How to share files and folders from Dropbox

Dropbox has different ways to share files and folders to give you complete control over who can see what. Annoyingly the more advanced features of Dropbox are only available to Dropbox Pro and Business subscribers. That means you’ll have to pay for features like links that expire or files and folders that are view-only. The basic features available in Dropbox for sharing let you share access to folders or share individual files.

First up, folders. The easiest way to manage Dropbox sharing is via the website so head to www.dropbox.com and login to your account. Navigate to the folder you want to share and click the Share icon next to ‘Search’ in the top-right corner (it looks like a folder with a rainbow on it). In the box that appears enter the email addresses of the people you want to share it with. Press enter after each email address to include details of more than one person. You can also enter a personal message below.

If you don’t want the people you are sharing the folder with to be able to invite others deselect ‘Allow editors to manage membership of this folder’. If this box is left ticked than anyone with access to the shared folder can give anyone else access as well. When you’re happy with the settings click ‘Share folder’.

You can also create a link to a folder and quickly give anyone access to it. Right click on the folder you want to share, select ‘Share link’ and either copy the link and paste it into an email or email it direct from Dropbox by filling in the ‘Send this link to’ box. Click Send to share the link.

If you just want to give someone access to a specific file then this is also possible. Right click on the file you want to share and select ‘Share link’. Either copy the link and send it on or fill in the box to share it from Dropbox. Anyone with access to that link will be able to see, edit and download what you’ve shared with them.

You can revoke access to any linked folders and files by selecting Links from the Dropbox menu on the left. Click the X and select ‘Remove link’ and the link you shared earlier will no longer be valid. To manage previously shared folders select Sharing from the menu on the left then click Options. You can remove individual people by clicking the X next to their email address or removing sharing on the folder completely by clicking ‘Unshare folder’.