Manual link creation is done from the CloudFiles widget on a Salesforce record.

Before creating links, ensure the widget is added to the desired record pages such as Contact, Opportunity, or Case.

Once added, the CloudFiles section appears in the record view, allowing users to connect folder or files to the record.

Connect a file or folder to the widget.

Steps

After the widget is available with connected resources, users can create sharing links directly from Salesforce records.

  1. Open a record and locate the file/Folder under CloudFiles widget
  2. Hover over the file or folder to be shared.
  3. Click ⋮ (More Options) and select Share.

This opens the Link Settings dialog, where you can configure the sharing options.

Link Settings:

The Link Settings dialog allows you to control access, expiry, and security for the shared link.

a. Status

Use these options to enable sharing and manage basic access behavior:

  • Online: Activates or deactivates the sharing link.
  • Allow File Download: Lets recipients download the file or restricts them to view-only mode.
  • Copy Link: Copies the generated sharing URL for distribution outside Salesforce.

b. Expiry

Set conditions that automatically disable the link after a defined limit:

  • On (Date/Time): Expires the link on a specific date and time.
  • After (Views): Expires the link after a specified number of views.

NoteThe link will expire when either of the two limits (date/time or view count) is reached, whichever comes first.

You can create a flow to create the link automatically (for a file/folder/dataroom) when specific conditions are met for example, when a new record is created or when an Opportunity moves to a particular stage.

Steps

The Create Link flow action generates a shareable link for a file, folder, or dataroom.

This flow action accepts the following inputs:

  1. Drive ID - Drive Id of the external storage
  2. Library - sharepoint, google, etc
  3. Resource ID - File/Folder Id or dataroom Id
  4. Resource Type - file, folder, or dataroom
  5. Salesforce Record ID

The Create Link action returns the Link ID and URL. You can use the Link ID to update security settings through the CloudFiles flow action, and the link URL can be saved on the record or sent via email through further automation.

Refer to Security Control for configuring access controls manually or through automation.