Only people invited the new content-based link will be set to Only people invited. If you’ve lost access to a file, you may no longer be a part of the permitted audience of the link.
• Downloads disabled: If there are some user-based links for a file or folder that have downloads disabled, the new link will default to not allowing downloads. You’ll need to reach out the owner of the link to re-enable downloads.

Permission changes in the activity log

If the settings of the new content-based links have changed due to this migration, those changes will be visible in the activity log in the admin console. Each change will be shown as an individual line on the activity log, with the member making the change listed as ‘Dropbox’.

If the change is to the expiration date, the activity will be listed as Changed shared link expiration date and the new expiration date will be listed below that.

If the change is to the audience setting, the activity will be listed as Changed visibility of shared link. In the case of the audience changing, the new audience will be listed below that.

If the link setting changes restrict content from being shared externally, content will no longer appear on the External Sharing Visibility report.

Once the migration is complete, changes to content-based shared link settings will also appear in the activity log in the same way, with the name and email address of the team member who made the change appearing under Member.

In the case where two teams have access to the same link and one team changes the permission settings on that link, this change will appear in both teams’ activity logs. The team that made the change will see the full version of the email address, while the other team will see a redacted version of the email address.