Most document mishaps are not dramatic. The wrong version goes out, a draft reaches the wrong person, or a price list stays reachable a year after it expired. A minute of checking before you press send prevents nearly all of them. Here is the list, and how each item looks in shareHub.
1. Who is it for?
Write the name down. If the document is for named people, restrict it to their addresses (or their company domain) with an email code. Use a PIN only when you cannot list addresses, and public only for content that anyone with the address may see.
2. Is this the final version?
Open the document the way the client will, in the browser, before you send the link. If you find a mistake afterwards, fix it in the same share: the link stays and readers see the new version.
3. Does an old copy exist somewhere?
Every attachment you have sent is a copy you cannot correct. Prefer one link to one source, so there is only ever one current version.
4. When should it stop working?
Match the end date to the document: a quote to its validity, a draft to the review period. The default is 90 days and the maximum 365. A link that outlives its purpose is a risk with no benefit.
5. Does it contain anything that should not travel?
Remove comments, tracked changes and hidden sheets before you upload; some of them are not carried over, and some should never have been in the file. Check the converted page, not just the original.
6. How will you know it arrived?
Silence is ambiguous. The dashboard shows whether the current version has been opened and when. Treat a view as a good moment to follow up, not as proof of reading. What “viewed” really means covers the limits.
7. Can you take it back?
Decide in advance that you can. A shared link can be closed at once, and the closing is checked on every request. An email attachment cannot be recalled. If the answer to “can I take it back?” matters for this document, it should not be an attachment.
Frequently asked questions
Does this checklist apply to internal documents too?
Yes. For colleagues, an email code with your company domain is the simplest rule, and the end date and version questions are the same.
What if the client forwards the link?
With an email code, forwarding the link does not open it for someone who is not on your list; they cannot receive a code at an address you did not approve.
How long should I keep a link open?
As long as the document is useful, and no longer. The default is 90 days; you can set up to 365 and extend it later if you need to.
Turn your document into a live link and decide who can open it.
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