New default access settings for Box shared links

In Box, you can share files or folders with colleagues for collaboration or editing through shared links. Beginning Wednesday, April 17, 2024, when sharing a document or folder, the link’s default access permission will be set to “Invited people only.” This service change will only apply to newly created shared links.

More about what’s changing

Box allows you to copy and share links to your content with 3 permission levels:

• People with the link (no authentication required)
• People in your company (access requires a UW–‍Madison Box account)
• Invited people only (only available to folder collaborators)

Previously, when a link was created, the default access was set to “People with the link.” At this permission level, content is publicly available to anyone on the internet because an open shared link does not require someone to login to a Box account. Although open shared links can be useful in certain situations, setting the default permission to “Invited people only” provides extra protections against unintended data sharing and access.

What do I need to do?

If you want to share new content publicly, you will need to manually change the permission level to “People with the link.” Again, this service change only applies to newly created shared links. Permissions on existing links will not change. For more information about creating shared links, visit the Box support article Creating and Sharing a Link to a File or Folder. If you have questions or need further assistance, please contact the DoIT Help Desk.