• It’s easy to access and share large files and folders full of files
• Clients get their own secure login
• Clients do not have to create a Sync account or install software
• Files and folders in the portal can the synchronized to your desktop, keeping things more organized and productive
• You get instant email notifications when files are accessed
• With Sync Solo Professional and Sync Teams Unlimited, you can optionally customize the file portal with your own company logo and brand colors for a more professional, trusted experience

Creating a client file portal with Sync:

1. Sign in to the web panel.
2. Create a brand new folder by clicking New Folder on the right side of the Sync web panel. You should create a separate folder for each client.
3. Create a link to the folder by hovering your mouse over the folder and clicking the Share button, and selecting the Share as link option.
4. Click the blue Link Settings button.
5. Under Link Settings set a Password. Your client will use this password to access the file portal.
6. Under Link Settings enable Uploads Permissions. This will allow your client to upload / send you documents and files.
7. Under Link Settings enable Email Notifications. You will be notified whenever there is activity in the file portal.

Giving your clients access to their own file portal:

1. Follow the steps above to create a separate folder for each client.
2. While you are still signed in to the web panel, click the Files menu option on the blue menu bar at the top of the screen.
3. Hover your mouse over the client folder you created previously, and click the Share button.
4. Select the Manage link option.
5. Click the Copy button to copy the link to your clipboard. You can then paste it into an email (Gmail, Outlook, Office 365, Apple Mail etc.), into a message, onto a website, or wherever you want people to access it.

Adding your logo and branding to the portal

This feature is available on Solo Professional and Pro Teams Unlimited plans.

1. Sign in to the web panel.
2. Click your email address (or display name) on the top right corner of the blue menu bar.
3. Select Settings.
4. Click Edit beside Custom Branding.
5. Click the Browse button and choose a logo file from your computer or device.
6. Click the Save button to save your changes.

The post Setting up a secure client file portal with Sync first appeared on Sync.com - Help Desk.

In this article:

• How do I link to a file or folder?
• How do I set passwords, expiry dates, download restrictions or revoke access?
• How do I request files with links?
• Can recipients of links download multiple files, all at once?
• What happens if I move or rename a linked file?

How do I link to a file or folder?

You can create and share links from the Sync.com web panel, your computer, or your phone or tablet.

Share a link from the Sync.com web panel:

1. Sign in to the web panel.
2. Hover your mouse over any file or folder and click the Share button.
3. Select the Share as link option (or Manage link option if the link has already been created).
4. Click the Copy button to copy the link to your clipboard. You can then paste it into an email (Gmail, Outlook, Office 365, Apple Mail etc.), into a message, onto a website, or wherever you want people to access it.

To add a password or set permissions click Link Settings. See the how to manage shared link permissions article for more details.

As an added convenience, you have the option of emailing the link directly from the web panel, in which case the recipient will get an email notification delivered by Sync. For a more personalized message we recommend sending the link via your own email, using the copy method above.

Share a link from a Windows or Mac computer:

You can create and share links directly from your computer, however, you will first need to install the Sync desktop app first. With the Sync desktop app installed:

Show on Windows    Show on Mac

1. Click the Sync icon on the Windows system tray or the Mac menu bar.
2. Select Open Sync Folder to go to the Sync folder.
3. Right click on any file or folder in your Sync folder.
4. Select Create a Link from the file menu.
5. The link will be copied your clipboard. You can then paste it into an email (Gmail, Outlook, Office 365, Apple Mail etc.), into a message, onto a website, or wherever you want people to access it.

Share a link from your phone or tablet:

1. Install the Sync mobile app on your mobile device.
2. Open the Sync mobile app.
3. Tap the (ellipsis) icon beside any file, to open the file menu.
4. Tap Share as link (or Manage link option if the link has already been created).
5. Tap Send link to, and choose your email program, messaging app, or other app to send the link.

How do I set passwords, expiry dates, download restrictions or revoke access (link permissions)?

When you share a link to a file or folder you can set access permissions to control who can view the link, and what they can do with the link.

Basic permissions include custom passwords and removing links (to revoke access). Sync Pro and Business customers can set advanced permissions, such as download restrictions, expiry dates, activity notifications and more.

See the how to manage shared link permissions article for more details.

How do I request files with links?

Sync Pro and Business customers can enable file uploads on links. The people you request files from can upload directly to a folder you link to, using a web browser (no Sync account required). This allows people to send you files easily.

See the how do I request files with links article for more details.

Can recipients of links download multiple files, all at once?

If you share a link to a folder containing multiple files, the recipient of the link will have an option to download all of the linked files at once, as a Zip. This makes it easier and faster for people viewing your link to download multiple files.

This option is available on folders up to 5 GB in size, and can be disabled via link permissions.

What happens if I move or rename a linked file?

When you move or rename a linked file, the link will stop working. If you want to continue to share the file as a link after it has been moved you can create a new link, or restore the original file in the original location.

The post Sharing files and folders with links first appeared on Sync.com - Help Desk.

In this article:

• Add passwords to shared links
• Remove a link (to revoke access)
• Set expiration dates on shared links
• Set download limits on shared links
• Disable downloads on shared links (preview only)
• Make links editable (Collaborative Links)
• Monitoring link activity
• Requesting files with links
• Enhanced privacy

Add passwords to shared links

When you add a password to shared link, recipients of the link will be required to enter the password to gain access. To set a link password:

1. Sign in to the web panel.
2. Click the (ellipsis) icon beside any file to open the file menu.
3. Select the Manage link option (or Share as link, if the link has not been created).
4. Click the Link settings button.
5. Enter a password in the set password box.
6. Click the Save Settings button.

Once saved, you can copy and paste the link into an email, or send it directly through the Sync.com web panel. Don’t forget to let the intended recipient know what the password is.

What do people see when a link is password protected?

Once you have set a password, people trying to access the link will be required to enter the password.

How do I change or remove the password?

You can reset or remove the link password by following the same steps you used to create the password. To remove the password delete the current password and save.

Remove a link (to revoke access)

When you remove a link, the link is immediately disabled. People who try to access a disabled link will get an error message. To remove a link:

1. Sign in to the web panel.
2. Click the Sharing tab on the top menu bar.
3. Select Links.
4. Click the (ellipsis) icon beside the link you want to disable.
5. Select Delete link.
6. Click Delete link to confirm.

Once removed, there is no way to re-enable the link. To share your file or folder again you would have to create a new link.

Set expiration dates on shared links

Sync Pro and Business customers can set an expiration date on shared links. People will only be able to access the link until it expires, otherwise, once expired they will get an error message. To set a link expiry date:

1. Sign in to the web panel.
2. Click the (ellipsis) icon beside any file to open the file menu.
3. Select the Manage link option (or Share as link, if the link has not been created).
4. Click the Link settings button.
5. Click the calendar icon beside the Set expiry date box.
6. Choose the desired expiry date.
   Once you choose the date you can also adjust the time, which is your local time.
7. Click the Save Settings button.

Once saved, you can copy and paste the link into an email, or send it directly through the Sync.com web panel.

You can re-activate an expired link by modifying the expiry date.

How do I change or remove the expiry date?

You can modify the expiry date by following the same steps you used to set the expiry date. To remove the expiry date click the Clear option when choosing the date.

Set download limits on shared links

Sync Pro and Business customers can limit the number of times a linked file can be downloaded. Once the limit has been reached, people who try to access the link will get an error message.

This permission can be set on files only (not folders). To set a link download limit:

1. Sign in to the web panel.
2. Click the (ellipsis) icon beside any file to open the file menu.
3. Select the Manage link option (or Share as link, if the link has not been created).
4. Click the Link settings button.
5. Enter a download limit in the set download limit box. Leave blank for unlimited.
6. Click the Save Settings button.

Once saved, you can copy and paste the link into an email, or send it directly through the Sync.com web panel.

How do I change the download limit?

You can modify the download limit by following the same steps you used to set the download limit.

Disable downloads on shared links (preview only)

Sync Pro and Business customers can disable downloads on shared links. If the file is previewable, recipients can view the linked document, but cannot physically download it to their computer or mobile device through Sync.

1. Sign in to the web panel.
2. Click the (ellipsis) icon beside any file to open the file menu.
3. Select the Manage link option (or Share as link, if the link has not been created).
4. Click the Link settings button.
5. Select View only (no download) beside Preview permissions (this option is only available on supported file types).
6. Click the Save Settings button.

Once saved, you can copy and paste the link into an email, or send it directly through the Sync.com web panel. The recipient will be able to view the document, but not download it.

Make links editable (Collaborative Links)

Sync Pro customers can enable edit permissions on shared links to Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint documents. With edit permissions enabled link recipients will be able to edit the document directly from their web-browser, while accessing the link.

1. Sign in to the web panel.
2. Click the (ellipsis) icon beside any Microsoft Word, Excel, or Powerpoint file to open the file menu.
3. Select the Manage link option (or Share as link, if the link has not been created).
4. Click the Link settings button.
5. Select View, download and edit with MS Office beside File permissions (this option is only present if the file is not in a shared folder) .
6. Click the Save Settings button.

Once saved, you can copy and paste the link into an email, or send it directly through the Sync.com web panel. Recipients will be able to edit the document, by clicking the Edit in Office menu option.

Note: Editors will be prompted to sign in or create a free Sync account to edit. This ensures all edits are tracked in version history.

Monitoring link activity

Sync Pro and Business customers can enable email notifications on link activity. When enabled, you will get an email notification whenever a link is downloaded or viewed. Link activity is also logged in the Sync.com web panel Events tab.

To enable link activity email notifications:

1. Sign in to the web panel.
2. Click the (ellipsis) icon beside any file to open the file menu.
3. Select the Manage link option (or Share as link, if the link has not been created).
4. Click the Link settings button.
5. Select Enabled beside Email notifications.
6. Click the Save Settings button.

To view link activity in the events log:

1. Sign in to the web panel.
2. Click the Events tab on the top menu bar.

The events tab lists all activity on your account. Links view events include the date and time the link was downloaded or viewed, and the IP address of the computer accessing the link.

Requesting files with links

Sync Pro and Business customers can enable file uploads on links. The people you request files from can upload directly to a folder you link to, using a web browser (no Sync account required). This allows people to send you files easily.

See the how do I request files with links article for more details.

Enhanced privacy

Enhanced privacy enables end-to-end encryption on shared links.

With enhanced privacy disabled links are encrypted in transit with SSL, which provides the highest level of compatibility in terms of web browser support, while still being encrypted and secure.

With enhanced privacy enabled links are encrypted with SSL, and additionally with a layer of end-to-end encryption. This provides more privacy, at the cost of reduced web browser functionality, and file size support. Safari mobile, older web browsers and files larger than 500 MB are not fully supported with enhanced privacy enabled. Recipients of links using an unsupported web browser will get an error message when trying to access enhanced privacy enabled links, and will not be able to download folders as Zip.

Sync provides an enhanced privacy option to ensure that you can enable end-to-end encryption on links when you need to, or use standard encryption for accessibility.

The post How to manage shared link permissions first appeared on Sync.com - Help Desk.

• The people you request files from do not need a Sync account.
• People can only upload to folders you specify.
• You can easily receive files from clients and customers, with a portal-like experience.
• If you give multiple people access to the same folder, you can control whether or not they can see each other’s files.
• Uploaders cannot delete or overwrite existing files in a folder.

In this article:

• How do I request a file with upload enabled links?
• How do I control the visibility of uploaded files?
• How do I enable email notifications, expiry dates and passwords (or revoke access)?
• How do you upload files to an upload enabled link?

How do I request files with upload enabled links?

You can create upload enabled links ( file requests ) from the Sync.com web panel, or your phone or tablet.

Share an upload enabled link from the Sync.com web panel:

1. Sign in to the web panel.
2. Hover your mouse over the folder you want to use for the file request and click the Share button. It’s best to create a new folder for each file request.
3. Select the Share as link option (or Manage link option if the link has already been created).
4. Click the Link settings button.
5. Beside Upload permissions, select Enabled (show files in folder).
6. Click the Save Settings button.

Once saved, you can copy and paste the upload enabled link into an email, or send it directly through the Sync.com web panel.

Share an upload enabled link from your phone or tablet:

1. Install the Sync mobile app on your mobile device.
2. Open the Sync mobile app.
3. Tap the (ellipsis) icon beside any folder, to open the menu.
4. Tap Share as link (or Manage link option if the link has already been created).
5. Tap Enable upload.
6. Select Upload enabled.
7. Tap Save changes.
8. Tap Send link to, and choose your email program, messaging app, or other app to send the link.

Controlling the visibility of uploaded files

You can control whether or not existing files in the upload folder are visible to the people you share the link with. This is useful if you give multiple people access to the same folder, and you do not want them to see each other’s files.

Use the Enabled (show files in folder) or Enabled (hide files in folder) options when creating the link, or managing link settings.

How do I enable email notifications, expiry dates and passwords (or revoke access)?

When you share an upload enabled link you can set access permissions to control who can view the link, and what they can do with the link.

Basic permissions include custom passwords and removing links (to revoke access). Sync Pro and Business customers can set advanced permissions, such as expiry dates and activity notifications.

See the how to manage shared link permissions article for more details.

How do you upload files to an upload enabled link?

Links that are upload enabled will have an option to upload files. Depending on the visibility settings of the link, you may or may not see a listing of any existing files in the folder. To upload a new file to the link:

1. Navigate to the link (if it was sent to you via email, click the link in the email to access it).
2. Click Upload files from the file menu.
3. Drag files or folders from your computer into the window, or click Choose files + and select as many files as you’d like from the computer file browser.
4. Click Add or Open once you have selected a file.

The post Requesting files with upload enabled links first appeared on Sync.com - Help Desk.

How to upload a profile picture

1. Sign in to the web panel.
2. Click on your email address in the top right corner. This will open a dropdown menu. Click Settings to go into your account settings.
3. On the Account tab and in the Display Avatar line, you’ll see the default avatar is your first initial in a grey circle. Click Edit.
4. You’ll be prompted to upload an image from your device. Click Browse to open your device files.
5. Once an image is selected and uploaded, click Save.
6. You’ll see the profile picture change in the settings.
7. You can revert back to the default avatar at any time by clicking Edit again and then Reset to Default.

Note: square and centered images are best to avoid parts of the picture being cut off in the circle.

The post How to add a profile picture to your Sync account first appeared on Sync.com - Help Desk.

How to comment on a shared file:

1. Open the link you want to comment on.
2. In the comment sidebar, enter a comment and click the Post Comment button.
3. By default you’ll need to sign into your Sync account to leave a comment. Pro Solo and Pro Teams customers can optionally enable anonymous comments (allowing recipients of links to comment without signing into Sync).

How to edit or delete a comment:

The owner of a shared link can edit or delete any comment. Other people commenting on a shared link can edit or delete their own comments. To do so:

1. Open the link with the comment you want to edit or delete.
2. In the comment sidebar, click Details.
3. Click Edit or Delete.
4. Note: this action cannot be undone. Only the owner of the shared file can edit or delete an anonymous comment.

Comment settings:

The owner of a shared link can manage comment settings from link settings, as follows:

1. Sign in to the web panel.
2. Click the (ellipsis) icon beside any file to open the file menu.
3. Select the Manage link option (or Share as link, if the link has not been created).
4. Click the Link settings button.

From the Link settings dialogue you can:

Disable commenting – By default commenting is enabled. You can disable comments by toggling the Comments setting to Disabled.

Enable anonymous commenting – Sync Pro Solo and Pro Teams customers can enable anonymous commenting, which allows the people you share with to comment without having to authenticate first. You can enable anonymous comments by toggling the Comments setting to Enable for all users (anonymous included).

Disable comment notifications – By default new comment email notifications are sent to the link owner, and authenticated users that have added a comment. You can disable comment email notifications by toggling the Comment notifications setting to Disabled.

The post How to comment on files shared with Sync links first appeared on Sync.com - Help Desk.