A share link grants external users access to NetX assets and constituent files. Share links can be created by consumer-level users or higher.
Creating a share link
Share links are tied to their creators and will not be accessible if the creator's account is deleted from the system. If you wish to avoid this risk, we recommend the use of a service account for mission critical permanent links.
Share action
Wherever you see Share or the share button, you can create a share link for a single asset, folder, selection, saved search, or collection
Sharing a single asset
- Click the share action from the asset detail page.
- In the gallery, right-click the asset's thumbnail and click Share.
Sharing a selection of assets
- Use the Share button along the selection bar.
- Right-click a selected asset's thumbnail in the gallery and choose Share.
Sharing a folder, collection, or saved search
- Click the gallery header action menu while viewing collections, folders, and saved searches. Choose Share to share gallery contents via share link.
Creating a link using the links manager
- Click the upper-left plus button to create a new share link.
- Give your link an Access type. This can be asset, collection, folder, or saved search.
- Enter the name of the asset, collection, folder, or saved search.
- Configure the duration and security options, then click Choose options to select the type of asset files you wish to provide in the link.
- Click Create link.
- After the link is created, you can Copy to clipboard or Email link directly to recipients.
Configuring a share link
- Displays the type of content being shared. In the above example, the link action was initiated using the selection bar. This type cannot be edited.
- Your share link's Title. This title appears at the top of the share link's landing page.
- The Duration for the link. There are two duration options: an Expiration date disables the link after the specified date, while the Number of uses determines the number of accesses before the link is disabled. Note: if a link is edited after creation, the number of uses will not reset to zero.
- The Security option allows you to create a password for the link. Without the password, users will not be able to access, preview, or download any assets or options included in the share link.
- Choose the type of access: Download allows recipients to download the files specified in the link, while View only removes the ability to download anything via the link, though recipients may still preview the included assets. Download options are not available while creating a View only link.
- The Include attributes checkbox determines whether attributes are displayed on the share link's list view landing page. If this is unchecked the name, file type, file size, and any file information such as an asset's duration or dimensions are used as default attributes.
- Choose between user or system attribute sets, or select attributes individually. In either case, attributes can be removed with the X button or reordered with their accompanying drag icons.
- Cancel closes the share link window without creating a link or saving any configuration. If Download access is specified, Choose options launches the download options window. If View only is chosen, the Create link button will display instead.
Download options
Using Download options, you can choose a variety of files and data to include in your share link. These options may be limited or change depending on the type of assets you are downloading. If share link access is set to View only, Download options will not be available.
- The option to include the Original asset(s) is always available, regardless of selection or attribute type.
- Thumbnails and Previews are generated on upload for certain types of assets; if all of the assets you are sharing have these proxy files available, both of these options will appear. Thumbnails are sized at approximately 150x100 pixels, or 100x150 depending on the original asset's orientation. Previews are sized at 500 pixels on the longest side, with the shorter side varying depending on the original asset's aspect ratio.
- Any asset view files attached to the asset(s) will appear here. If sharing multiple assets, this option only displays if all assets have at least one view in common; only those common views will appear as options.
- The presets section will only appear if your link consists entirely of repurpose-able image formats and your site has at least one saved image preset, or video assets.
- The PDF tab allows you to include a PDF.
- The Attribute info tab presents the option to export attribute data. If attribute history is enabled, an option to export attribute history for the assets is displayed.
- Exit the share link process without saving.
- Cancel ends the share link process without saving any configuration details; Create link will generate your share link URL.
Managing share links
Share links can be managed by the user who created the link. Administrators can view all links that have been created in the system. Use Tools button along the lefthand navigation sidebar to navigate to the Links section. From this tab, you can manage any existing share links or create new ones.
Creating a share link
Links can be created from the links tab by using the upper-left plus icon.
Editing share links
Share links, once created, can be reconfigured with new security, expiration, or download options.
- Click the action menu button on the link you wish to edit.
- Choose Edit.
- Edit your link as though you were creating a new link. Note: you cannot modify which assets are included in the link.
If you are modifying the number of times a share link may be accessed, the number of times the link has been accessed prior to the modification will not be reset; i.e. if you impose a duration expiration of three uses and the link has already been used twice, your link will only be accessible once more under the new setting.
Deleting share links
- Click the action menu button which corresponds to the desired link.
- Choose Delete. There will be a confirmation dialogue.
- Click Delete once more to confirm.
Sharing links
Copy URL
To quickly copy the URL for a particular share link, click the Copy URL button which accompanies each link.
Email link
Link URLs can be emailed directly from the application:
- Click the action menu button corresponding to the link you are editing.
- Choose Email link.
- In the Email field, type the email address of the recipient. To enter multiple email addresses, separate them with a comma.
- Type an optional Message to be sent to recipients along with the link's URL.
Accessing share links
Once a share link is created and shared, the recipient uses the link to download and preview those shared assets as well as any PDF, preset, or attribute information that may have been included in the link alongside the assets themselves.
If a share link is configured as View only, any download buttons or options shown below will not be visible.
Grid view
- A share link's header includes any brand logo, the link's name, number of assets, as well as any expiration or duration applied to the link. This link includes an expiration date of one month.
- Toggle between card and list view using the icons. If there is a dropdown arrow beside the Download all button, a PDF or exported attributes have been shared alongside the assets. You can download these individually using the dropdown arrow individually or as a bundle with the rest of the link during the Download all action.
- The download button inside each asset's cell will only download that asset. If the share link's creator included more than one download option you will be able to choose amongst these to download individually or as a bundle.
- While in card view, the only visible attributes will be the asset's name, extension, file size, and file information regardless of any share link attributes included in the link. Clicking any asset's thumbnail will display that asset's preview.
List view
- A share link's header includes any brand logo, the link's name, number of assets, as well as any expiration or duration applied to the link. This header indicates that the link has 11 uses remaining.
- If the link includes any attributes, these will display to the right of the asset's thumbnail much like a NetX gallery's list view. If the link's creator did not include any attributes, the default attributes will be the asset's name, extension, file size, and an asset's file information (such as pixel count for any image asset or duration for an audio asset).
- The download button to the right of each asset will only download that asset. If the share link's creator included more than one download option you will be able to choose amongst these to download individually or as a bundle.
- Clicking any asset's thumbnail will display that asset's preview.
Download options
The link's creator may have included asset derivatives, presets, or views in addition to the original asset. Using an individual asset's download button will allow you to choose which of these options will be included in the download action.
Previewing
Certain file types may be previewed directly from the share link without needing to download the file first. Images can be expanded by clicking the thumbnail, while video and audio can be played directly in the browser by clicking a thumbnail and using the controls on the media player.