Box Developer Documentation
Log in

Create Shared Link

GuidesShared LinksCreate Shared Link
Edit this page

Create Shared Link

Shared links may be created directly for file or folder resources to generate a read-only URL to permit users with the appropriate access level to view the content.

You may only have one active shared link for a file or folder at any time.

At minimum the information needed to create a shared link will be:

  • The type of resource, either a file or folder.
  • The ID of that resource.

Optionally when creating a shared link the following may be specified:

  • The access level, which may be one of:

    • open: A public shared link. Anyone with the link may access the link.
    • company: Anyone within your enterprise may access the link.
    • collaboration: Anyone collaborated on the content may access the link.
  • An expiration time when the shared link will automatically disable.
  • A password required to access the resource.

If an access level is not specified when creating a shared link it will use the default access level specified by the enterprise admin.

Create Shared Link for File

To create a shared link on a file, specify the ID of the file with any optional shared link parameters.

.NET
string fileId = "11111";
var sharedLinkParams = new BoxSharedLinkRequest()
{
    Access = BoxSharedLinkAccessType.open
};
BoxFile file = client.FilesManager.CreateSharedLinkAsync(fileId, sharedLinkParams);
string sharedLinkUrl = file.SharedLink.Url;
Java
BoxFile file = new BoxFile(api, "id");
BoxSharedLink.Permissions permissions = new BoxSharedLink.Permissions();
permissions.setCanDownload(true);
permissions.setCanPreview(true);
Date unshareDate = new Date();
BoxSharedLink sharedLink = file.createSharedLink(BoxSharedLink.Access.OPEN, null, permissions);
Python
file_id = '11111'

url = client.file(file_id).get_shared_link()
print('The file shared link URL is: {0}'.format(url))
Node
client.files.update('93745', {shared_link: client.accessLevels.DEFAULT})
	.then(file => {
		var sharedLinkURL = file.shared_link.url;
		// ...
	});

Create Shared Link for Folder

To create a shared link on a folder, specify the ID of the folder with any optional shared link parameters.

.NET
var sharedLinkParams = new BoxSharedLinkRequest()
{
    Access = BoxSharedLinkAccessType.open
};
BoxFolder folder = await client.FoldersManager.CreateSharedLinkAsync("11111", sharedLinkParams);
string sharedLinkUrl = folder.SharedLink.Url;
Java
BoxFolder folder = new BoxFolder(api, "id");
SharedLink link = folder.createSharedLink(BoxSharedLink.Access.OPEN, null,
    permissions);
Python
url = client.folder(folder_id='22222').get_shared_link()
print('The folder shared link URL is: {0}'.format(url))
Node
client.folders.update('12345', {shared_link: client.accessLevels.OPEN})
    .then(folder => {
        /* folder -> {
            type: 'folder',
            id: '11111',
            sequence_id: '1',
            etag: '1',
            name: 'Pictures from 2017',
            created_at: '2012-12-12T10:53:43-08:00',
            modified_at: '2012-12-12T11:15:04-08:00',
            description: 'Some pictures I took',
            size: 629644,
            path_collection: 
            { total_count: 1,
                entries: 
                [ { type: 'folder',
                    id: '0',
                    sequence_id: null,
                    etag: null,
                    name: 'All Files' },
                  { type: 'folder',
                    id: '22222',
                    sequence_id: '3',
                    etag: '3',
                    name: 'Archives' } ] },
            created_by: 
            { type: 'user',
                id: '22222',
                name: 'Example User'
                login: 'user@example.com' },
            modified_by: 
            { type: 'user',
                id: '22222',
                name: 'Example User',
                login: 'user@example.com' },
            owned_by: 
            { type: 'user',
                id: '22222',
                name: 'Example User',
                login: 'user@example.com' },
            shared_link: {
                url: 'https://app.box.com/s/31uw1b0dxr2swzbv1qu8d4ixz1v727dl',
                download_url: null,
                vanity_url: null,
                effective_access: 'open',
                is_password_enabled: false,
                unshared_at: null,
                download_count: 0,
                preview_count: 0,
                access: 'open',
                permissions: {
                    can_download: true,
                    can_preview: true
                },
            parent: 
            { type: 'folder',
                id: '22222',
                sequence_id: '3',
                etag: '3',
                name: 'Archives' },
            item_status: 'active',
            item_collection: 
            { total_count: 1,
                entries: 
                [ { type: 'file',
                    id: '33333',
                    sequence_id: '3',
                    etag: '3',
                    sha1: '134b65991ed521fcfe4724b7d814ab8ded5185dc',
                    name: 'tigers.jpeg' } ],
                offset: 0,
                limit: 100 } }
        */
    });