Guest Access allows you to securely share folders with external collaborators—such as clients, freelancers, or vendors—without requiring them to have a paid LucidLink seat or install the desktop client. This feature streamlines your workflow by keeping your files in LucidLink while allowing external users to view and download content via a secure web link.
Prerequisites
Workspace Version: This feature is not available for LucidLink Classic filespaces.
Platform: This feature is available in LucidLink's web client at app.lucidlink.com
Plan: This feature is available for all LucidLink plans that are not on LucidLink Classic.
Permission Level: Currently, only Admins, Owners, and Filespace Admins can assign guest access and generate guest links.
How to Share a Folder
You can invite guests directly from the LucidLink Web dashboard.
Navigate to the folder you wish to share at app.lucidlink.com
Select the Share option on the folder level.
Select the "Guest" tab.
Enter the email address(es) of the external user(s) you wish to invite and add them to the Guest list using the "+" sign.
Copy the Guest Link by clicking on the "Copy Guest Link" button, then send the link to your guest(s).
Note: In this release, sharing is supported at the folder level only.
The Guest Experience (What the Guests see)
When you share a folder with an external user, they do not need a password or a complex setup to access the files.
An admin/filespace admin/owner sends the Guest the Guest Link to use.
Upon clicking the link, the guest is prompted to log in using a code sent to their email. This ensures secure, authenticated access without requiring a permanent account with a password, and mitigates the risk of the Guest creating a full-fledged account and forgetting their password.
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Once authenticated, the guest is directed to a web view where they can preview and navigate the shared folder contents. This web interface looks almost exactly the same as the one for a standard LucidLink user, except that some account settings are hidden (e.g., password reset). The guests can download files to their machine if necessary, but cannot make any changes or upload data to the LucidLink filespace. If a full member adds files to this folder, the guest user will see the new files update in real-time, no need to create additional guest links, as long as the files are added to the same folder the guest user was granted access to view.
Existing Users: If the guest already has a LucidLink account (e.g., via SSO or password), they can log in using their existing credentials to accept the invite. They can also create a full-fledged account and access it via the link; there are no specific restrictions.
Session length: When logged in via code, the user's session is limited to 12 hours, whereas users with full-fledged accounts have the standard session duration of 28 days, which can be extended indefinitely.
Managing Guest Access
Admins retain full control over external access and can revoke it at any time.
View Guests: Navigate to the Members or Access and Permissions section of your dashboard to see a list of current guests.
Revoke Access: To stop sharing, locate the specific guest and select the option to remove guest access. This immediately prevents the user from viewing the folder. Alternatively, you can revoke all access for the guest by removing them from the workspace.
Upgrading Guest Access
Admins/Owners can upgrade a Guest user to a Standard user via the "Change role" context menu in the Workspace Members list. Once this is done:
The user would start taking up a paid seat in the workspace and
The Admins/Owners would be able to assign write/edit rights to them
For the upgraded Guest:
When a user is upgraded from a Guest to a Standard user, they will no longer be able to use guest links. Instead, they would have to create a full-fledged account with a password in order to collaborate in the workspace.
Upgraded Guests are thus treated as new Members to the workspace. They will need to be sent a workspace invite to accept before they have Member-level access to the workspace.
Note: Full Members of a workspace cannot be added as Guests within the same workspace or use Guest links for this workspace.
Note: Demoting full workspace Members to Guests is not possible. The full workspace Member has to be removed from the workspace and only then added as a Guest.
Security and Auditing
Governance and visibility on actions via the web interface are being worked on, but not fully integrated into the new LucidLink web client. If you're using audit logs and have questions around web client activity, please contact us for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can guests upload files or edit content? No. In this version, guests are granted Read-Only access. They can view and download content, but cannot upload, edit, or delete files.
Can I set an expiration date for the link? Not in the current version. Admins must manually revoke access via the Members tab when the collaboration is finished. Expiration controls are planned for future updates.
Can regular members (Contributors) share folders? Currently, only Admins, Owners, and Filespace Admins can create guest links. Permission delegation for other members is planned for a future release