Spotlight #2: External File Sharing on Zoho WorkDrive

Hello all,

We are back again with another feature in the spotlight for Zoho WorkDrive.

Zoho WorkDrive is a content collaboration platform designed specifically for teams to store, share, manage, and work together on files of any size. In this article, we’ll focus on how securely you can share your WorkDrive files and folders with external users or any specific individuals outside your teams.

Business scenario:

Michonne, a Marketing Manager, laid a marketing campaign plan for an upcoming product launch along with her team on WorkDrive. Now, she wants to send these files to David, one of her business partners, and seek feedback from him to help improve on her work. However, she knows David is not part of her team on WorkDrive and wants to find a system where she can send these files securely and safely.

So, what is she doing now? She decides to use WorkDrive's External Share feature: the easiest way to share confidential files and folders to users outside your team or organization.

What is external file sharing?

It's the easiest and safest way to share files with people outside your organization such as external partners, customers, and vendors. With WorkDrive's external sharing system, you can send files/folders with an individual or a group of people, secure them with passwords and expiry dates and decide who can download shared files.

External file sharing is transferring data between users or organizations. It's especially useful when working with contacts such as clients, or vendors.

Benefits of using external file sharing on WorkDrive:

Secure Files with Passwords: You can add passwords when you share confidential files using links. Anybody who tries to open the link will have to provide the password you've set for the file.
Set Expiration Periods for Accessing Links: Sometimes your team makes deals with clients for a fixed period. You can set expiration periods for the links you share to ensure that they won't have access to your files once the contract ends.
Allow file Downloads: You can decide on whether to allow or restrict users from downloading a file while sharing it.
Request User Data: As an added layer of security, every file shared externally can be tracked, allowing you to see when your clients view the document. You can request them to enter details like name, contact or email id, in order to access the document.
Share Larger Files: The need to share large files arises in many business environments, from extensive written documents to files heavy with video or image content. File sharing allows you to avoid the inconvenience of reaching the point at which file transfer becomes a hindrance.

So, how is external sharing done in WorkDrive?

1. Right-click to select the file or folder you want to share externally and select Share.

2. Click New external sharelink. and enter a custom URL for your file in the text box.

3. Enable link properties according to your preference such as adding a password, expiry date or providing access to download your file.

4. Once done, click Create. The link will be created and appear at the bottom of the Share dialog.

5. Finally, click Copy Link and send it via email.

We hope this article is useful. Start sharing links to files, set access privileges, and protect your data with passwords while enabling secure collaboration with external users around the globe.

Follow WorkDrive's Community to stay connected and updated on every product updates in the series.

If you have any queries, please leave a reply below or contact support@zohoworkdrive.com.

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