Share a widget, document or file

You do not have to share a whole desk to show someone one thing on it. You can share a single widget, an Office document, or a file or folder from Files. For each, you can make a link anyone can open in their web browser, or invite people by email. An Office document can also be shared live, so you edit it together.

To share a whole desk or room, see Sharing and invites.

Before you start

• Plan. Sharing works on every plan.
• What needs you to be signed in. You can make a link without signing in. You need to be signed in to invite people by email, to share a document live, and for a shared file to be downloadable from its link. See Create an account and sign in.
• Anyone who has a link can open it. Send links only to the people you mean to share with, and stop a link when it is no longer needed.

Open the share window

The name of what you are sharing appears under the window's title. See Right-click menus.

Make a link

1. Open the share window.
2. Under Or choose the permission yourself, choose what the link gives people:
   • View only: anyone with the link can see it in their web browser. No sign-up is needed to view.
   • View + add to their workspace: they can see it, and if they sign up, it appears on their Shared page, where they can add a copy to their own workspace.
3. Click Create link & copy.

The link is copied for you, and Link ready — copied! appears with the link underneath. Paste it into an email, a chat or wherever you like. To copy it again, click the copy button beside it.

What people see when they open the link

The link opens a read-only page in their web browser, with a copy of the item as it was when you made the link. It does not change when you edit the item later: make a new link to share the newer version.

• A widget shows its content. A table shares its columns and its first 200 rows.
• A document shows its pages, sheets or slides.
• A file can be viewed or downloaded, up to 50 MB. A larger file shows its name and size, with a note that it is too large to preview.
• A folder shows the documents in it.

For what someone sees when you share with View + add to their workspace, see Rooms and desks shared with you.

Invite people by email

Once a link exists, the window shows Invite by email.

1. Type the person's email address in [email protected].
2. Click Invite, or press Enter.

The window says Invite sent to and their address. They get an email with the link. If they already have a PlexiDesk account with that address, the share also appears on their Shared page and in their Inbox.

Each person you invite is listed underneath as invited, or joined once the share has reached their PlexiDesk account.

If you are working in an organisation that has a domain set, inviting someone outside it asks you to confirm first: Share outside the organisation? Click Send share to go ahead.

Edit a document live with people

For an Office document, the top of the share window has Live sharing (real-time). Sharing this way turns the document into a live document that everyone edits together, instead of sending a copy.

1. Click Share in the document's header.
2. Under Live sharing (real-time), search for people by name, @handle or email, and click each person to add them. If you are not in an organisation, type their email address instead.
3. Choose Can edit or View only.
4. Click Share with 1 person, or Share with and the number of people.

PlexiDesk makes a live copy of the document, adds the people to it and opens it for you. Work in the live copy from now on: it is the one everyone edits. See Work together in real time.

See and stop your links

Under Existing links, the share window lists every link you have made for this item, with how many times it has been viewed. Beside each one:

• Copy copies the link again.
• Revoke — link stops working stops the link straight away. The link stays in the list marked revoked.
• Delete this link removes it from the list.

Tips

• Choose View only for most links. Use View + add to their workspace when the other person should be able to keep and build on a copy.
• Share a fresh link after big changes. A link shows the item as it was when you made it.
• Share a whole desk instead when the widgets only make sense together. See Share a desk with specific people.
• Give your organisation a file to work on rather than a copy. See Share with your team or a group.

Common questions

Do people need PlexiDesk to open a link? No. Links open in any web browser. They only need an account to add the item to their own workspace.

I edited the widget, but the link still shows the old version. Links show a copy of the item as it was when you made the link. Make a new link, and revoke the old one if you no longer want it used.

Invite by email does not appear. It appears once a link exists. Click Create link & copy first.

It says "You have reached the maximum number of active share links." Revoke links you no longer need, then try again.

What happens to my original document when I share it live? It stays where it was. Sharing live makes a live copy, and that copy is the one you and the people you added edit from then on. See Work together in real time.

Related tasks

• Sharing and invites
• Work together in real time
• Rooms and desks shared with you
• Share with your team or a group
• Share a read-only snapshot