Link sharing
The most basic way of sharing is using a link. You create such a link, send it to the intended recipient and they can open the link in their browser. They will see the file or folder as you shared and can edit or make changes depending on the settings you configured.
Recipients have no access to comments, sharing, or the activity log, but chat is available if you have Talk enabled. As they have no account, they can not use cloud office clients or use any of the apps of cloud office. They also can’t really re-share – other than through, of course, simply sharing the link and the password you put on it if any.
A link share is thus most useful when you want to share one time with somebody, less when you regularly share with them and want them to share with you. It is also less useful when you want to collaborate with a group of people as you can not identify who did what in a link share – all users are identified as ‘guest’.
To share as a link you click the + icon to the right of the ‘share link’ option, or, if there is already a link, either copy the link and paste it somewhere using the clipboard icon, or create a new link.
You can also just type the email address of the recipient and choose the option with the little mail icon on the right. They will receive a link share by email. This way you can identify who you send the link to!
Link sharing options
On a folder, you have the option to allow upload/editing or to hide the contents of the folder so recipients can only upload files. If they upload a file with the same name as an existing file, cloud office will automatically rename the new one.
On a file, your options include those in the second screenshot below.
Sharing to another user, group, or chatroom
Instead of sharing as a public link, you can share to another user by typing their name and choosing the option with no icon on the right. You can share with a group and also directly to a Talk chat room!
With a user or group share, you and the recipient(s) can see who did what in the activity view, and comment on the file. The recipient can re-share the file or folder, and you will be able to see whom they shared with.
You can also use the project’s feature with this. Projects probably deserve their own blog, but in simple terms: they are a way to connect files, chat rooms, tasks, and other objects across apps. Projects are shared between users who have access to the same file, but you can add more files, chats, and so on to a project and if these aren’t shared, they will remain private.
More options
So let’s compare.
Public link:
- no account needed
- anonymous
- can’t comment, see activity, use projects or re-share
User share:
- needs account
- can use all the advanced features
What if you want to have your cake and eat it too? You can, with guest accounts and cross-server sharing!
