Let External Reviewers Access File Uploads

When creating templates for:

• Response notification emails
• Workflow reminder emails
• Workflow notification emails

Form Authors can attach file uploads to some emails, and use answer piping to include links to respondents' uploaded files in the email body. 

For security reasons, email recipients must log in to OpenForms when accessing these linked files.

The Account owner can allow form Authors and Admins to override this for individual forms and let people that aren't OpenForms users access file links. This can be useful for facilitating external reviews. 

External access should be used sparingly to protect your respondents' data.

Set Access Permissions for Your Organization

This is an Account owner task.

To let form authors and admins allow external access to file links: 

1. Go to Account > Security from the user account menu.
2. Check the box to Allow access under Response files.
   
   
3. Select Save changes.

To the right of this setting, you will see how many forms currently allow external access to linked respondent uploads. 

Select See all to view a complete list of forms that allow access.

Deselecting Allow access will shut down external access to all file upload links across your organization's forms.

Accessing Uploaded Files

This is a form Author or Admin task. 

To allow external recipients of notification and reminder emails to access file links:

1. Go to your form > Settings > Permissions.
2. Expand Viewing responses for the form.
3. Check the box to Allow anyone with the link to access files (no login required) under Accessing uploaded response files.
   
   
   

This option will only be available if the account owner has allowed admins to override this setting on individual forms.

What Next?

• Build dynamic forms and add data to emails with answer piping
• File uploads: settings, restrictions, and virus scans