Become an Intelligent Content Management Expert with our free Admin certification - now available! Get started

Box Status
Print

Collaboration Frequently Asked Questions

End User , Overview , Troubleshooting , Shared Links , Work Together , Article , Product Utilization , Established

What is the difference between collaboration and shared links?

A collaborator is an individual who has been invited to a file or folder. Collaboration invites are a great way to share content for long term projects. This will allow you to invite people to a file or folder and monitor updates over time. In order to access a file or folder as a collaborator, a person will need a Box account. The file or folder will be listed under All Files when they log in to their Box account.

A shared link is a unique URL that gives the recipient to access a specific file or folder. With customizable permission levels, security settings, and a URL that’s easy to copy and paste, shared links can be used to send important content both internally and externally. Unlike collaboration, individuals accessing your content through a shared link get "read-only" access and won’t be able to make changes to your files.

Invite an individual into a file or folder as a collaborator if you are actively working with them on long-term projects. Collaboration provides a two-way relationship; depending on their access level, collaborators can view, edit, upload/download documents, leverage collaboration tools (comments, tasks, and so on.), and receive updates on actions taking place in the folder. Be aware you must have a Box account to collaborate on content in Box. If you send a collaboration invitation to an individual without a Box account, that individual will be prompted to sign up with Box before being able to access the content.

Note

Box makes it easy to collaborate on and share files and documents with anyone, inside or outside your organization. However, when you share, move, or copy content, the permission to access those items might change, often to a less restrictive setting. More on how Box helps you keep your content secure.

 

Why can't I see a folder I was invited to?

If a user is invited to collaborate on a folder and they do not accept this collaboration invitation (from the email notification received or the Pending Items Manager in the user's Box account) then the collaborative folder will not appear in the user's Box account until the collaboration invitation has been accepted. If a user does not accept an invitation within 30 days, the invitation is removed.

Additionally, if a user does not confirm their email address during the sign up process, they will not see the collaborative folder they were invited to until they confirm their email address. If a user is having trouble confirming their email address, please submit a support ticket for assistance.

 

Why was collaboration auto-deleted prior to the expiration date?

A collaboration gets auto-deleted on the expiration date if it is set to auto-expire. The collaboration can be auto-deleted prior to the expiration date if 30 days have passed after the collaboration was set to pending status. This can typically occur if the collaboration status was changed from Accepted to Pending due to the invitee not meeting the security requirements (such as strong passwords and MFA) configured by the admin.

 

I can't find a folder I was collaborating on and it's not in the trash. What happened to it?

If a collaborative folder that you do not own is missing from your Box account, it is most likely that the owner of the collaborative folder has removed you as a collaborator on the collaborative folder. You will have to contact the folder owner of the collaborative folder to have them reinvite you to that folder again.

 

Why are some files missing? I didn't delete them.

All users collaborating on a collaborative folder who have an Editor access level or above on the folder will be able to move, edit, add, and delete contents within this collaborative folder. If you notice that content is missing or in a different location within this collaborative folder structure, it is most likely that another collaborator on the folder moved/deleted the item from its original location.

 

If an items was deleted within a collaborative folder by another collaborator on the folder, the deleted item would show up in the trash folder of the user who deleted the item and the folder owner of the collaborative folder.

 

Can I edit a live document online?

Yes, if your admin has enabled Microsoft Online, Google Docs, or iHelp integrations. After opening a file, in the top-right corner of the Preview window, click Open and select an application containing the description Open this file in your browser to edit in real-time with others.

 

tech_writers_swarm_kb

Related articles