Sharing and Collaborating in Box

Quick Links: | Choose the Right Sharing Method | Share Box Content with a Link | Collaborate with People in Box | Manage Access to Shared Content | Prevent Editing Conflicts and Duplicate Files | Use Linked Files with Box |

Choose the Right Sharing Method

Box offers two main ways to give people access to files and folders: shared links and collaboration invitations. Choose the option that matches what the person needs to do.

Access Method	Best For	What Users Can Do
Shared link	Sending view-only access to a file or folder.	Users can view or download content, depending on the link settings. Shared links do not add content to the user’s Box account.
Collaboration invitation	Working together in Box over time.	Collaborators can access content from Box, Box Drive, and their All Files area. Their actions depend on the permission level assigned.

Use a shared link when someone only needs to view or download content.

Use a collaboration invitation when someone needs ongoing access, editing ability, or access through Box Drive.

Share Box Content with a Link

Shared links let you send access to a file or folder without adding someone as a collaborator.

To create a shared link in Box on the web:

1. Locate the file or folder in Box.
2. Select Share.
3. Select Get Shared Link.
4. Choose the appropriate link access level.
5. Copy the link or send it directly from Box.

Access Level	Who Can Use the Link	Recommended Use
People with the link	Anyone who has the link.	Use only for content that is approved for public access.
People in your company	Users with Chico State Box accounts.	Use for Chico State-only content.
People in the folder	Existing collaborators on the folder.	Use for the most restricted link access.

 Important: Be careful when using People with the link. Anyone who receives or forwards the link can access the content.

Collaborate with People in Box

Collaboration invitations give people ongoing access to Box content. Collaborators can access shared content from Box on the web and, when applicable, Box Drive.

To invite collaborators:

1. Locate the file or folder in Box.
2. Select Share.
3. Select Invite Collaborators.
4. Enter the person’s name, group name, or full email address.
5. Select the appropriate permission level.
6. Enter an optional message.
7. Select Send.

Folders with collaborators appear as blue folders in Box. Personal folders that are not collaborated appear as yellow folders.

Note: Permissions are inherited from parent folders. If someone receives access to a parent folder, they also receive that access to content inside the folder unless permissions are changed at a lower level.

Work with External Collaborators

If you have Editor or higher permission on a file or folder, you can invite external collaborators unless the content is in a restricted Level 1 location.

To invite an external collaborator:

1. Open the collaboration screen in Box.
2. Enter the collaborator’s full email address.
3. Select the appropriate permission level.
4. Enter an optional message.
5. Select Send.

 Important: External collaborators must enroll in two-factor authentication with Box before they can access Chico State shared content. Box will guide them through enrollment when they receive the invitation. For instructions, visit Enrolling in 2FA for External Collaboration.

Manage Access to Shared Content

Use Box on the web to update permissions, remove collaborators, or remove shared links.

Change or Remove a Collaborator

1. Locate the folder in Box.
2. Select the folder.
3. Find the collaborator or group in the Sharing panel.
4. Open the More Options menu next to their name.
5. Change the permission level or remove the collaborator.

Remove a Shared Link

1. Locate the file or folder with the active shared link.
2. Open the shared link settings.
3. Open the access level menu.
4. Select Remove Link.

After a shared link is removed, people who previously used the link will no longer be able to access the content through that link.

Prevent Editing Conflicts and Duplicate Files

High-collaboration files are files that multiple people open or edit frequently. Duplicate files often occur when one person edits a file while another person opens or saves a separate copy.

For Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, Office Online is usually the safest way for multiple people to edit at the same time.

If someone is editing in Office Online:

• Other users should also use Office Online if they need to edit at the same time.
• Users who only need to view the file should use Box Preview.
• Users should avoid opening and saving the file from Box Drive while it is locked.

If a file appears locked but no one is editing it, open the file in Office Online to check whether anyone is currently working in it. If no one is working in the file, contact the person shown as editing or locking the file before manually unlocking it.

Lock Files Before Editing

Locking a file prevents other users from editing it while you work. This can help avoid duplicate files and conflicting changes.

To lock a file in Box on the web:

1. Locate the file in Box.
2. Open More Options for the file.
3. Select Lock.
4. Choose the lock duration.
5. Disable downloads if you need to prevent others from opening or downloading the file while it is locked.

To lock a file from Box Drive on Windows:

1. Locate the file in Box Drive.
2. Right-click the file.
3. Open the Box menu.
4. Select Lock.

Files locked from Box Drive are locked indefinitely, but downloads cannot be disabled from Box Drive. Use Box on the web if you need to disable downloads.

To see who locked a file, view the file in Box on the web and hover over the lock icon.

Use Linked Files with Box

Linked files rely on data stored in other files. Examples include Excel files that reference other spreadsheets, InDesign files that reference images, and CAD files that reference external files.

Box web links cannot be used as file paths for linked files. To use linked files with Box, open the files through Box Drive so the files have a local computer path.

Important limitations:

• Linked files must be opened through Box Drive, not Box on the web.
• The Box Drive path must be the same on each computer that uses the linked files.
• Linked files containing Level 1 data should not be used with Box Drive.
• Links may break when files are moved from another storage location into Box.

To fix broken links after moving files to Box:

1. Install Box Drive.
2. Make sure the linked files are available through Box Drive.
3. Open the local version of the file from the Box Drive folder.
4. Update broken links to point to the files in Box Drive.
5. Save the file.
6. Repeat for additional broken links as needed.

Link to Publicly Shared Excel Files

You can pull cell values from a publicly shared Excel file stored in Box and display them in another Excel document. This allows you to reference a central source file.

 Important: The source file must be publicly accessible. Anyone with the link can view or download the file, so do not use this method for sensitive or restricted information.

To set up a public link in Box:

1. Locate the Excel file in Box.
2. Select Share.
3. Change the access level to People with the link.
4. Select the gear icon above Copy.
5. Copy the Direct Link.

To reference a cell from the source file, use this formula format in the destination Excel file:

='https://csuchico.box.com/shared/static/[filename].xlsx'!SheetName!Cell

For example, to pull the value from cell B6 on a worksheet named Balance, use:

='https://csuchico.box.com/shared/static/sh5hjlfkgc8bkdqeedidz3329atoteol.xlsx'!Balance!B6

The destination file only updates linked data when the file is reopened or manually refreshed. It does not sync in real time.

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