Request files using collection links

Request and Collect Files Using Collect Files

Collect Files lets you request and gather files from team members or external users using a secure collection link. Instead of requesting files through email or chat, you can share a single link where users can upload files directly to a folder in WorkDrive.

This helps streamline file collection for tasks such as gathering project files, collecting submissions, or requesting documents from clients. All uploaded files are automatically stored in the folder you choose, keeping everything organized in one place.
Info
Available only in WorkDrive Team and Business plans. Compare WorkDrive plans.

Prerequisite  

The Collect Files feature must be enabled at the team level from the Admin Console. Based on the configured permissions, either Admins only or any team member can create and manage collections.
Learn more about collection link settings

Collect files from Team members

You can create a collection link to request files from team members within your WorkDrive team. This is useful for collecting documents, reports, project submissions, or other files from multiple users in a structured way.

To create internal collection links:
  1. Navigate to Collect Files from the left pane. The Collect Files page will open.
  2. In the top-right corner, click Create Collection.
    The Create Collection dialog will appear. The Internal tab is selected by default.



  3. Enter a Collection name for future reference.
  4. Under Collection details for internal users, provide information about the collection so users understand the purpose or context of the file request. This info will be visible to the users.
  5. Add notes for your reference, if needed. These notes are not visible to other users.
  6. Choose a folder location to store the uploaded files.
    You can select a folder in My Folders or any Team Folder where you have Organizer or higher permissions.
  7. To create a separate folder for each uploader, select the respective checkbox.
    The uploader’s name will be used as the default folder name.
  8. To set a file size limit, select the respective checkbox and choose the required limit.
    1. Available limits include:
      1 MB, 10 MB, 100 MB, 1 GB, 5 GB, 10 GB, 25 GB, 50 GB, 100 GB, 150 GB, 200 GB, and 250 GB.
    2. The maximum file upload size also depends on the WorkDrive plan:
      • Starter plan: up to 10 GB
      • Team plan: up to 50 GB
      • Business plan: up to 250 GB
  1. To set an expiration date, select the respective checkbox and choose a date.
    Once the date is reached, the collection link will be automatically deactivated.
  2. To upload files with the same name as versions instead of separate files, select the respective checkbox.
    When enabled, multiple files uploaded by a user with the same name will be added as new versions to an existing file.
  3. To receive notifications when files are submitted, select the respective checkbox.
    Clear the checkbox if you do not want to receive notifications.
  4. Once done, click Create. A new collection link will be generated, and displayed in a dialog box.



  5. Click Copy to share the link with your team members.
  6. To send the link by email:
    • Click Email collection link
    • Enter the email addresses and message
    • Click Send Email
  7. Click Link settings to modify the collection settings later.



Collect files from external users

You can create a collection link to request files from people outside your WorkDrive team. This is useful for collecting documents from clients or vendors, gathering submissions from applicants or participants, or receiving deliverables from freelancers and external collaborators.

To create an external collection:
  1. Navigate to Collect Files from the left pane. The Collect Files page will open.
  2. In the top-right corner, click Create Collection.
    The Create Collection dialog will appear. The Internal tab is selected by default.



  3. Click the External tab.
  4. Add collection details. Provide all the necessary information your users need to know regarding the collection. This will help the users to upload the required files correctly.
  5. Add notes for your reference if needed. This information will not be visible to other users.
  6. Choose a folder location to store all the files uploaded by users.
    You can either choose a folder in your My Folders or in a Team Folder where you at least have an Organizer role.
  7. Under Request user data, Name will be selected by default. You can also request phone number and email address, if needed.
    The collection link can only be accessed after providing the required user details.
  8. To create a separate folder for each user, mark the respective checkbox.
    The uploader's name will be the default folder name. You can also choose the uploader's email address or phone number as the folder name if you've enabled those options in the Request user data field.
  9. To set a limit on the numbers of files each user can upload, mark the respective checkbox and select the limit from the dropdown. If you want to set a custom limit, select Custom from the dropdown and enter the limit.
  10. To set a limit on upload file size, mark the respective checkbox and select the required limit.
    By default, the upload file size is set to 100 MB.
    1. Available upload size limits are: 1 MB, 10 MB, 100 MB, 1 GB, 5 GB, 10 GB, 25 GB, 50 GB, 100 GB, 150 GB, 200 GB and 250 GB.
    2. Upload file size also depends on the WorkDrive plan the user belongs to.
    3. The maximum file upload size is 10 GB in Starter plan, 50 GB in Team plan, and 250 GB in Business plan.
  11. To set an expiration date, mark the respective checkbox and select the required date.
    When enabled, the collection link will be deactivated after the expiration date.
  12. To get notifications whenever a user submits files, mark the respective checkbox. Uncheck the box if you don't want to get any notifications upon submissions.
  13. Click Create. A new collection link will be generated, and displayed in a dialog box.



  14. Click Copy to share the collection link with your external users.
  15. To send the collection link via email, under Email collection link, add email addresses and a personal message, then select Send Email.
  16. Click Link settings to change the settings of the collection link.


Info
Display name in the collection link view
Based on the collection settings in the team, the team name or the collection creator's name will be shown in the collection link view for easier identification. Refer to this section of the Collection Settings help article for more details.
Alert
Before you share the collection link with your intended users, copy and paste the collection link into a new tab and test it by yourself. Check whether the collection name, details, and settings are correct.

View your collections

  1. Navigate to Collect Files tab in the left panel. The Collect Files tab will open.
    Active tab will be selected by default, and you can see a list of active collections.
  2. For each collection, you will be able to see the following:
    1. Collection name
    2. Date created
    3. Number of users submitted
    4. Number of files uploaded
  3. Click on a collection to go to the folder location where uploaded files are stored.



Manage your collections

  1. Navigate to Collect Files tab in the left panel. The Collect Files tab will open.
  2. Hover on an active collection and click the Settings icon.
    The following options will be available:
    1. Copy link - to copy the collection link and paste it in required chats or sites. 
    2. Email link - to directly send the collection link via email
    3. View submissions - to view the list of users submitted, their details, and uploaded files.
    4. Change settings - to change collection settings
    5. Disable collection - When you disable a collection, it will be moved to the completed state.
      You can enable the collection later or delete it permanently.


Similarly, to view your completed collections, click the Completed tab under Collect Files.
Hover on a completed collection and click the Settings icon.The following options will be available:
  1. View submissions
  2. Enable collection
  3. Delete collection

To export the collection report

  1. Navigate to Collect Files tab in the left panel. The Collect Files tab will open.
  2. Hover on an active collection and click the Settings icon and choose View Submissions.
    You can see the submission report.
  3. Click the Export button at the top-right corner. A confirmation dialog will open.
  4. Click Export to confirm. 
    The export will be saved in .xlsx format.

Notes
When you delete a collection, it cannot be restored later. All the files uploaded via the collection link will remain intact in the respective folder.
When you share a collection link with users, they will have to follow the steps given below to upload the required files correctly.
  1. Click on the collection link you have received via email or other online medium.
    A new upload screen will open. You can see who has requested that you submit files for the mentioned collection.
  2. Read the given details thoroughly to upload the required files correctly.
  3. Drag and drop files, or click Choose files to select files from your computer.
In the upload screen, you can see the limitations, if any, including upload file size and maximum number of files to upload.

For external collections, users must enter the required user data, such as name, phone number, and email address, in order to upload files.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

For collection creators

Who can create collection links?
Based on the permissions in Collection Settings (Admin Console > Settings > Sharing) either team admins only or anyone in the team can create and manage collections.

Can I change the upload folder location after creating a collection?
For active collections, you cannot change the upload folder location. When you try to enable a disabled collection, you can choose a new location if the previous folder is no longer available.

Can I share a collection with another team member?
No.

Who can access the collection folder?
If the collection folder location is inside your My Folders, other team members will not be able to access the collection folder. You need to share the collection folder with other users if you want them to be able to access it.

If the collection folder location is inside a team folder, team folder members will be able to access it.

Note: Team admins can view the collection activity logs under Team Activity. They can view the collection name, type, and folder location.

Is there any upper limit on the number of collection links you can create?
No.

Is there any upper limit on the number of files you can collect per collection link?
Yes, you can collect a maximum of 50,000 files per collection link.

Can I change the expiration date after creating the link?
For active collections, you can change the expiration date at any time. When a collection link expires or is disabled, you can change the expiration once you enable the collection again.

How can I differentiate files uploaded by users in the collection destination folder?
User names will be prepended to each file uploaded via collection links. This will help you differentiate files uploaded by various users in the destination folder.

Can client users create collections?
No, client users cannot create collections, but they can access internal collection links to upload files.

Are there any limitations in trial accounts?
Maximum number of collections allowed: 2 (including both types—internal and external)
Maximum unique users to whom you can send collection links via email: 5

What happens when a collection folder is deleted or I no longer have access to it?
The collection folder's corresponding collection link will no longer work. Also, when the collection owner is not active in a team, their collection links will not work.

Will a collection link work when the collection folder is renamed or moved to another location?
Yes, the collection link will work as long as you have access to the collection folder.

For users who upload files via collection links

Can I upload a new version to an already submitted file?
Yes, for an internal collection link, multiple files uploaded by a user with the same name will be uploaded as versions.

Can users upload files even after the first submission?
This depends on the limit set on the number of files to upload. If the maximum allowed file count is not reached, users can upload files in multiple submissions.

Can users view their files after upload?
No, users cannot view their uploaded files.

Can users remove uploaded files later?
No.

Can users view submissions of other users?
No.