Lark Docs permissions FAQs

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Lark Docs permissions FAQs

7 min read

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Notice: Instructions in this article apply to all document types in Lark Docs, including Docs, Sheets, Base, Slides, MindNotes, and uploaded files.

Why can't I edit my documents?

If you encounter this situation, check the problem from the following aspects:

If you have multiple Lark accounts, check whether the account you're logged into through your browser matches the account where the document is located.

If you can edit normally in the browser's incognito mode, it may be a browser cache or extension conflict issue. Try clearing the browser cache, adjusting extension permissions, or removing/disabling extensions, then try again. To learn more, see Resolve Chrome plug-in and extension conflicts.

Why can't I comment on documents?

It's likely because the Who can comment option in Permission settings has been set to users who can edit the document. Contact the document owner to change this setting or apply for editing permission.

Why can't I share certain documents?

Please confirm whether you are unable to share with any users inside and outside the organization, or whether you can share with users inside the organization, but not those outside the organization (external users).

Unable to share with any user

This is likely because you do not have permission to add collaborators. You can apply to the document owner when inviting collaborators. Alternatively, you can contact the owner to modify the permission settings. To learn more, see .

Unable to share with external users. Possible reasons include:

The document owner or collaborator with management permissions has prohibited external sharing of the document. To change the document permission settings, please contact the document owner.

The security settings for the wiki space where the document is located prohibit external sharing. To change permission settings, please contact the Wiki administrator.

Your administrator prohibits the sharing of documents within the organization with those outside of the organization. Contact your administrator if you need to share a document externally.

How can I assign an app collaborator permission in a document?

If you're the owner of a document or a collaborator with manage permission, follow the steps below to add an app as a collaborator in docs, sheets, bases, slides, and other content.

Open the document, click the ··· icon in the upper-right corner. Hover over ··· More, and select Add Applications.

Search and select the target app, then assign it manage, edit, or view permission.

Click Add. The app will appear in the list of document collaborators and you can modify the app's permissions later if needed.

To learn more about assigning app permissions, see How to request the required scope for the application.

Can I voluntarily give up my view permission for a document shared with me by others?

If you have permission to manage the collaborators of a document, you can remove your own permissions. However, you cannot remove your own permissions from multiple documents at the same time.

Open the document, click Share in the upper-right corner and then click on the owner's profile photo to view the Manage collaborators list.

Click the permission next to your name, and then select Remove.

After you remove your permission, as long as you are not within the link sharing range of the document, you will not be able to access the document.

If you cannot open the Manage collaborators list, you do not have permission to manage collaborators. Please contact the document owner to grant you permission or to perform the steps above on your behalf.

How do I turn off external sharing?

Open the document, click Share in the upper-right corner and then click Permission settings. Under External sharing, deselect Allow the content to be shared externally. All external users that previously had view permission will no longer have access to the document.

How can I allow collaborators to edit only part of the document?

The answer varies depending on the type of document.

Doc, slide, or mindnote: You cannot allow collaborators to edit only part of the document. Collaborators with edit permission can edit the entire document.

Sheet: You can protect a sheet or protect a specific row or column within a sheet, and configure who has permission to edit the protected data. To learn more, see Configure the protected range in Sheets.

Base: You can use advanced permission functions to set permissions for specific users to edit specific rows and columns. To learn more, see Use advanced permissions in Base.

How can I revoke or modify the permissions I have granted to others?

If you have permission to manage collaborators of a document, you can remove or modify collaborator permissions. However, you cannot perform this action on multiple documents at the same time.

Open the document, click Share in the upper-right corner and then click on the owner's profile photo to view the Manage collaborators list.

Click the permission next to the collaborator to adjust it or select Remove.

How can I adjust the permissions of documents in bulk?

You cannot adjust the permissions of multiple documents at once. However, you can move all documents that need permission adjustments into the same folder, and then adjust the permissions of the folder. This allows you to adjust permissions for multiple documents at once. To learn more Share folders.

How can I find the files and folders of former members?

In most scenarios, the administrator will transfer ownership of documents and folders of the departing member to their line manager. After the member departs the organization, their line manager will receive a folder named [Employee's name] Personal Documents with all their documents and folders inside it.

What should I do if a document can't be opened?

If you cannot open a document after clicking its link, please check the following:

When accessing documents

Check that you have logged in to the Lark account where the document is located.

If you are notified that you do not have permission to access the document, follow the prompt to apply to the document owner.

If you are notified that you do not have permission to access the document, and you are unable to request access due to administrator settings, please contact the user who provided you the link and ask them to download the document to their device and send it to you. Alternatively, you can contact the administrator and request that they modify the settings to grant you the necessary access.

Browser

If there is a problem opening the document in your browser, try switching to the browser's incognito mode and try again. If you cannot open the document in incognito mode, it means that the browser cache or plugins are causing the problem. You'll need to clear the browser cache and remove or turn off the conflicting plugins.

Network

If the website cannot be opened. Try switching to another network. For example, a mobile hotspot. If you can open the document after switching, it means that there's a network problem. Please contact a member of the IT staff to resolve the issue or your network provider if you're working from home.

Lark app

If you cannot open the document through the app, first update Lark to the latest version and try again. If this doesn't work, click your profile photo, go to Settings > Internal Settings, and then click Get Configuration.

If the above methods cannot solve the problem, contact Support.

Why is the content displayed in Lark Docs different in the browser compared to the app?

This can happen if you're not logged in to the same Lark account on both the browser and the app.

Make sure you're using the same account credentials to access Lark Docs in both the browser and the app. If the content or available documents are different, it's likely because you're signed in to different accounts. To learn about switching accounts, see Switch accounts and How do I switch between multiple Docs accounts?