---
title: Share links vs guest upload — sending out vs collecting in
slug: share-links-vs-guest-upload
category: sharing-distribution
tags: share-links, guest-upload, sharing, uncategorized, external-contributors
summary: Share links send assets OUT for viewing and downloading. Guest upload collects assets IN from outside contributors. Here's which to use.
updated: 2026-07-07
url: https://support.collage.inc/articles/share-links-vs-guest-upload
---

# Share links vs guest upload — sending out vs collecting in

This is the single most common point of confusion in Collage: **share links** and **guest upload** point in opposite directions. One sends content *out* to people; the other collects content *in* from people. Choosing the wrong one is why teams end up emailing files back and forth. This article makes the difference clear.

## Share links send content OUT

A **share link** is how you deliver assets *to* someone. When you use **Share** on a folder, Collage, or asset, Collage generates a secure link that recipients can open to **view** or **download** the content — no internal login required. You can add an expiry date, a password, or hide downloads under **Advanced Settings**.

Use a share link when you want to:

1. Send a client or partner a folder of approved assets.
2. Share a **Collage** as a single link instead of many attachments.
3. Deliver one specific asset for review or download.

To create one, see [Creating share links](https://support.collage.inc/articles/creating-share-links); to track or revoke links later, see [Managing your share links](https://support.collage.inc/articles/managing-share-links).

> A share link is for *distribution only*. It is **not** a way to collect uploads — recipients cannot send files back through a share link.

## Guest upload collects content IN

When you need outside contributors — a photographer, agency, or vendor — to *give you* files, that's **guest upload**. It provides a link an external person can use to submit assets **without a full Collage account**.

Submitted files land in your **Uncategorized** staging area, kept separate from your team's own uploads, so you can review, rename, tag, and file each submission before it mixes into the main library. Once reviewed, move them into the right folder like any other upload — see [Uploading content to Collage](https://support.collage.inc/articles/uploading-content).

## Quick reference

- **Delivering** finished assets to someone → **share link**.
- **Requesting** assets *from* someone outside your team → **guest upload**.

If you need to collect files rather than send them, use guest upload instead of a share link.