# Sharing externally

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<Lead>
With share links you share files and whole folders with people outside the workspace: no login required, with an expiry date, an optional password, and revocable at any time.
</Lead>

## Who may share

Share links can be created by **owners and admins** (the "create external share links" permission). For restricted folders the **manage level** on the folder is required on top; whoever may only view the folder cannot share it externally.

## Creating a link

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open sharing">
    Right-click the file or folder, then **Share...** (Freigeben...).
  </Step>
  <Step title="Set the rules">
    Pick the **expiry** (7, 14, 30 or 90 days), optionally set a **password** and use the **allow downloads** (Herunterladen erlauben) toggle to decide whether recipients may only view or also download. For folders: without download permission there is no ZIP download either.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Copy the link, right away">
    The finished link appears **exactly once** in plain text. Copy it immediately; afterwards it can no longer be viewed, not even by you.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info title="Why the link is visible only once">
The platform does not store the link in plain text, only its cryptographic fingerprint. If the link is lost, simply revoke it and create a new one.
</Info>

## What recipients see

- The share page opens **without a login**. Images, PDFs, videos and audio are shown directly; the page is not discoverable by search engines.
- For folder shares, recipients browse the subfolders and, when allowed, download everything as a ZIP.
- If a password is set, the page asks for it before showing anything.
- An expired or revoked link shows recipients a **neutral error message** without revealing what was behind it.

## Keeping track

- Files and folders with an active link carry the **Extern geteilt** (shared externally) badge.
- The details panel lists all active links of the entry under **Shares** (Freigaben) with expiry and "{n} views", and allows **revoking** right there. A revoked link is invalid immediately.
- Under **Settings > Files** you find the workspace overview **active external links**: all links with expiry and view counts, revocable one by one or all at once.

## Frequently asked questions

<Faq>
  <FaqItem q="Can I copy the link again later?">
    No. The link is visible in plain text exactly once. Revoke it and create a new one if it got lost.
  </FaqItem>
  <FaqItem q="Can I extend the expiry of an active link?">
    For a longer duration, create a new link with the fitting expiry and revoke the old one. The expiry options are 7, 14, 30 and 90 days.
  </FaqItem>
  <FaqItem q="Does the recipient see who is in the workspace?">
    No. The share page shows only the shared content, no workspace internals.
  </FaqItem>
</Faq>

## Further reading

For access **inside** the workspace, use access lists instead of links: [Folder access](/tools/dateien/zugriff). Back to the [overview](/tools/dateien).