How to share folders using Dropbox

Dropbox offers easy ways to share files or folders. Shared folders are ideal for groups of people who work on the same files together. When you create a shared folder and add other people to it, its fileswill appear in their Dropbox just as they do in yours. Any member of the folder can add, delete, or edit files within that folder.  

Share a folder from the Dropbox website

1. Sign in to the Dropbox website.
2. Go to your list of files and folders and select the folder you want to share by clicking on the empty space to the right of the folder's name. (Clicking on the folder name or icon will open the folder instead.)
3. If the folder is currently unshared, click Invite to folder in the toolbar:

3. If the folder is already being shared, click Shared folder options: 
    
   Click Shared folder options to invite more people
   
   
4. Enter the email addresses of the people you want to invite.
5. Add a personal message if you'd like and click Share folder.

You can also invite people to folders from the Sharing page. To create a new shared folder, click the New shared folder button at the top of the page. To invite more people to an existing shared folder, find it in the list and click its Options link.

Share a folder on Windows

You can share a folder right from your computer if you've installed the Dropbox desktop application.

1. Open your Dropbox folder.
2. Right-click on the folder you want to share to bring up a menu.
3. Select Share This Folder.... This will open the Sharing page on the Dropbox website.
   
   
    
    Select Share This Folder... from the contextual menu
   
   
4. Enter the email addresses of the people you want to invite.
5. Add a personal message if you'd like and click Share folder.

Share link on Windows Vista or Windows 7

1. Install the Dropbox desktop application on your computer (if you haven't already).
2. Right-click on the file to open its contextual menu and select Share Dropbox link. The link will be copied and you can immediately paste it anywhere.

Share link from the Dropbox contextual menu. 

Share link using the website

1. Sign in to the Dropbox website (if you haven't already).
2. Right-click on the folder or file name to open the contextual menu.
3. Click Share link from the drop-down menu.

 

 Share link through the Dropbox website

Once the link is created, a preview window appears. Enter the email addresses of the people you'd like to send the link to or select Get link to copy the URL so that you can paste it in your email, instant message, etc. This preview page is also what others will see when they use your link.

You can remove a link from the Links tab on the sidebar of the Dropbox website or by selecting Remove link from the gear menu that appears when the link creator (you) use the link.

For advanced users

Your links are secure! When you get a link, Dropbox creates a unique token used only in that link. It is almost impossible to guess the token, but even if someone was able to, they'd have to know the name of the folder and files the link points to. That said, be careful in how you use links:

• If you publish the link on a website or somewhere public, anybody can use the link, and the website where your link is posted might even be included in search engines.
• When using a web browser, be sure to enter or paste the link into the address bar of your browser and not the entry field of a search engine. Entering the link in a search engine could lead to the link's disclosure to third parties, and your information could be exposed.
• When you create a link to a folder, everything in the folder and its subfolders will be accessible from the link. Move items out of the folder or remove the link if you no longer want to make these files accessible from the link.