Sharing and Collaboration Workflows

Now that you've mastered file organisation, it's time to leverage these systems for effective sharing and collaboration. This page shows you how to create secure, organised workflows that make working with team members and clients seamless.

Understanding NextCloud Sharing Options

NextCloud v31 offers several sharing methods, each suited for different collaboration needs:

Internal Sharing: Share with other Junovy Cloud Storage users Link Sharing: Create shareable links for external access Email Sharing: Send files directly via email Group Sharing: Share with predefined user groups Federated Sharing: Share with users on other NextCloud instances

Clicking the Sharing Options icon, the Sharing menu will open.

Step 1: Set Up Your Collaboration Folders

Create dedicated spaces for different types of collaboration:

Recommended Folder Structure:

02 - Shared Projects/
├── Client-Collaboration/
│   ├── ACME-Website/
│   ├── Johnson-Co-Branding/
│   └── Templates-for-Clients/
├── Team-Workspaces/
│   ├── Marketing-Team/
│   ├── Development-Team/
│   └── Management-Reports/
└── External-Partners/
    ├── Freelancer-Handoffs/
    └── Vendor-Resources/

1. Create your collaboration folder structure
2. Apply consistent tagging to shared folders
3. Set clear naming conventions for shared content
4. Document permissions for each collaboration space

Step 2: Internal Team Sharing

Share files and folders with your Junovy Cloud Storage team members:

Sharing with Individual Users:

1. Right-click the file or folder you want to share
2. Select "Share" from the context menu
3. In the "Share with users" field, start typing a colleague's name
4. Select their name from the dropdown
5. Choose permissions:
   • View only - Can see and download
   • Allow editing - Can modify files
   • Custom permissions - Can share with others and change permissions
6. Click "Share"

To share internally, being typing the user's name and then click to select it.

Once the user is selected, choose between View only, Allow editing, or Custom Permissions. Then click Save share.

Once a share has been created, the share can be managed by clicking on the Quick Share Permissions drop-down menu or the More Options menu on the right-hand side.

The Quick Share Permissions drop-down menu can be used to quickly switch between View only, Can edit, and Custom permissions.

Removing A Share

To remove a share, click on the More Options menu on the right-hand side of the file share.

This will open up the Sharing panel. Click the Delete share button to remove the share.

Step 3: Client Collaboration Workflows

Create secure, professional workflows for external client collaboration:

Option A: Secure Public Link Sharing

1. Select the folder you wish to share.
2. Select "Sharing" → "Create Public Link"
3. Configure link settings:
   • Password protection (recommended for clients)
   • Expiration date (set project timeline)
   • Permission level (usually "View and download")
   • Allow upload (if clients need to provide files)
4. Copy the link and send it securely to your client

A public link can be generated with specific permissions.

Next, select which options should be allowed with the public link. These options are explained in detail on the Custom Permissions for Public Shares. Please read this before sharing files publicly.

Once complete, select Update share.

Option B: Direct Client Access

1. Create a client-specific folder (e.g., "ACME-Client-Portal")
2. Share via email directly from NextCloud
3. Set appropriate permissions (typically view-only)
4. Include a welcome message explaining how to use the shared space

Client Folder Best Practices:

• Organise by project phase: Planning → Design → Development → Final
• Include a README file with instructions and contact information
• Use clear, professional folder names that clients will understand
• Regularly clean up old or irrelevant files

Step 4: Permission Management

Set appropriate permissions for different collaboration scenarios:

Permission Levels in Junovy Cloud Storage:

Read (View):

• View files and folders
• Download content
• Use for: Final deliverables, reference materials

Write (Edit):

• All read permissions plus
• Upload files
• Edit existing files
• Use for: Active collaboration, shared workspaces

Share:

• All write permissions plus
• Share with other users
• Change permissions
• Use for: Project managers, team leads

Delete:

• All share permissions plus
• Delete files and folders
• Use for: Folder owners, administrators

Step 5: Collaborative File Editing

Set up workflows for real-time collaboration on documents:

For Office Documents:

1. Enable collaborative editing in your NextCloud apps
2. Share documents with edit permissions
3. Use version comments when saving significant changes
4. Establish editing protocols (who edits when, how to handle conflicts)

For Design Files:

1. Share design folders with appropriate team members
2. Use version numbering in filenames for design iterations
3. Create feedback folders for client comments and revisions
4. Maintain asset libraries in shared template folders

When more than two users have a file open, the other user's cursor will display with their name. If the document has been opened by more than one user, this will be shown in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. 

Clicking the user icons, display a list of users who are currently viewing or editing the document.

Step 6: Notification and Communication

Stay informed about shared file activity:

Setting Up Notifications:

1. Go to Settings → Personal → Activity
2. Configure notifications for:
   • File changes in shared folders
   • New comments (if comments app enabled)
   • Share invitations and acceptances
   • File uploads to your shared folders

Communication Protocols:

• Use file names to communicate status (DRAFT-, REVIEW-, FINAL-)
• Organise by urgency using folder prioritisation
• Send notification emails for important updates
• Schedule regular reviews of shared spaces

Step 7: External Sharing Security

Implement security best practices for external collaboration:

Security Checklist:

✅ Always use passwords for external links
✅ Set expiration dates on temporary shares
✅ Review permissions regularly and remove unnecessary access
✅ Use view-only permissions unless editing is required
✅ Monitor sharing activity through the activity feed
✅ Create separate folders for different external parties

Advanced Security Options:

• IP restrictions (if available in your NextCloud setup)
• Two-factor authentication requirements for shared access
• Watermarking for sensitive documents (premium feature)
• Audit trails for compliance requirements

Step 8: Workflow Templates

Create reusable sharing workflows for common scenarios:

Project Kickoff Template:

1. Create project folder with standard substructure
2. Share with internal team (edit permissions)
3. Create client portal folder (view permissions)
4. Set up progress tracking folder for milestones
5. Document sharing protocols in project README

Client Delivery Template:

1. Organise final deliverables in clear folder structure
2. Create shareable link with password protection
3. Include delivery documentation and usage instructions
4. Set appropriate expiration (typically 30-90 days)
5. Archive project files after successful delivery

Step 9: External File Shares

NextCloud's External Storage feature allows you to connect and access files from external services directly within your Junovy Cloud Storage interface. This powerful feature is available as an add-on for Business subscriptions and higher.

What Are External File Shares?

External file shares let you mount external storage services as if they were native folders in your Junovy Cloud Storage:

Supported External Storage Types:

• FTP/SFTP - Connect to FTP servers and web hosting accounts
• SMB/CIFS - Access Windows network shares and corporate file servers
• Google Drive - Mount your existing Google Drive storage
• Dropbox - Access Dropbox files without leaving NextCloud
• OneDrive - Connect Microsoft OneDrive accounts
• Amazon S3 - Mount S3 buckets for cloud storage
• WebDAV - Connect to other WebDAV-compatible services

Business & Enterprise Subscription Requirement

Important: External file shares are available as an add-on feature for Business and Enterprise subscriptions. If you're interested in connecting external storage services to your Junovy Cloud Storage, please contact our support team to discuss adding this feature to your account.

Setting Up External File Shares (Business & Enterprise Add-on)

Once the external storage add-on is enabled on your account:

1. Navigate to Settings → Personal → External Storage
2. Click "Add storage" and select your desired service type
3. Configure the connection:
   • Service credentials (API keys, usernames, passwords)
   • Mount point name (how it appears in your file list)
   • Access permissions (read-only or read-write)
   • User availability (personal or shared with team)
4. Test the connection to ensure proper configuration
5. Save settings to mount the external storage

External Share Use Cases

Development Workflows:

• Mount client FTP servers for direct website file management
• Access version control repositories through SFTP
• Connect to staging servers for seamless file deployment

Business Integration:

• Access existing Google Drive or OneDrive files without migration
• Connect to company network drives (SMB/CIFS) for legacy file access
• Mount backup storage (S3) for additional file redundancy

Client Collaboration:

• Provide clients access to their existing cloud storage within your project workspace
• Connect to client FTP servers for asset gathering and delivery
• Integrate with client's preferred cloud storage platforms

Managing External Shares

Best Practices for External Storage:

• Use descriptive mount names like "Client-FTP-Server" or "Company-Google-Drive"
• Set appropriate permissions (read-only for reference materials)
• Monitor connection status regularly to ensure availability
• Document external connections for team members
• Consider security implications of connecting external services

Performance Considerations:

• External files may load slower than local NextCloud storage
• Large file operations work best with stable internet connections
• Consider syncing frequently used external files to local storage

Security and External Storage

Security Best Practices:

✅ Use service accounts rather than personal accounts for business connections
✅ Apply least-privilege access (read-only when possible)
✅ Monitor external storage activity through NextCloud logs
✅ Regularly review connected services and remove unused connections
✅ Ensure external services meet your security and compliance requirements

Data Sovereignty: Remember that external file shares store data on third-party services. Consider data location and compliance requirements when connecting external storage, especially for sensitive business information.

Collaboration Workflow Examples

Marketing Campaign Workflow:

Campaign-Q4-Launch/
├── 01-Strategy/ (Team: Edit, Client: View)
├── 02-Creative/ (Designers: Edit, Others: View)
├── 03-Approval/ (Client: Edit for feedback)
└── 04-Final/ (All: View only)

Website Development Workflow:

Website-Project/
├── Discovery/ (Team + Client: Edit)
├── Design/ (Designers: Edit, Client: View + Comment)
├── Development/ (Developers: Edit, Client: View)
└── Launch/ (All: View, Client: Download)

Best Practices Summary

✅ Organisation:

• Use consistent folder structures across all shared projects
• Apply your tagging system to shared content
• Create clear README files for external collaborators
• Maintain separate spaces for different types of collaboration

✅ Security:

• Always password-protect external shares
• Set appropriate expiration dates
• Review and audit permissions regularly
• Use the minimum permissions necessary for each role

✅ Communication:

• Establish clear workflows and protocols
• Use descriptive file names to communicate status
• Set up relevant notifications for team members
• Document your sharing protocols for team consistency

Next Steps

With your sharing and collaboration workflows established, you're ready to learn about advanced features like automation, backup strategies, and mobile workflows. The next chapter will cover these power-user features to maximise your Junovy Cloud Storage efficiency.