Sharing a file in My Syncplicity

This topic describes how to create and share public and secured links.

You can share a link (URL) to a file containing one of the following access rights:

• Full access (public shared link)
• Restricted access (secured shared link)
• Protected access (only available when you create a secured shared link)

To view files from My Syncplicity:

1. Click Files at the top navigation page.
2. Click on the Files submenu.

From here, you can create a public or secured shared link.

You can always disable access to your files or (for protected files) change the secure shared file settings. For details, see Managing shared links in My Syncplicity.

Create a public shared link

To create a public shared link, do not apply protection and email or copy the link as follows:

1. In a Syncplicity folder, select the file that you want to share.
2. Select Share link from the Context menu or right-click on the file and click Share link.
   
   
   
   
3. From the Who can access this link? drop-down choose Anyone with the link.
4. Click Generate Link. A link is generated.
5. Select one of the following:

• • Email Link - (this option may not be available depending upon your configuration) You are prompted to enter the recipients’ email addresses. Optionally, click Add a message to enter a text for the recipients.
  • Copy Link - The link (URL) is copied to your clipboard. You can paste it into an email, instant message, web page, etc. Recipients who access this link can quickly access this file.

Create a secured shared link

To create a secured shared link, you must apply protection prior to emailing or copying the link as follows:

1. In a Syncplicity folder, navigate to the file that you want to share.
2. Select Share link from the Context menu or right-click on the file and click Share link.
3. The Who can access the link? drop-down allows you to restrict the access to the link to specific recipients. Click the Apply protection link to display all other protection settings.
   

4. Enter the required settings and select Generate Link.

   NOTE: Your administrator may require one or more of the following settings.

   • Enter the email addresses of specific recipients. Only those users can access the secured link, after login to their Syncplicity account.
   • Require users to enter a password.
   • Set an expiration time, after which the link can no longer be accessed.

Restrict access to specific users / Require users to enter a password

1. From the Who can access the link? drop-down choose Specific recipients and enter or select an email address. You can enter multiple email addresses for your recipients.
2. (Optional) Click Add a message and enter the text for the email recipients.
   
3. If a password is required, tick the Require recipients to enter a password check box and click the password generator icon to create a password. The generated password is not sent with the email; therefore, you must to send it separately to the recipients.
4. Select one of the following:
   • Email Link - If the recipient is logged into their Syncplicity account they receive immediate access to the link.
   • Generate Link - The link (URL) is generated. You can paste it into an email, instant message, web page, etc.

If you select Email Link and the recipient is activated, but not logged in to their Syncplicity account, they are redirected to the "A file has been shared with you" page. If the recipient does not have an activated Syncplicity account, the activation email can be resent to activate their account.

Set an expiration for the shared link

To set an expiration for the link, tick the Set expiration check box and enter the number of days for the recipients to access the file using the shared link. After this time, the link is disabled.

If your administrator has already defined the expiration date for shared links, you can only change the expiration date to a lower number.

Allow editing of Microsoft Office files

For Microsoft Office documents, you have an additional option to allow users to edit the file using Office Online directly from the shared link. This helps with collaboration, as it does not require recipients to download the file locally to edit it.

The prerequisites to create an editable shared link are:

• The file owner needs to be a Syncplicity Enterprise or Business Edition user.
• If files are stored on-premise, a WOPI connector needs to be deployed.
• The creator of the share link needs to have Edit and Share rights over the data/folder, where the file is located.
• The file format needs to be supported by Office 365.

Supported file formats are:

• Microsoft Word - .DOCX, .DOCM
• Microsoft Excel - .XLSX, .XLSB, .XLSM
• Microsoft PowerPoint - .PPTX, .PPSX
• Microsoft Visio - .VSDX
• OpenDocument - .ODT, .ODS, .ODP

1. From the Who can access the link? drop-down choose Specific recipients and enter the email addresses of the recipients.
2. Under Apply protection, tick the Allow editing check box.
3. Select one of the following:
   • Email Link - If the recipient is logged into their Syncplicity account they receive immediate access to the link.
   • Generate Link - The link (URL) is generated. You can paste it into an email, instant message, web page, etc.

When a recipient accesses the link, they have the option to Open in Office Online. Once the file is opened, click Edit in browser to begin the editing process.

Create a protected shared link

This feature is only available to users, where Syncplicity Rights Management was activated for their policy set.

1. From the Who can access the link? drop-down choose Specific recipients and enter the email addresses of the recipients.
2. Under Apply protection, tick the Protect sensitive content check box.
3. Select a Reader or Editor role for the recipients. As you make your choice, the permission set for that role is displayed.
4. Select one of the following:
   • Email Link - If the recipient is logged into their Syncplicity account they receive immediate access to the link.
   • Generate Link - The link (URL) is generated. You can paste it into an email, instant message, web page, etc.