Sharing — files with others, internally and externally

Sharing is Nextcloud’s core feature. You can share practically any file and any folder with others — within your Nextcloud, with other Nextcloud servers, or as a public link for recipients without an account.

Sharing a file or folder

In the Files app: click a file or folder → the Sharing tab in the detail sidebar on the right.

Three options:

1. Share directly with a user of the same Nextcloud (internal)
2. Share with a user on another Nextcloud (federated sharing)
3. Share via public link (external)

Option 1: Sharing with an internal user

In the Sharing tab, use the search field — type a username or email address. Auto-completion shows matching users of your Nextcloud.

Select the user → the share becomes active immediately. The user sees the shared folder in their Shared with you area.

Permissions

Per share, you can choose:

• Read: user can download and view files
• Update: user can overwrite existing files
• Create: user can add new files
• Delete: user can delete files
• Reshare: user can pass the share on

The default is read + update + create + delete — full access. For sensitive data: read only.

Sharing with a group

Instead of a single user, you can also set a group as the share recipient. All users in the group see the share automatically.

Handy for club structures — set the “Vorstand” group as the share recipient, and new board members added to the group see the shared material right away.

More in Users and groups.

Option 2: Federated sharing to another Nextcloud

If the recipient has their own Nextcloud on another server, sharing can happen directly between the two servers.

Setup on the sender side:

1. Administration settings → Sharing → enable federated sharing.
2. In the sharing dialog, enter the recipient’s federated cloud ID — format: <username>@<nextcloud-domain>. Example: vorname@cloud.firma-x.de.

The recipient gets a notification in their Nextcloud, accepts the share, and sees it in their Shared with you area.

Useful for, say:

• A club collaborating with another club — both have their own Nextcloud
• Freelancers working with clients who also run Nextcloud

Option 3: Public sharing link

If the recipient doesn’t have a Nextcloud account, you generate a public link — a URL you send by mail, messenger or wherever.

Setup:

1. In the Sharing tab → click Share link.
2. The link is created and copied automatically.

By default, that’s an open link — anyone who has it can download or upload the content.

We strongly recommend: no open links for sensitive content. You configure more protection in the link’s detail dialog — see Sharing links with password and expiration.

Sharing permissions per link

For every public link, you can choose:

• Read + download: recipient can view and download the content
• Allow upload: recipient can additionally upload new files to the shared folder
• File drop: upload only, without seeing what’s inside

File drop is handy for a job-application inbox or a photo collection — recipients can upload, but don’t see other uploads.

Changing or revoking a share later

In the Sharing tab you see the list of all shares. Per share:

• Edit: change permissions
• Delete: revoke the share — the recipient loses access immediately

For public links: delete the link → the link is dead, the recipient gets a 404.

Federated cloud ID

You’ll find your own federated cloud ID in Personal settings → Personal info, at the very bottom. Format: <your-username>@<your-nextcloud-url>.

You can pass it on to other Nextcloud users so they can send you federated shares.

Server-wide sharing defaults

As an admin, you can set defaults in Administration settings → Sharing:

• Sharing enabled globally: yes/no
• Default permission for new shares: read / edit
• Enforce a password requirement for public links
• Enforce a maximum expiration date (e.g. 30 days)
• Allow federated sharing (on/off)
• Restrict sharing to specific groups only

Our recommendation for sensitive setups (medical practices, law firms):

• Password requirement for public links: yes
• Maximum expiration date: 14–30 days
• Federated sharing: yes, but only to known servers
• Enable the audit log: for a GDPR trail

Sharing activity

The Activity tab shows what has been shared. Handy for an overview: “Who shared what with whom in the last 30 days?”

Every user sees their own activity. As an admin, the administration overview gives you the server-wide view.

Frequently asked questions

How many users can I share with at once? As many as you like. Each share targets a single user or group — you can repeat that as often as you want for the same file.

What happens if I rename a shared folder? For internal shares: recipients see the new name. For public links: the link keeps working, recipients see the new name.

Can I restrict sharing for subfolders? By default, a subfolder inherits the sharing rights of its parent. With the Files Access Control app you can be more granular — e.g. “subfolder X is read-only even though the parent folder is writable”.

Can I share the same file twice with different rights? Yes. You can assign separate rights per recipient.

Sharing via mail invitation? Yes. Instead of copy-and-send, you can enter an email address directly in the sharing dialog — Nextcloud sends an invitation mail with the link.

Can shared folders have sub-shares? If the “reshare” permission is granted, the recipient can pass the share on. Allowed by default — can be disabled per share.

What happens if I delete the file? The share ends automatically. The recipient loses access. If the file only went to the trash (not permanently deleted), you can restore it — the share is not reactivated automatically; you have to recreate it.

How long do shares stay active? Indefinitely by default — until you delete them, or the file itself is deleted. With an expiration date (see Sharing links with protection), they’re time-limited.

What’s next

• Sharing links with password and expiration
• Creating users and groups
• Calendar, Contacts, Tasks