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 * Self-guided learning
 * Virtual training
 * Modules

 1. Home
 2. Dropbox fundamentals course
 3. How do I share with others using Dropbox?


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How do I share with others using Dropbox?
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HOW DO I SHARE WITH OTHERS USING DROPBOX?


DROPBOX CAN HELP YOU COLLABORATE WITH OTHERS AND STAY ON TOP OF YOUR PROJECTS.
ALL WITHOUT STRESSING ABOUT FILE SIZES, VERSION MIX-UPS, AND LOST FEEDBACK.
COLLABORATION JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT EASIER.


THE NEW AND IMPROVED WAY TO WORK TOGETHER

Working with others on projects big and small just got easier and more
delightful.

0:45










No matter how you get work done, you’re covered with collaborative folders and
shared links. 

Each method has its own distinct advantages, depending on what you want to do.


PRIVATE FOLDERS

You can tell that a folder is private if the front of it is blank. A private
folder works like any other folder: You can move it, rename it, add content to
it, or delete it.

Note: Only you can access what’s inside a private folder in your Dropbox
account.

If you invite someone to that folder, then it’s no longer private.


SHARED FOLDERS

Shared folders have an icon of people on the front of the folder.

Sharing folders allows others to review and edit your files. All collaborators
need a Dropbox account to edit or review. Sharing folders means that the person
sees every file or image in that folder.

You can also rename a shared folder, and it will only change for you. That way,
if you receive a shared folder invite for “Holiday photos,” but already have two
other folders labelled Holiday photos, you can change it to “Mexico 2021 holiday
photos” without causing confusion for anyone else.

However, if you change a subfolder, that folder’s name change will reflect for
everyone else.


LINKS

You can also share files with anyone, even non-Dropbox users, by creating a link
to a file or folder. You can send the link through email, instant message, even
social networks. Recipients can view, comment, or download a copy of the shared
file but can’t edit the original file in your Dropbox. They’ll be able to see
the latest updates, even after the link is created. You can also control
permissions for shared links by setting passwords and expiration dates. And
Dropbox links shouldn’t break, even if you rename or move a folder or file in
your Dropbox. Need to intentionally break a link to prevent access to a shared
file or folder? No problem, just remove the shared link from the file.

While comments on shared links are great for reviews, links don’t allow for
two-way collaboration. So if you want to let others edit the content, create a
shared folder instead of just sharing the link.


FILE REQUESTS

File requests allow you to collect and receive files from anyone, perfect for
large files or large collections of files. It organizes everything you’re
collecting in one place and keeps your own files on Dropbox private. Only you
can view what others have uploaded—unless you want to share!


SHARING ON YOUR OWN TERMS

With Dropbox, you can pick and choose how you share your most important files
and folders.

If you need others to give feedback on your work, you can give them edit access
to your shared folder. But if you don’t want others to edit your work, you can
share links instead, which will give them view-only access.

And you never have to worry about the safety of your files. You can share files
securely by giving only certain people access to your file (this is called
“authenticated sharing”). This limits who recipients can share those files with
and it means they’ll have to sign in to view your file.

With all of these options available, you can share your own way, on your own
terms.



SHARING LINKS, YOUR WAY

Creating a shared link is an easy way to share a file or a folder with
anyone—even if they don’t have a Dropbox account. Dropbox gives you the ability
to customize how and what you share through settings and permissions.

Previous


ADD YOUR OWN BRANDING

If you’re on a Dropbox Professional plan, you can use branded sharing to add
your company name and logo to the files and folders you share. When you send
shared links or direct sharing invitations, recipients will see the branding
elements you’ve added to your account settings.

How to set up branded sharing

 1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
 2. Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the top-right corner.
 3. Click Settings.
 4. Click the Branding tab.
 5. Click Set up branding next to Brand name and logo to add your logo and the
    name of your company or brand.
 6. Click Choose image next to Background image to select a background image, if
    you like.


SHARING A FOLDER

To share a folder in the Dropbox folder on your computer, right-click the folder
and then click Share.

To share from the Dropbox desktop app:

 1. Select the folder.

 2. Click the “…” (ellipses) in the upper right corner.

 3. From the menu, click Share.

 4. Select Permissions.
    
    Selecting “Can edit” gives that person the ability to edit, delete, comment,
    and add content to the folder. Can view means the person you share with can
    only view, comment on, or download content.

Keep in mind that the URL at the top of your browser isn’t a shared link.
Sending that URL won’t work.

Want to use dropbox.com to share? No worries:

 1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
 2. Hover over the folder that you want to share.
 3. Select the Share button that appears.
 4. Enter the email of the person you want to share with, and set permissions.


SHARING A FILE

To share a file in the Dropbox folder on your computer, right-click the file and
then click Share.

To share a file using the Dropbox desktop app:

 1. Select the file.
 2. Click the “…” (ellipses) in the top right corner.
 3. Click Share. You can also right-click the file and then select Share.
 4. Enter the email of the person you want to share the file with.
 5. Add any comments, and adjust settings with the button to the right of the
    email.
 6. Click the Share button, and you’re done.

If you’re using dropbox.com:

 1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
 2. Hover over the folder that you want to share.
 3. Click the share icon that appears.
 4. Enter the email of the person you want to share with, and set permissions.


SHARE VIEW-ONLY ACCESS WITH SHARED FILES OR LINKS

If you need someone to be able to see your files but not edit them, you can use
Dropbox to share in two ways. You can invite people directly from a file or
folder, or create a unique link to them instead, then send via email or your
favorite messaging app.

When you invite someone directly with view-only permissions, the recipient will
receive an email with a link to your content. They will have access to the file
or folder in their own Dropbox account, but they can’t edit the content. For
added security, you can change permissions or make the item private again.

When you share with a view-only link, recipients can see a preview of the file
or folder on dropbox.com, and can view or download the content—even if they
don’t have a Dropbox account.


ADD PASSWORDS AND EXPIRATION DATES

Dropbox gives you control over who can access your shared files, and for how
long.

To add additional controls like passwords or expiration dates, select Share and
then select Link settings in the pop up. You’ll see options to limit who can
view the link, set up a password, and put an expiration date on that link.


AUTHENTICATED SHARING

Authenticated sharing allows you to share sensitive documents securely since
recipients are limited in their ability to further share documents. All the
people you share with need a Dropbox account to view or download that document.

The file is only available for the specific names or email addresses you’ve
invited to the file.


ADD YOUR OWN BRANDING

If you’re on a Dropbox Professional plan, you can use branded sharing to add
your company name and logo to the files and folders you share. When you send
shared links or direct sharing invitations, recipients will see the branding
elements you’ve added to your account settings.

How to set up branded sharing

 1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
 2. Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the top-right corner.
 3. Click Settings.
 4. Click the Branding tab.
 5. Click Set up branding next to Brand name and logo to add your logo and the
    name of your company or brand.
 6. Click Choose image next to Background image to select a background image, if
    you like.


SHARING A FOLDER

To share a folder in the Dropbox folder on your computer, right-click the folder
and then click Share.

To share from the Dropbox desktop app:

 1. Select the folder.

 2. Click the “…” (ellipses) in the upper right corner.

 3. From the menu, click Share.

 4. Select Permissions.
    
    Selecting “Can edit” gives that person the ability to edit, delete, comment,
    and add content to the folder. Can view means the person you share with can
    only view, comment on, or download content.

Keep in mind that the URL at the top of your browser isn’t a shared link.
Sending that URL won’t work.

Want to use dropbox.com to share? No worries:

 1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
 2. Hover over the folder that you want to share.
 3. Select the Share button that appears.
 4. Enter the email of the person you want to share with, and set permissions.


SHARING A FILE

To share a file in the Dropbox folder on your computer, right-click the file and
then click Share.

To share a file using the Dropbox desktop app:

 1. Select the file.
 2. Click the “…” (ellipses) in the top right corner.
 3. Click Share. You can also right-click the file and then select Share.
 4. Enter the email of the person you want to share the file with.
 5. Add any comments, and adjust settings with the button to the right of the
    email.
 6. Click the Share button, and you’re done.

If you’re using dropbox.com:

 1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
 2. Hover over the folder that you want to share.
 3. Click the share icon that appears.
 4. Enter the email of the person you want to share with, and set permissions.


SHARE VIEW-ONLY ACCESS WITH SHARED FILES OR LINKS

If you need someone to be able to see your files but not edit them, you can use
Dropbox to share in two ways. You can invite people directly from a file or
folder, or create a unique link to them instead, then send via email or your
favorite messaging app.

When you invite someone directly with view-only permissions, the recipient will
receive an email with a link to your content. They will have access to the file
or folder in their own Dropbox account, but they can’t edit the content. For
added security, you can change permissions or make the item private again.

When you share with a view-only link, recipients can see a preview of the file
or folder on dropbox.com, and can view or download the content—even if they
don’t have a Dropbox account.


ADD PASSWORDS AND EXPIRATION DATES

Dropbox gives you control over who can access your shared files, and for how
long.

To add additional controls like passwords or expiration dates, select Share and
then select Link settings in the pop up. You’ll see options to limit who can
view the link, set up a password, and put an expiration date on that link.


AUTHENTICATED SHARING

Authenticated sharing allows you to share sensitive documents securely since
recipients are limited in their ability to further share documents. All the
people you share with need a Dropbox account to view or download that document.

The file is only available for the specific names or email addresses you’ve
invited to the file.


ADD YOUR OWN BRANDING

If you’re on a Dropbox Professional plan, you can use branded sharing to add
your company name and logo to the files and folders you share. When you send
shared links or direct sharing invitations, recipients will see the branding
elements you’ve added to your account settings.

How to set up branded sharing

 1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
 2. Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the top-right corner.
 3. Click Settings.
 4. Click the Branding tab.
 5. Click Set up branding next to Brand name and logo to add your logo and the
    name of your company or brand.
 6. Click Choose image next to Background image to select a background image, if
    you like.

Next
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KEEP IT (EVEN MORE) SECURE

When dealing with confidential or sensitive materials, you have options to
control how your content is accessed. You can set who can view your shared link,
and you can add passwords and expiration dates to your link.

One other way to further control access to shared files is to enter the specific
people you want to have access. To do this, select the Share button on
dropbox.com, the desktop app, or the badge on any Microsoft Office files saved
in your Dropbox. Then type in the email addresses of the people you want to have
access.

Sharing in this way is what we call “authenticated sharing”. This means that the
person you share with must have a Dropbox account and be signed in to access the
file.




SHARING AND COLLABORATION TUTORIALS

Take a look at these tutorials if you want to see more about how to share and
collaborate.




SHARING IS CARING (AND EASY)

One of the first things you may want to do when you start collaborating is to
share a folder. It’s a great way to make sure everyone has access to what they
need and help keep everyone in sync.



1:53











SHARING FOLDERS AND SETTING PERMISSIONS

Giving others access to your folders through Dropbox is a great way to
collaborate. Want to learn how?


SHARING LINKS AND SETTING PERMISSIONS

If you only want your team members to view the file, you can share links instead
of whole folders.




SHARING TIPS AND TRICKS

Ever wonder how to rename or move a shared folder? Or the best way to structure
your folders in a way that makes sense to you?


COMMON QUESTIONS

Got a question about sharing or collaborating? We’ve likely got an answer. If
you have a question that’s not listed here, check out help.dropbox.com for more
answers.


CAN I UNSHARE A FOLDER?

Yes, you can unshare a folder. When you unshare, you’ll be able to decide
whether members can keep a copy of the folder.


MY SHARED LINK ISN’T WORKING ANYMORE. WHY?

There are a few reasons that might cause a link to not work. For example, the
link might have expired, the owner might have changed the settings of the link,
or you might not be signed in to Dropbox. Authenticated links require viewers to
be signed in.


I ADDED A FOLDER I DON’T WANT OR NEED ACCESS TO ANYMORE. HOW DO I GET RID OF IT?

It’s easy. First, sign in to dropbox.com and select Shared in the left sidebar.
Under the Folders tab, scroll down to the folder in question and select the (…)
ellipsis next to the folder. Then select Remove from Dropbox.

Don’t delete the folder please! Remember that any action you take on a shared
folder will affect everyone in that folder, even deleting.


SHARE FROM FILE EXPLORER OR FINDER

You can easily share directly from your desktop too. Simply right-click the
folder and select “Share.”


SHARING ON DROPBOX.COM

It works the same way on dropbox.com. Hover over the file you want to share and
click the “Share” button to the right.


ADD SOMEONE ELSE'S SHARED FOLDER

If someone invites you to a shared folder, you’ll get an email invite and a
notification in tray or menu bar.


ADD THE FOLDER

Add the folder to your Dropbox account to begin collaborating with your team.




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