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Preview, Download, and Share

Once a document is in DocLock you can open it without leaving the app, save a copy to your computer, invite colleagues to collaborate, or hand someone outside the company a safe, read-only link.

A document detail page with Preview, Download, and Share actions

Where these actions live​

All of these start from a document's detail page. The header has dedicated Preview and Download buttons, and the More menu (the ⋯ button) holds the sharing options: Share, External Link, Copy Link, and Email as Attachment.

Previewing a document​

  1. Open the document's detail page.
  2. Click Preview (the eye icon) in the header.
  3. The document opens in a viewer so you can read it without downloading.
The document preview

Preview is disabled when a document is archived. Restore it first (see Archiving and restoring).

Downloading a document​

  1. On the detail page, click Download (the download icon) in the header.
  2. The current version is saved to your computer.

To download a specific older version, open the Versions tab and use the download action on that row — see Versions and locking.

Download is disabled for archived documents.

Sharing with people inside DocLock​

Use Share to invite colleagues and choose what they can do.

  1. On the detail page, open the More menu and choose Share.
  2. The share dialog opens on the Invite People tab.
  3. In the recipients box, start typing a name — a dropdown of users appears so you can pick them.
  4. Choose each person's role (what they're allowed to do) from the role dropdown.
  5. Optionally add a message.
  6. Send the invitation.
The Invite People tab of the Share dialog

From the More menu, Copy Link copies a direct in-app link to the document (/documents/<id>). Anyone you send it to still needs DocLock access and the right permissions to open it.

Email as attachment​

Also in the More menu, Email as Attachment lets you enter recipients and a subject and send the document itself as an email attachment.

Email as Attachment is hidden for documents in your Personal Vault.

Sharing with someone outside the company​

External links let people without a DocLock account view a document in read-only mode.

  1. On the detail page, open the More menu and choose Share (or External Link).
  2. Switch to the External Link tab.
  3. Click to generate the link. DocLock builds a secure URL that includes an access token and a read-only mode flag.
  4. Optionally tighten the access:
    • Set an expiry date so the link stops working after a chosen day.
    • Turn on password protection so the recipient must enter a password.
  5. The link is marked read-only access. Use the copy button to copy it, then send it to your recipient. (On the External Link tab, Activate copies the link as well.)
The External Link tab of the Share dialog

What the recipient sees​

When someone opens an external link they land on a guest access page — no sign-in required, because the link itself is the credential.

  • A "Read-only · Guest View" banner makes clear they can only view.
  • If you set a password, they first see "Password Required" and must enter it to continue.
  • If the link has expired, they see "Link Expired" with the expiry date and a note to ask the owner for a new link.
  • An invalid or broken link shows "Invalid Link".
  • Once they're in, they can read the document and use the Download button, with a clear "Read-only access — no account required" footer.
The guest access page for an external link

Tips​

  • Prefer an external link over emailing the file when you want to keep control — you can set expiry and a password, and revoke access by removing the link.
  • Use Copy Link only for colleagues who already have DocLock access; it won't work for outsiders.
  • Set an expiry date on any external link you send for a one-off review so it doesn't stay open indefinitely.

Troubleshooting​

ProblemWhat to check
Preview or Download is greyed outThe document is archived — restore it before viewing or downloading.
The recipient of my link sees "Password Required" but has no passwordSend them the password you set, or regenerate the link without password protection.
The recipient sees "Link Expired"The expiry date has passed — generate a new external link.
I can't find Email as AttachmentIt's hidden for documents in your Personal Vault.
Someone says my Copy Link doesn't openThat link only works for people with DocLock access; use an External Link for outsiders.