I made a folder that has a view link. When clicking the copy link button, it enables an edit link which I do not want, I want it strictly view only. Is there a way to change this default action? How do I get a view link again?
Hey @d9824, thanks for joining our Community.
Are you clicking on the "copy link" option on our website or through the Dropbox folder on your computer?
If you do it from the website, are you seeing the same behavior?
Keep me posted.
I too am experiencing this issue. We have 150 people that access our DropBox Resources folder. I CAN NOT send out editing links that allow someone to just arbitrarily start rearranging or deleting and adding stuff to our Resources. I need to know with confidence that I am sending View Only links. I used to get an option to toggle what permissions I wanted to send. Suddenly there NO VIEW LINKS created on my folders. I have to go in and reissue permissions on all my resources and their subfolders. I have to generate view links and even then, when I attempt to copy the view link -- it says it allows editing which I cannot do. Can this please be fixed? This is a catastrophic breach for us.
hi @MMG-Pam and @d9824 you can manage your default sharing settings by going to https://www.dropbox.com/account/sharing on Dropbox.com in your web browser. There you can make your default access for link sharing "view" instead of "edit."
You are my hero! Thanks bunches. That is a HUGE relief.
I have an important pdf document that I share with my students. I created a view link using the share command, and I reset my default link to view only. However, when i test the link I sent my students, it opens in a window with an edit option at the top, like this:
Other links I have set to view only show these options at the top:
Why is my pdf file showing an edit option and how can I get rid of it?
The switch to 'edit' by default has been a nightmare for me. I have spent hours replacing my Dropbox links with uploaded documents, because i don't know any way to reliably tell which of my posted links are edit and which are share. I have used your service for years and loved it, but now I feel as if none of my documents are safe. Is there any way to lock them all against editing from my dashboard?
This problem appears to happen with any pdf share link.
Hi @patb1, let's jump right into this!
As a first step, can you walk me through the steps that you follow, when sharing the link with your colleagues?
Have you tried the steps mentioned above in this thread, by @jstdbx which is to access the link's settings, and change it accordingly? If so, would you mind sharing some screenshots of the link's settings with me, in order to have a visual?
Keep me posted!
Hi Megan,
In the past, I just right-clicked on the item and copied the link.
Here's the process I used this time. First on a word document:
And when I paste the link into my browser, I see this top toolbar (as I should).
Now I repeat the process with a pdf:
And when I paste the link into my browser, I get a control bar with edit options.
I would like to be able to go back to just right-clicking and copying a link, but I am nervous, given that there was no warning when those links suddenly switched to 'edit' links after being 'view' links for so many years. I'd appreciate advice on that as well.
Thank you,
Pat
Hi @patb1, it looks like you're still signed into your account when accessing the shared link, as it says that you have access to the file.
Could you try opening the link from an incognito/private browsing window, while not signed into your account, to see if you get any different options?
Hi Jay,
When I open the 'view' link from a private window, when logged out, it gives me the non-editing toolbar.
When I send it to a student, they get a window without the edit option. But when they open it from inside moodle, they get the edit option.
The links are the same except for the part that comes after the 'php?'. Could that be the problem?
That doesn't seem to be the issue, because when I tried it again with a private window I got the same results with the identical link.
Could you clarify what Moodle is exactly, and it affects Dropbox links? Are the users signed into their own Dropbox account when viewing the link?
Moodle is our course management system. It allows us to post urls and documents to share them with students. I've never seen it change a url before. 😞
The users do not need to have dropbox links, though some of them might.
What exactly happens when a user in Moodle clicks the edit PDF button, or the Draw button? Does it allow them to change the PDF in the shared link itself?
If so, does the change save for anyone else who views the same shared link, or just for that user? What about if you view the shared link in an incognito window afterwards?
I'll let you know when I find out, but it will be a while.
Hi patb1, I'm Alex - PM lead for document tools at Dropbox. We tested the flows based on your feedback and verified that students shouldn't be able to edit original document. They can only create an edited copy and save it separately. Please let me know if your experience is different.
However, I do agree that with recent change in UI it became confusing. I really do apologize for that, as I can see it disrupted your work quite a bit. We're working on improving experience here (in fact you already should see improvements). Thank you for your feedback!
For years, I have used the right-click function in Windows Explorer to copy and share links to files for student use. My default Dropbox settings clearly say "View only." It is only this past year that I have found that students have been able to edit the files without downloading them, including on a spreadsheet shared for the final exam. This is, as others have said, a significant breach. I need to continue using the Explorer interface; logging into the the online server each time I want to share a link is tedious and impractical. Like the original poster to this thread, I no longer trust Dropbox as I have in the past. Is there a solution?
Hey @slruss63, thanks for taking the time to post your feedback to our Community.
Can you take a look at these steps and let me know if they help?
