How To Create A Link On Dropbox

You can share files stored on Dropbox with friends, family, and co-workers from a browser, your computer's desktop, or the mobile app.
To share a Dropbox file, run your cursor over it and click the "Share" button when it appears.
You can share a file on Dropbox by entering the email address of a recipient or by creating a share link.
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Because Dropbox can keep a set of files in sync across all your devices, it's a convenient way to maintain access to your essential data no matter where you are. But just as importantly, Dropbox lets you share files with other people. Just send a link – there's no need to send large, cumbersome email attachments.

When sending certain kinds of files, Dropbox offers settings you can adjust to meet your needs. By default, when you share a file, it can be edited, but you can choose whether to allow recipients to edit the file or only read it. tA file set to view-only can still be downloaded and edited, but recipients won't be able to make changes to the version of the doc stored in your Dropbox folder.

Sharing a Dropbox file, whether you're doing it from your browser, computer, or the mobile app, is a pretty similar process. However, those sharing from their computers will need to know how to find their Dropbox folder.

Here's how to share a Dropbox file.

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How to share files on Dropbox from a web browser

1. Open Dropbox in a web browser and log in.

2. Click "Files" in the navigation pane on the left side of the window to see a list of your files and folders.

You can find the link on the left-hand side of the Dropbox dashboard.

3. Find the file you want to share and hold the mouse over it before clicking "Share" when the button appears.

The Share button appears when you hover the mouse pointer over a file.

4. To share the file with specific people, add their email addresses in the "To:" line before clicking "Share."

The link will be automatically sent to those recipients.

5. To change the file's sharing permissions, toggle between "Can edit" and "Can view" before generating a link.

If you set the permission to "Can view," then recipients won't be able to edit the version of the file in Dropbox.

6. To share the link manually, click "Copy link" next to the "Can Edit" or "Can view" buttons.

You can choose your share permissions based on the link you choose to copy.

7. A message will pop-up notifying you that the share link has been copied. Paste it to whichever platform you plan to share it through.

How to share files on Dropbox from your computer's Dropbox folder

1. Open your Dropbox folder on your computer.

2. Select the file you want to share.

The Dropbox folder will appear in a different place depending on the system you use.

3. Right-click on it and choose "Share…"

Right-clicking on a Dropbox file will bring up a list of options, including the ability to view the file on Dropbox.com and see its version history.

4. If the file you're sharing is a document, choose whether to give permission to edit the file or only view it.

5. Enter the email address of each person you want to share the file with and click "Share."

You can also click "Create link" and "Copy link" to send the link yourself.

How to share files on Dropbox using the mobile app

1. Open the Dropbox app.

This will be your Dropbox app home screen.

2. Tap "Files" at the bottom of the screen.

Your complete list of Dropbox files and folders can be viewed on this page.

3. Locate the file you want to share and tap the three dots under the file.

Each file in the Dropbox folder will feature this button underneath.

4. In the pop-up menu, choose "Share."

In the Dropbox app, you can select files and share them with other people.

5. Add email addresses to the "Send to" field and tap "Share" or tap on "Share Link" to give people permission to edit or view the shared file.

The Dropbox app will generate share links so that anyone with it can view the document you send them.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

How to share a Dropbox folder in 3 different ways
How to share a video on Google Drive in 2 different ways
How to share a photo album on your iPhone using iCloud, and let any of your friends view and add photos to it
How to 'unshare' a Google Doc to make it private after you've already shared it with others
How to create and share a Google Drive folder with customized sharing settings

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.