Cloud links feel lighter than attachments, but they often share more. The recipient may download the original file with every tag, and in a shared folder they can see names, edit times and sometimes earlier versions. A clean copy is easy to make before you upload.
Three layers of information
| Layer | What it can show | Who controls it |
|---|---|---|
| The file’s own metadata | Author, device, GPS, software, dates | You, by cleaning before upload |
| The service’s record | Who uploaded it, when it changed, version history, sometimes viewers | The service and its settings |
| The folder | File names, other files, other people with access | You, by choosing what is in the shared folder |
Before you share
- Make a copy of the file for sharing. Never share the working original.
- Clean the copy: Document, PDF, Image, Video or Audio.
- Check the result in the File Metadata Viewer.
- Upload the clean copy to a new folder that holds only what you mean to share.
- Set the link to the narrowest access that works, such as view only for named people.
Version history and comments
If you share an online document, its history, comments and suggestions can be visible to anyone with edit or comment access. For a final version, export a copy to PDF or a file, clean it and share that instead of the live document.
Settings and features differ between services and change over time, so check the sharing options of your own account.