Requesting file access

Workspace members and guests on any plan can request access to a file if they follow a link and can’t view the content. Read on to learn more!

Requesting file access

If a workspace member opens a file link in their workspace that they don’t have access to, they will see the option to request access to that file:

• If the file is located in someone’s My Files, that person will be notified of the request.
• If the file is located in a private team, anyone with edit permissions in the team can grant access. A notification will also be sent to the creator of the file or the last person to edit the file if they are in the private team.
• For files located in a public team or in the "Everybody at" shared section, any team or workspace editor can grant file access. Only guests can request access to shared files as all other workspace members have access to all shared content. A notification will be sent to the creator of the file, the last person to edit the file, or any workspace editor.

Approving a file access request

There are two ways to approve a file access request:

1. Under the Share menu where the file access request was made:

   

   
   
2. Via an email notification:

If you decline a request, you will have the option to give a reason for declining. The requester will be sent an email notification with this reason.

If you ignore the request, access to the file will not be granted.

3. Via Slack (if you have our Slack integration enabled):

Access permissions

Once a request is approved, the requester will have guest access to that file.

The permission level will default to their workspace member role:

• Workspace editors will be granted edit access to the file
• Workspace viewers will be granted comment access to the file.

You can change the sharing permissions under the Share menu:

FAQs

Will granting file access affect my billing?

No, you are granting access to just a file - not changing the user role in the workspace.

What if I don’t want to give this person access who sent me a request?

Simply ignore the notification or deny it. If other members in your workspace have edit access to the file, they may be able to approve the request.

What if I don’t want to give edit access to the person who sent the request?

That’s fine! From the request email, you can choose to select a different permission level (comment or view) depending on what level you want to grant, or you can change the permission after access is granted from the Share menu.

I granted access to a file by mistake, how do I remove it?

Go to the Share menu and remove the user from the list of members and guests who have access.

Can guests invited to specific files in my workspace requests file access, too?

Yes, if you are already sharing at least one file with a guest, they can request file access to any other file in your workspace.