# File browser

> Store files privately or share them with your team, organise them into folders, set who can see them, and send secure download links.

Source: https://help.clockworkcrm.com/general/file-browser
Last updated: 2026-09-28

The file browser keeps files in one place. **Files** in the sidebar opens it over the page you are
on, from any page.

![The file browser: folders on the left, files in the middle, and the selected file on the right](https://clockworkcrm.blob.core.windows.net/public-internal/docs/files/file-browser.png?v=c1da25f6)

The screen has four parts:

- the top bar, for moving between folders, uploading and managing your share links
- the folder tree on the left, starting from **Home**, with **Shared** and **Private** below it
- the files in the current folder in the middle, with the folder path above them and the file
  actions and **Search** above that
- the details of the selected file on the right

## Shared and private storage

**Shared** and **Private**, at the bottom left, switch between the two stores:

| Store | Who can see it |
|---|---|
| **Shared** | Everyone who uses your Clockwork CRM. A folder can be restricted to chosen teams. See [Folder permissions](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/general/file-browser#folder-permissions) |
| **Private** | Only you |

Files in both stores count towards your Clockwork CRM's storage. See
[Subscription information](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/admin/subscription).

## The top bar

| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Back** and **Forward** | Move through the folders you have visited |
| **Up** | Goes to the folder above. Unavailable in **Home** |
| **Refresh** | Reloads the folder |
| **Upload** | Chooses files from your computer to upload to the current folder |
| **Status** | Shows the progress of your uploads |
| **My Shares** (shield icon) | Lists the secure links you have created. See [Managing your share links](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/general/file-browser#managing-your-share-links). The icon changes to **Back to Files** to return |
| **Help** (question mark) | Shows help and the keyboard shortcuts |
| **Close** (cross) | Closes the file browser |

## Moving between folders

- Click a folder in the tree on the left to open it. The arrow beside a folder shows the folders
  inside it.
- Double-click a folder in the middle to open it.
- Click a folder name in the path above the files to go back to it.

**Search**, at the right of the file actions, filters the current folder's files by name. It clears
when you change folder.

**Tiles** shows files as icons, and offers **Large**, **Regular** and **Small** sizes. **List** shows
them as a table with these columns:

| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Icon | The file type, or a folder. A folder with permissions shows a lock |
| **Name** | The file or folder name |
| **Size** | The file size. Folders show a dash |
| **Created** | The date and time the file was saved |
| **Created By** | The user who saved it |

**Sort** orders the files by **Name**, **Size** or **Modified**, and **Ascending** or **Descending**.

## Selecting files

- Click a file or folder to select it.
- Hold **Ctrl** and click to add or remove items.
- Hold **Shift** and click to select a range.
- **Shift + Alt + A** selects everything in the folder.
- Click an empty space to clear the selection.

Right-click in the file area for a menu with **Back**, **Forward**, **Up Directory**, **Refresh** and the file actions.

## Uploading files

1. Open the folder you want the files in.
2. Select **Upload** and choose one or more files, or drag files from your computer into the file
   area.
3. Each file shows a progress bar while it uploads.

**Status** opens **Upload Status**, which lists your uploads with the number of files remaining. A
file still uploading shows the size left to upload and a cross that cancels it. Clicking a file in the
list opens the folder it is uploading to. When everything is done it shows **All uploads complete**.

Your browser warns you if you try to leave the page while files are still uploading.

## Working with files

The actions above the files work on what you have selected. An action is greyed out when it does not
apply to the selection.

| Action | What it does | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| **Download** | Downloads the selected files | One or more files |
| **Share** | Creates a secure download link. See [Sharing a file](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/general/file-browser#sharing-a-file) | One file, not a folder |
| **Zip** | Creates a zip file of the selection in the current folder | Two or more items |
| **Rename** | Makes the name editable. Type the new name. **F2** does the same | One file or folder |
| **Copy** | Makes a copy of the selection in the same folder | One or more items |
| **Delete** | Deletes the selection, after you confirm. The **Delete** key does the same | One or more items |
| **Add Folder** | Creates a folder called **New Folder** in the current folder, ready to rename. **Shift + Alt + N** does the same | Always available |
| **Permissions** | Sets which teams can see a folder. See [Folder permissions](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/general/file-browser#folder-permissions) | One folder |

To move files or folders, drag them onto a folder in the file area, in the tree, or in the path above
the files. A folder cannot be moved into one of its own subfolders.

## The details panel

Selecting a file shows it on the right, with its name, size, date and the user who saved it.
Clicking any of these copies it to your clipboard. When you select more than one item, the panel
shows their combined size.

Some files can be previewed:

| File type | Preview |
|---|---|
| Images | A thumbnail. **Preview Image** opens it full size |
| Audio and video | A player, in the panel |
| PDF | **Preview PDF** opens the document in a viewer |
| Word, Excel and PowerPoint | **View in Microsoft 365 Online** opens the document in Microsoft's online viewer |

When no file is selected, the panel shows **No file selected**.

## Folder permissions

A folder in shared storage can be limited to chosen teams.

1. Select the folder.
2. Select **Permissions**, or right-click and choose **Folder Permissions**.
3. Under **Restrict Access**, tick the teams that may see the folder. Only teams you belong to are
   listed, and the **Everyone** team is not.
4. Select **Save**.

Once a folder has permissions, only members of the ticked teams see it and what is inside it, and it
shows a lock icon.
Untick every team and save to remove the restriction.

See [Teams and permissions](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/admin/teams).

## Sharing a file

**Share** creates a secure link to one file that you can send to anyone, including people who do
not use Clockwork CRM. The file is copied and encrypted when the link is made. The key that unlocks
it is part of the link, so anyone with the full link can download the file unless you restrict it to
email addresses.

![The Share dialog with Valid for set to One Week, Download once, Restrict to emails and Generate secure link](https://clockworkcrm.blob.core.windows.net/public-internal/docs/files/file-browser-share.png?v=4b2e12bc)

1. Select a file, then **Share**.
2. Choose how long the link works for in **Valid for**.
3. Set the other options if you want them.
4. Select **Generate secure link**.
5. Click the link to copy it to your clipboard, then send it.

| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Valid for** | How long the link works: **One Day** to **Six Days**, **One Week**, **Two Weeks**, **One Month** or **Indefinitely**. Required: **Generate secure link** appears once it is chosen |
| **Download once** | The file can be downloaded once. With email addresses, each recipient can download it once |
| **Restrict to emails (optional)** | Only these email addresses can download the file. Type an address and press **Enter** or a comma to add it, and click its cross to remove it |

When a link is restricted to emails, the recipient enters their email address on the download page
and is sent a six-digit verification code. The code lasts 10 minutes, and five wrong attempts cancel
it. The recipient can select **Resend code** for a new one.

A link stops working when it expires, when it is revoked, or when its download limit is reached.

## Managing your share links

**My Shares**, the shield icon in the top bar, lists the links you have created.

| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| **File** | The file name, with the email addresses it is restricted to |
| **Created** | When the link was made |
| **Size** | The size of the shared file |
| **Expires** | When the link expires, or **Never** |
| **Downloads** | The number of downloads. Click it to see each download's date and time, **Email** and **IP Address** |
| **Access** | **Email** for a link restricted to email addresses, **Open** for anyone with the link |
| **Status** | **Active**, **Revoked**, **Expired** or **View limit reached** |

**Search**, **Status** and **Access** at the top filter the list.

**Revoke** stops a link working straight away and deletes the shared copy of the file. The original
file stays in the file browser. A revoked link cannot be restored: share the file again to make a new
one.

## Related

- [Teams and permissions](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/admin/teams), the teams folder permissions are set for
- [Subscription information](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/admin/subscription), storage