Share and collaborate your way with Sync. Send a single file to an external contact or work on entire folders with a team in real time. Every sharing option is built for different needs, so you can work together confidently and stay in control of your content. In this article, we'll cover the following:
Introduction to links and shared folders
Sync offers two main ways to share: shared links for quick access to files or folders without requiring a Sync account, and team shared folders for ongoing, collaborative work. Use the table below to find the sharing feature that matches your needs.
| Feature / Use Case | Shared Links | Team Shared Folders |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | A secure, shareable URL that grants access to specific files or folders without requiring the recipient to sign up. | A centralized folder that multiple users can access for collaboration, with permissions tied to each member. |
| Best for | Sharing files with anyone outside your team for viewing or downloading. |
Ongoing team collaboration across multiple files, optimized for larger uploads. |
| Recipients require a Sync account | No | Yes |
| Real-time collaboration | No | Yes |
| Email notifications | Yes | No |
| Microsoft Office live editing | Yes | Yes |
| Permissions | Per link | Per user |
| Auditing | Per link basis | Per user basis |
Sharing with links
Links allow you to give anyone instant access to files or folders, even if they don’t have a Sync account. This makes links ideal for quickly sending documents, collecting feedback, or sharing resources with clients, partners, or friends outside your organization.
How to create and share a link:
- Sign in to the web panel.
- Click the (ellipsis) icon beside the file or folder you want to share.
- Select the Share as link option.
- Click the Share via email button to email the link.
- The recipient will be able to access the linked file directly, no Sync account or email attachments required.
- Alternately, click the Copy link button to copy the link to your clipboard, and paste it into any messaging app.
Once a recipient opens your shared link, they’ll have instant access to the file or folder. For a full overview of features and step-by-step instructions, see our sharing files and folders with links article.
Link permissions
When sharing files or folders with links, you can apply specific permission levels to control how recipients access and interact with your content. The tables below detail the available permission options for files and folders, along with examples of appropriate use cases.
Basic Permissions
| Basic Permissions | Description | Example Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Password | Require recipients to enter a password before accessing shared content. | Share sensitive files securely with a specific group of people. |
| Expiry date | Automatically deactivate the link after a set date. | Share time-sensitive content like proposals or event materials. |
| Enable enhanced privacy | Enables end-to-end encryption on shared links. Learn more » | Protect highly confidential files during external sharing. |
File permissions
| File Permissions | Description | Example Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| View only | Recipients can view the file in the browser but cannot download or save it. | Share visual previews or protected materials without allowing recipients to retain a copy. |
| View and download | Recipients can view the file and download a copy, but cannot make changes to the original. | Distribute reports, marketing materials, or static files to external stakeholders. |
| Download limit | When creating a link for a single file, set how many times it can be downloaded. | Share a promotional file with a set number of downloads to limit distribution. |
Folder permissions
| Folder Permissions | Description | Example Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Hide folder contents | Recipients can access the link but cannot see documents within the folder. | Collect sensitive documents (e.g., resumes, contracts) without exposing other submissions. |
| View folder contents | Recipients can view files but cannot download them. | Share visual previews or protected materials without allowing recipients to retain a copy. |
| View and download folder contents | Recipients can browse and download files, but cannot make changes. | Distribute reports, marketing materials, or static files to external stakeholders. |
| View, download, and edit folder contents | Recipients have full access to view, download, upload, delete, and organize files. | Collaborate with external partners or clients on shared project files. |
See our full guide on managing shared link permissions for more details.
Commenting on links
When you share with links, you and the recipients can leave comments. Comments are visible to everyone with access, making it easy to communicate without switching platforms.
Use commenting to:
Provide quick feedback on shared documents.
Confirm that team members have seen the docs.
Ask clarifying questions about specific files.
Keep a conversation thread tied to a particular folder or project.
For more information, you can refer to: How to comment on files shared with Sync links
Applying custom branding to links
Custom branding is only available on the Pro Solo Professional, Pro Solo Unlimited, and Pro Teams Unlimited plan.
This feature allows you to personalize the Sync experience by adding your company logo and brand colors to shared links. For example, you might use custom branding to maintain visual consistency with your company’s identity, making it easy for recipients to recognize who the link is from and ensuring they trust the source.
For more details, check out our article on customizing Sync branding with your own logo.
Collaborating with team shared folders
A team shared folder lets multiple collaborators view, edit, and add files in real time, with every change instantly synced across all members. With centralized permissions, you stay in control of who can view, edit, and manage content.
How to create a team shared folder
- Sign in to the web panel.
- Navigate to the location you want to upload files to and click the plus (+) icon from the bottom right corner of the screen.
- Click New folder.
- Select Shared folder and enter the folder name, then click Continue.
- Enter the email addresses of the people you want to grant access to the folder, then press Enter or Return on your keyboard to confirm each one.
- Check Can edit to enable add, edit, and delete permissions for the people you’ve added. Permissions can be changed anytime.
- Click Create.
- At this point each person you invited will receive an email invitation. They will need to follow the instructions from the email to gain access to the shared folder.
Once your team shared folder is set up and members are invited via email, it can be accessed directly through the web or mobile apps, and synced to computers with the Sync desktop app installed. Any changes made to the folder are instantly synchronized for all members with access.
For a comprehensive overview, refer to our article about how to use team shared folders.
Team shared folder permissions
Shared folders are easy to identify by the person () icon displayed on the folder. To manage permissions, click the (ellipsis) icon next to the folder name and select the Manage shared folder option. From here, you can:
Change access levels for existing members
Invite additional team members
Transfer folder ownership
Each invited person can be assigned specific access permissions:
| Permission Level | Description | Example Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Can view | View and download files only. | All users on a share automatically have “Can view” access. This cannot be disabled. |
| Can edit | Upload, edit, delete, and organize files. | For collaborators actively contributing to a project or shared workspace. |
| Can invite | Invite new collaborators to the folder. | Useful when team leads or project managers need to onboard others. |
| Can see others | View a list of other users who have access to the folder. | Helpful for transparency in larger teams or cross-functional collaboration. |
You can mix and match these settings to maintain appropriate access levels.
Team sharing for Teams+ administrators
Note: The following applies to the Teams+ Unlimited plan. For full details, see our Pro Teams+ Unlimited - Administrator Guide.
As a Teams+ administrator, you control how folders are shared within your organization using two methods:
Folder-level – Share directly with individuals by inviting them to a specific folder. The folder owner can manage access, assign view or edit permissions, or delegate ownership.
Role-based – Share with a group based on custom roles you’ve created. This makes it easy to grant or restrict folder access for multiple users at once.
Teams users vs. folder members
Teams users – Managed users under your Teams plan, controlled through the admin dashboard.
Folder members – Individuals with access to a specific team shared folder, which may include internal members, external collaborators (with a Sync account), or free Sync users.
Note: A user being part of your organization or domain does not automatically grant access to all team shared folders. Folder access must be assigned to each member.
Editing with Microsoft 365
When sharing Microsoft documents via links or shared folders, you can enable edit permissions for recipients. This allows multiple people to work on the same document simultaneously.
Enable the Microsoft 365 editor on shared links
If you want to use this feature with links, you can collaborate on Microsoft Office files by sharing either a single file or an entire folder. Sharing a file is the simplest way to enable editing on one document, while sharing a folder allows recipients to work on multiple files in the same space.
- Sign in to the web panel.
- Locate the Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Excel document you want to enable editing on (files up to 40MB are supported), or create a new document in the web panel.
- Create a shared link.
From the permissions drop-down menu, select View, download, and edit.
Click Share via email to send the link directly to recipients.
Now that you've shared the link, the recipient will complete the following:
- Click the link (this will open the doc in their browser)
- Click the Edit in Office (
) icon on the top-right corner to start editing. All changes are saved automatically
Note: this feature is not available if the file is in a team shared folder
Enable the Microsoft 365 editor on team shared folders
This feature is automatically enabled on shared folders.
- Sign in to the web panel.
- Create a team shared folder and invite share members with edit permissions
Once the shared folder has been created, members can edit files as follows:
- Share members sign in to their Sync account.
- Navigate to the team shared folder.
Select a document, and click the Edit in Office (
For a comprehensive overview, refer to our Microsoft Office for Sync getting started guide.
Version history & activity tracking
Keeping track of changes to your files is essential for maintaining accuracy and accountability. Two key features make this possible, file version history and event logs.
File version history
File Version History is great for sharing when when multiple collaborators are editing, because you can see who made changes and when. This feature allows you to access and restore previous versions, recover lost work, or refer to earlier content if needed. Learn more about file version history.
Event logs
Event Logs provide a complete record of file activity, including uploads, edits, deletions, moves, permission changes, and link activity. This feature can be filtered by date, folder, or event type, making it especially useful for auditing and accountability in collaborative environments. Learn more about event logs.