Working with Collaborators

Note:  Remember that you must log into UTBox to manage these settings via the online interface.  The changes will then apply to folders/files synced to your desktop.

Collaboration folders

Create a new folder and title it appropriately for your collaboration group.  To adjust the security properties, click the down arrow to the right of the folder, hover over Properties, and then click Security. Set appropriate restrictions, such as who can send collaboration invites, and whether or not collaborators can view other collaborators. To adjust notifications collaborators will receive, click Email Options.

Inviting collaborators

While in the folder you wish to share, type the appropriate information in the "Names or email addresses" field on the right. Those who have an UTBox account, or with whom you have previously collaborated, will appear in a drop-down list. After you have entered collaborators, click Advanced Options to set their appropriate access levels, being sure to designate only the highest level needed; if the levels will vary, you will need to enter them separately.

-For information about levels of collaboration permissions, hover over the " i " next to "Learn about access types" in the "Invite Collaborators" box.

Self-inviting collaborators

If you wish to invite a large number of collaborators, or if your list of collaborators is an undefined subset of a larger group, it may be easier to send collaborators a self-inviting link, rather than entering them individually. For example, if you wish to invite everyone on a particular mail list, email the link to the list.

To generate a self-inviting collaboration link, click the down arrow to the right of the folder, hover over Share, and select Invite Collaborators. In the resulting screen, click Email Invite near the top. Check the box next to "Enable invitation links", select the proper collaboration access level, and then copy the link. After clicking Okay, send the link to your collaborators. Generate different links for different access levels for the same folder.

Tasks

To assign tasks to Box collaborators, when previewing a file, click Assign Task underneath it, and enter the task instructions. To change the task type, click To Review, and select from the drop-down list. Enter the name or email address of the appropriate collaborator(s), and click Due Date if you wish to assign one. Click Add, and the assignees will receive notification about their task. When they've completed it, they can mark the task as complete.

Accepting collaboration invites

You may not wish to be part of every collaboration to which you are invited, and you can make accepting such invites a conscious decision. To revise this setting, click the gear icon in the screen's upper right and select Account Settings. From the Content& Sharing tab, in the "Collaborating on Content" section, uncheck Automatically accept incoming collaboration invitations. You will receive collaboration invites by email, and can choose which to accept. Pending invites will also appear at the top of your main Box page.

External Collaboration

When collaborating with people outside UT, it is recommend that your collaborators create their Box accounts before you invite them to a folder. You can then use the email addresses they used when creating their accounts to invite them to collaborate.

If you get a sharing request from someone at another institution, be sure you are logged into your UTBox account before accepting it, or you may be taken to that institution's login page. If needed, close the window that opened when you clicked the sharing request, and log into your UTBox account. Then proceed to accept the sharing request.

Note: The content in a shared folder impacts the quota of the folder owner only, not collaborators' quotas. Other Box limits, such as maximum file size, are dictated by the rules of the folder owner's Box account; for example, if someone from UT invites a user of a free Box account into a collaboration folder, the maximum file size for all content uploaded to that folder will be 5 GB. If the free account holder owned the folder, the maximum file size would be 250 MB, the limit for free accounts.

Removing collaborators

Once a collaborative project is over and collaborators no longer need access to the content, you should properly end collaboration:

• If you are the folder owner, remove collaborators who no longer need access. In the collaborative folder, hover over the collaborator you wish to remove in the right side bar, and click  x  to the right of the name. If the list is large, click the link for more collaborators at the bottom of the list. Click the collaborator access level link next to the appropriate name, and select Remove.
• If you are a collaborator, you can remove yourself from the folder. Hover over your name in the right side bar in the collaborators list, and click the  x next to your name.