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Forum Discussion
Emailing Link to ONLY one folder
Hi. I would like to email a link to ONLY one folder from my dropbox account. If I email a link to a friend, will that friend also be able to see all the other photos in my account? Thank you. C.
Hello...
If you'd like to view how the Dropbox sharing a folder/file LINK will appear to your recipients, please be my guest to test-drive the two examples that I provided below.
I always recommend to our customers to send a shared folder/file LINK to the people who you want to be able to view your folder/files instead of sharing a COLLABORATIVE folder.
ADDED BENEFITS:
[1] It doesn't use any of your recipients storage space quota (for those who already have a Dropbox account).
[2] It works for non-Dropbox members.
Be forewarned that a shared folder/file LINK should not to be confused with sharing a COLLABORATIVE folder that allows your recipients to: add, edit or delete folders and files.
UNDERSTANDING BOTH DROPBOX SHARING METHODS:
I cannot emphasize enough that it's in your best interest to familiarize yourself with both types prior to using them.
[1] Sharing a folder/file LINK ( read Help Center article).
>>> Using above method permits your recipients to view and/or download your files, photos and videos (files are read only).
[2] Sharing a COLLABORATIVE folder ( read Help Center article).
>>> Collaborative folders allow your recipients to: add, edit or delete files and folders.
ATTENTION:
Please use extreme caution when sharing a COLLABORATIVE folder because it not only allows your recipients to add/edit files, it also permits them to DELETE your folders and files.
[1] I don't use a COLLABORATIVE folder for sharing pictures/videos solely because recipients could unwittingly delete our irreplaceable digital photos (I don't have negatives to rely upon as a backup).
[2] If you have a pro or Business account then you can enable view only permissions. However, don't forget to do so otherwise you're risking possible file deletions.
You can recover deleted files but that's only available for 30-days unless you have a pro account with extended version history (or a business plan). However, if you're recipients inadvertently delete your files and you don't login to your Dropbox account until the 31st day then your folders/files are permanently removed from their servers.
SHARING A DROPBOX SUB FOLDER LINK:
The image below shows you the hierarchy of my example for sharing a LINK to a sub folder that only allows the recipient to view the ExampleSubFolder's contents .
Sharing a folder/file LINK to my sub folder example does not give you access to the parent folder (zz.Example2) or its other sub folder (ExampleSubFolder2).
Depending upon how your folders/files are arranged within your Dropbox account:
[1] You may have to create a new parent or sub folder.
[2] Then copy/move your files to that folder in order to control what your recipients can view or download.
SHARING A FOLDER LINK THAT'S PASSWORD PROTECTED:
If you'd like to view how a shared folder/file LINK with a password is used then look at this zzExampleFolder.
[1] Password = share
[2] Requires pro or business account to enable passwords.
You can view or download everything in my example folder without it utilizing any of your storage space quota.
SEND INVITATIONS TO YOUR FOLDERS / FILES VIA EMAIL:
My suggestion when inviting your recipients to a shared folder/file LINK or a COLLABORATIVE folder is to send either via your email application (eg: Outlook, Thunderbird, Windows Live Mail, gmail, etc).
FREE DROPBOX MEMBERS SHOULD BE AWARE:
[1] There are 20 GB bandwidth limitations set per day. This means that every file, photo or video that's viewed and/or downloaded counts against your daily allotment.
EXAMPLE: You share a link to a 500 MB video (0.5 GB) and it's viewed 40 times in less than 24 hours, then your 20 GB bandwidth limit for a free Dropbox account has been attained (your links will be temporarily disabled, and anyone who tries to access them will see an error page instead of your files).
[2] Keep in mind that if you share a link with people who in turn shares the link with their friends, especially via social media, then your bandwidth limit_ could be reached in an hour (not hours).
[3] Upgrading to a pro account will remove the daily 20 GB restriction and will increase it to 200 GB.
