# Share a widget, document or file

> Share one widget, Office document or file without sharing the whole desk: make a link, invite people by email, or edit a document live together.

Source: https://plexiidesk.com/help/share-items-documents-files
Section: People and sharing > Share and collaborate
Plans: All plans
Updated: 2026-10-15

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](https://plexiidesk.com/help/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](https://plexiidesk.com/help/account-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

| To share | Do this | The window is called |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **A widget** | Right-click the widget, point at **Share** and click **Share...**. On a widget with no text, **Share...** is in the menu directly. | **Share this desk item** |
| **An Office document** (a document, spreadsheet, deck, diagram, design or artwork) | Open it and click **Share** in the editor's header. Its tooltip says **Share this file**. | **Share this document** |
| **A file in Files** | Right-click the file and click **Create public link**. | **Share this file** |
| **A folder in Files** | Right-click the folder and click **Create public link**. The link shares the documents in the folder. | **Share this folder** |

The name of what you are sharing appears under the window's title. See [Right-click menus](https://plexiidesk.com/help/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](https://plexiidesk.com/help/shared-with-me).

## Invite people by email

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

1. Type the person's email address in **name@example.com**.
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](https://plexiidesk.com/help/real-time-collaboration).

## 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.

> **Tip:**
> Revoke a link before you delete it. Deleting a link only takes it off your list. Revoking is what stops it working.

## 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](https://plexiidesk.com/help/share-desk-with-people).
- **Give your organisation a file to work on** rather than a copy. See [Share with your team or a group](https://plexiidesk.com/help/share-with-team-or-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](https://plexiidesk.com/help/real-time-collaboration).

## Related tasks

- [Sharing and invites](https://plexiidesk.com/help/sharing-and-invites)
- [Work together in real time](https://plexiidesk.com/help/real-time-collaboration)
- [Rooms and desks shared with you](https://plexiidesk.com/help/shared-with-me)
- [Share with your team or a group](https://plexiidesk.com/help/share-with-team-or-group)
- [Share a read-only snapshot](https://plexiidesk.com/help/share-snapshot-and-viewer)