Private files and access rights
Choose who can see the file, independently of who it concerns.
Keep files private, share with selected colleagues as viewers or editors, or choose company visibility while respecting folder boundaries.
A useful association is not permission to read.
Drive separates the people connected to a file from the people who may open it. Files start private, even from other company administrators. The owner chooses visibility and explicit grants; access to every relevant parent folder still matters. This allows a customer proposal and an internal working note to have different audiences even when both concern the same engagement.
Start from the narrowest useful audience.
Choose private, selected-person or company visibility according to the work. Selected colleagues can receive viewer or editor access. Company visibility is an explicit choice rather than an unavoidable consequence of uploading. Decide who needs the content and who merely needs to know a file exists before broadening the audience.
- Private, restricted and company visibility
Respect the folder path as well as the file.
Drive checks the file and its ancestors. Permission at the file does not bypass a closed parent folder. When organizing shared material, confirm that intended readers can reach it through the hierarchy. An administrator role is not a universal key to private files, and a customer association does not widen access.
- Folder-aware authority and separate associations
Keep discussion inside the same boundary.
Internal file and folder conversations require file access. A colleague who loses that access cannot continue reading the associated discussion. External file links are a different sharing mechanism: they open a specific version without exposing the internal conversation. Review internal grants and external links separately when someone's involvement changes.
- Access-bound discussion and separate external links
A concrete workflow
Identify the audience
Decide who needs to read or edit this specific material.
Choose visibility
Select private, selected-person or company access deliberately.
Check the hierarchy
Verify the destination folder does not block or misrepresent intended access.
Review changes
Reassess internal access and external shares when responsibilities change.
An illustrative working example
Illustrative scenario: an internal budget review
A proposal concerns a customer, but the working budget is intended for a small internal team. The owner associates the customer for context and grants selected colleagues access. Another administrator does not receive access merely through the role. Before delivery, the team shares only the reviewed customer-facing version through an external link. The pilot checks the file, parent folder, preview and conversation from each intended audience's perspective.
Questions about this topic
Can administrators read all private files?
No. Administrator status does not bypass private file access. Ownership, explicit grants, visibility and folder authority remain relevant.
Does linking an employee grant access?
No. It records the relationship to the file. The person still needs appropriate sharing and folder access.
What happens to chat after access is removed?
The internal file conversation follows file access. A person without that access can no longer read or join the thread.
Is an external link the same as editor access?
No. It opens one shared file version without workspace membership. It does not provide internal editing access or expose the discussion.
Explore connections around this workflow.
Ideas for intended connections. Check the actual availability, permissions and supported data for each app before using a scenario.
SharePoint Online (v2)
Application concept: Map the intended SharePoint audience to explicit Tsumira access, reviewing private files instead of copying broad site membership.
Google Drive
Application concept: Compare a Google Drive sharing list with the actual people who need viewer or editor access in Tsumira.
Slack
Application concept: Design a Slack handover message that names the responsible owner without treating channel membership as file permission.