Understanding how file downloading settings operate across different levels—company-wide, within workspaces, and in Portals—is important for file control and management.

This article delves into each level, detailing the options available, default settings, and how administrators can navigate and customize download permissions to suit their needs. 

Company-level file downloading

Downloading can be controlled at the company level, which overrides all download controls at the workspace, portal, and individual user levels. Company administrators set this in the Security settings.

As a company Admin, you can access the Security page from any page by clicking the profile icon in the top right corner and selecting Admin.

In the admin settings navigation bar, select the Security tab.

The company-wide Downloading controls are found under the Upload & Download Restrictions section of the Security settings.

There are 3 options available to restrict downloading:

• No company-wide download restrictions
• Downloading disabled for restricted workspaces
• Downloading disabled company-wide

The first (No company-wide download restrictions) is selected by default. CoLab provides controls specific to restricted workspaces as well, separate from all other workspaces.

Workspace-level file downloading 

When you create a new workspace, downloading is disabled by default. However, both workspace owners and company admins have the authority to enable downloading for all members of the workspace. Once activated, any user within the workspace can download any file. It's important to note that downloading cannot be enabled on a per-file or per-user basis.

To enable downloading within a workspace, follow these steps:

1. Go to the workspace.
2. Click on your profile icon located in the top right corner.
3. Select Workspace Settings from the dropdown menu

With the workspace settings opened, select or deselect the Allow downloading option.

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Portal-level file downloading

By default, downloading is disabled in a Portal. However, it can only be enabled if downloading is also enabled for the corresponding Workspace, a setting controlled by either a Workspace or Company Admin. If downloading is enabled for the Workspace, a Portal Admin can enable downloading within the Portal from the Portal Settings page.

To enable downloading in a Portal:

1. Select the desired Portal from the Portals Dashboard.
2. Click on the Settings button.
3. Under the General tab, select the Enable downloading option.
4. Save changes to apply the settings.

Under the General tab on the Portals settings page, you can select the Enable downloading option, and then Save changes.