---
title: Creating share links
slug: creating-share-links
category: sharing-distribution
tags: share-links, sharing, distribution, expiration, password, hide-download, display-panel, marquee
summary: Share folders, Collages, or individual assets with anyone using a secure link, with optional expiry, password, and download controls.
updated: 2026-08-07
url: https://support.collage.inc/articles/creating-share-links
---

# Creating share links

Once your content is uploaded and organized, distributing it to the right people is usually the next step. Collage offers two main ways to distribute content: your custom **brand portal** and **share links**. This article covers share links.

## Choose what to share

All content in your account can be shared via a share link — **folders, Collages, and individual assets**. Because sharing is a core operation, you'll find the **Share** option in many places: an item's three-dot menu, the asset detail page, and the bulk-action bar when you select multiple items.

> Note: Empty folders can't be shared. Add at least one asset first.

## Create a link

1. Select the folder, Collage, or asset you want to share (or select several).
2. Click **Share**.
3. The sharing window opens with a **Sharable Link** ready to copy.
4. Optionally open **Advanced Settings** to configure the options below.
5. Click **Copy Link** and send it however you like.

Anyone with the link can open it — no Collage account required.

## Configure link settings

- **Expiration Date** — set a date after which the link automatically stops working. Expired links move to the Expired tab on the Shares page.
- **Password Protected** — check the box and enter a password recipients must type to open the link.
- **Hide Download** — let recipients view the content but not download the original files.

You can also edit the link's **Title** and **Description** (they default to the item's name) so recipients understand what they're receiving.

## What recipients see when they open the link

Recipients get a clean viewer for the shared content — no Collage account needed. They can switch **View** (Grid or List, plus **Mosaic** if you've enabled it for this link) and adjust **Thumbnail size** in Grid view, using the same **Display** button used elsewhere in Collage.

Recipients can select multiple items the same way as elsewhere in Collage — Shift+Click or click-and-drag both work, and click-and-drag keeps working even while they're using the in-page search, unlike most other pages in Collage. If **Hide Download** is turned on for the link, click-and-drag selection turns off too, since there's nothing to do with a selection when downloading isn't allowed.

There's no bulk action bar on this page — recipients only get the actions the viewer offers directly (like downloading), not the fuller bulk-action set available inside your own account.

## Manage your links

Every link you create appears on the **Shares** page, where you can track views, revoke access, and clean up old links. See [Managing your share links](https://support.collage.inc/articles/managing-share-links).

Trying to collect files *from* someone instead of sending them out? That's a different feature — see [Share links vs guest upload](https://support.collage.inc/articles/share-links-vs-guest-upload).