Locking a transfer to named recipients

When you send files, you choose who can download them. Verified recipients only is the strongest of the three options: each person you name receives a one-time code by email, and the download link alone will not work for anyone else.

Your three options

On the create transfer page you will see a Protection choice:

• Anyone with the link — the simplest option. Share the link however you like and anyone who has it can download. Best for material that is not confidential.
• Password — anyone with both the link and the password can download. Useful when you do not know exactly who will collect the files, or when you want to pass the password on by phone.
• Verified recipients only — only the email addresses you list can download, each using a code sent to them.

Locking a transfer to named recipients

1. Add the recipients' email addresses in the Send to field.
2. Under Protection, choose Verified recipients only.
3. Send the transfer as normal.

Recipients need at least one email address, because that is where the code is sent. If you have not added any, you will be asked to before the transfer can be sent.

What your recipient sees

They open the link and are asked to confirm their email address. If it matches one you listed, we email them a six-digit code. They enter it and the files unlock. The code expires after 15 minutes and can only be used once, though they can request a new one at any time.

Why this is stronger than a password

A password is a single secret that everyone shares. Once you have sent it, you cannot control who it is passed on to, and it often ends up in the same email thread as the link itself.

A code is different for each recipient and goes only to the address you named. If someone forwards the link, the person receiving it cannot download anything, because they will not be on your list.

It also tells you who actually collected the files. Each download is recorded against the recipient who verified, rather than just an anonymous connection.

Sending to several people

Each recipient verifies separately with their own address and their own code. Nobody shares a secret with anybody else, and you can see which of them has downloaded and which has not.

Free accounts can send to one recipient per transfer, Pro accounts to five. See Understanding your plan.

When not to use it

Because access is tied to specific addresses, forwarding stops working. If your contact is away and a colleague needs the files instead, that colleague will not be able to download them.

For those situations, a password or an open link is the better choice. You can also send a group address such as accounts@company.co.uk, and anyone with access to that mailbox will be able to verify.