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Share documents or folders with external users

Share documents or folders with external users

4 min read
I. Intro
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Applicable scope: Instructions in this article apply to all document types in Lark Docs, including Docs, Sheets, Slides, Base, MindNotes, and uploaded files, as well as folders.
You can share documents or folders with external users, such as suppliers, customers, or others by adding them as external collaborators or modifying the link sharing range.
II. Steps
Share documents externally
Make sure the document can be shared externally. The setting is available at Share > Permission settings > External sharing > Allow the content to be shared externally.
Method 1: Add external collaborators in the Share panel
You can add external contacts as collaborators of documents.
Prerequisite: You must have permission to invite collaborators for this document.
must add the external user as your Lark contact. After the user accepts your request, you can add them as a collaborator.
  1. In an open document, click Share in the upper-right corner.
  1. Search and select external users under Invite collaborator.
  1. Select Can manage, Can edit, or Can view as their permission.
  1. Select Send a notification if you want to notify the user that they have been added as a collaborator. Add a note if needed, and then click Send. If you don't want to notify the user, deselect Send a notification, and then click Done.
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Method 2: Send documents through messages to external users or external groups
Copy a document's link, then send the link to a chat or group chat in Messenger. Lark will automatically grant permissions to the corresponding members.
Note: If this is your first time sharing this document in the group, view permission is granted by default. However, you can click can view and select an alternative permission from the drop-down menu.
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Method 3: Change the link sharing range to anyone
Prerequisite: You must have manage permission for this document.
  1. Click Share in the upper-right corner of an open document.
  1. Set Link sharing to Anyone with the link.
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The external user can now access the document by clicking the document link you send them. For more information, see Share your document through a link.
Note:
  • Similarly, if the document is stored in Wiki, it is likely that the wiki space administrator has prohibited external sharing in the security settings. Contact your wiki space administrator to confirm whether external sharing is allowed.
Share folders externally
By default, documents and subfolders within a folder will inherit the collaborators, link sharing range, and external sharing permissions set for the folder. When you share a folder with external users, the contents of the folder will also be shared with the external users.
However, there are two scenarios where documents and subfolders may not follow the folder's external sharing settings:
  • The document or subfolder has stopped inheriting permissions from the parent folder.
  • Open the document or folder, and then click Share. If the sharing panel states that the document or folder is no longer inheriting the parent folder's permissions, you can choose to either restore the permissions or set new external sharing permissions for the document or folder.
  • A security level has been set for the document which prohibits it from being shared externally.
  • If you are the document owner or have manage permission, you can lower the security level so that the document can be shared externally.
There are two methods you can use to share folders with external users. Make sure the folder can be shared externally before you start. The setting is available at Share > Permission settings > External sharing > Allow external access to this folder.
Method 1: Add external collaborators
You can add external contacts as collaborators of folders.
Prerequisite: You must have permission to invite collaborators for this folder.
  1. Open the folder, and then click Share.
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  1. Search and select external users under Invite collaborators.
  1. Select Can manage, Can edit, or Can view as their permission.
  1. Select Send a notification if you want to notify the user that they have been added as a collaborator. Add a note if needed, and then click Send. If you don't want to notify the user, deselect Send a notification, and then click Done.
Method 2: Adjust the link sharing range
Prerequisite: You must have manage permission for this folder.
  1. Open the folder and then click Share.
  1. Set Link sharing to Anyone with the link. The external user can then access the folder by clicking the folder link you send them. For more information, see Share folders with a link.
Note: If you can't find the Anyone with the link option, it's likely because your administrator has prohibited external sharing or limited your file operation permissions. Contact your organization administrator for help.
III. FAQs
Why can't I share documents or folders with external users?
It might be either that the document or folder doesn't allow external sharing or you don't have the necessary permission to share them. Contact the owner to see whether the document or folder can be shared externally or ask for permission to share externally.
If the issue persists, it might be that the organization administrator has limited your file operation permissions. Contact your organization administrator for help.
Why can't I see or click the external sharing settings after I click "Permission settings" on a document or folder?
If you can't see the external sharing setting, it might be that the organization administrator has disabled external sharing or limited your file operation permissions. Contact the administrator for help.
If the external settings are grayed out, it might be either of the following:
  • The security level of the current document doesn't allow external sharing. Lower the security level and retry.
Will my document be shared externally if an administrator enables external sharing for the organization?
No. The documents will only be shared externally after you configure the relevant permission settings and actively add external collaborators or send the document link to external users.
How do I check if a document has been shared externally?
When a document is shared outside the organization, an External label will be displayed next to its title.
If you do not want external users to access the document, check the following:
  • There are no external users on the collaborators list when you click Share in the upper-right corner of the document.
  • Link sharing permission is not set to Anyone with the link can view or Anyone with the link can edit.
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How can I prevent external users from adding new collaborators to a document?
Document owners and collaborators with manage permission can decide whether external users can add collaborators through the document's permission settings.
  1. Click Share > Permission settings in the upper-right corner of an open document.
  1. Under Who can view, invite, and remove collaborators, select Only people in the organization can view, invite, and remove collaborators.
  • Note: The option Only people in the organization can view, invite, and remove collaborators is only visible after you select Allow the content to be shared externally in Permission settings.
How can I modify permissions so that external users cannot modify the link sharing range of my document or folder?
Document owners and other collaborators with manage permission can modify the link sharing range. If you do not want external users to modify the link sharing range, when sharing, assign only edit or view permissions to external users.
How can I set a password for documents that are shared externally?
When you've set sharing permissions to grant view and edit permissions to anyone with the link, you can set a password so that only external users with the password can access the document. To learn more, see Password protect documents and folders for sharing.
Can I transfer the ownership of documents to an external user?
This is not supported.
Written by: Lark Help Center
Updated on 2025-03-21
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