Sharing & Links
Let people share files and records with teammates or outsiders, with access levels and link scope that are impossible to misread.
6 states5 edge casesDesktop + Mobile
01The problem
Sharing is where data leaks happen. A “Copy link” button that silently makes a document public, or an access dropdown where “Anyone with the link” looks like “Anyone in the workspace”, exposes customer data with a single click. At the same time, sharing that's too locked down pushes people to download and email files, which is worse.
02When to use
Use when
- Documents, files, reports and dashboards shared with others
- Sharing with external clients, contractors or auditors
- Collaboration on records across teams
Avoid when
- Data that must never leave the workspace — disable external sharing at the admin level and say so.
03Recommended UX
Statecraft recommendation
Open a single share dialog that lists exactly who has access now, lets users invite specific people with a role, and treats link sharing as a separate, explicit setting showing its scope in plain words — “Only people invited”, “Anyone in Lumen with the link”, or “Anyone with the link”.
04Desktop behaviour
On desktop, the share dialog has three parts: invite field, list of people with access, and the link setting at the bottom.
Desktop rules
- Invite field with role selector: Viewer, Commenter, Editor.
- People list with role per person and Remove.
- Link access as its own row with the scope in plain words and an icon that changes with risk.
- Copy link confirmation repeats the scope: “Link copied — anyone with the link can view”.
05Mobile behaviour
On mobile, the native share sheet is tempting, but it hides access levels. Set access first, then hand off to the share sheet.
Mobile rules
3 mobile rules are included in Pro.
Statecraft Pro
Unlock the full pattern
Get the complete interaction flow, states, edge cases, mobile rules and implementation prompt.
- Interaction flow · 5 steps
- 3 mobile rules
- 6 states
- 5 edge cases with recommendations
- 4 microcopy comparisons
- Accessibility notes
- Developer notes
- Claude Code / Codex implementation prompt
Edge cases covered in this pattern
- Sharing with someone outside the workspace
- Parent and child permissions
- Public link to sensitive data
- Link forwarded
- Owner leaves the company