Sharing Files

Sharing options

Do you need to invite additional people to collaborate on content stored in your Box account? There are two ways to share content with others:

1. Inviting collaborators to folders

Note: This option requires that the person with whom you are sharing the folder already has a Box account.

2. Sharing links

Note: This option allows you to share files and folders with anyone.

Inviting collaborators to folders

The Box at CWRU collaboration system works at the folder level. Invite contacts with Box accounts to join one or more of your folders as collaborators and choose their level of access. Collaborators won’t be able to see anything outside the folder(s) to which they’ve been invited. Follow these instructions when sharing folders you own with collaborators who have Box accounts. This process will not work for folders that you do not administer.

1. Navigate to the folder you want to share. Be sure you are within the folder you want to share.
2. Beneath the Collaborators heading, click Invite People.

  3. In the pop-up window that displays, enter the email addresses of the contacts you are inviting to the folder. The email address must be CaseNetworkId@case.edu not First name.LastName@case.edu or any other format when inviting a CWRU user. You will need to assign the invitees an access level based on the permissions you wish to provide.

Note: Collaborators have the same access level throughout a particular folder structure. For example, an editor in a top-level folder will be an editor in all the subfolders, too. To better understand access levels, click the information icon in the pop-up window.

     4. Click Send. The invitees will receive an email notification directing them to the folder.

Sharing links

Use shared links to quickly share files with others who may not have a Box account or who do not need to be collaborators within the folder. Shared links are URLs that take any recipient to the folder or file they need, without giving access to anything else. Contacts with a shared link receive read-only access and won’t be able to make changes to your files.

To generate a shared link for a folder:

1. Navigate to the folder you want to share. Be sure you are within the folder you want to share.

2. Click Share this Folder.

 3. Copy and paste the link into an email, instant message window, etc.

Note: To further restrict the link, such as with an expiration date and time, click the gear icon (advanced settings) next to Link to Folder.

To generate a shared link for a file:

1. Navigate to the folder containing the file you want to share. Be sure you are within the folder containing the file you want to share.

2. Hover over the file you want to distribute and click share.

3. Copy and paste the secure link into an email, instant message window, etc.

Note: To further restrict the link, such as with an expiration date and time, expand the menu options beneath Advanced Settings.