You can share any file in your Encrypted Vault with a link. The recipient doesn't need a PremierVPN account. This guide shows how to create a link, what the recipient sees, how to stop a link and how to keep shared files safe.
Create a share link
- Open Vault and unlock it. Click the options button (three dots) next to the file and choose Share.
- In the Share window, choose your options:
- Password protection (optional): the recipient must enter this before they can get the file. At least 4 characters.
- Max downloads: Unlimited, 1, 5, 10 or 25.
- Expires after: 24 hours, 3 days (default), 7 days or 30 days. Every link expires, so no link lasts longer than 30 days.
- Click Create share link.
- A Share link created box appears at the top of the vault. Click Copy and send the link to the recipient.
Files with working share links show Shared in the file list, or the number of links if there's more than one.
What the recipient sees
If you set a password, they first see a Password protected page and must enter it and click Continue. Then:
- Encrypted files: they see the file size and a box for the vault passphrase. If the file's name is encrypted, it shows as Encrypted file until the file is decrypted. After they enter the passphrase and click Decrypt and download, the file is decrypted in their browser and saved to their device with its real name.
- Unencrypted files: videos, images, audio and PDFs play or open straight in the browser, with a Download button. No passphrase is needed.
Each time the link is opened (after any password), it counts as one download. The page shows how many downloads are left and the date the link works until. Once the download limit is reached, the link expires or you stop sharing, it shows This link isn't available.
Wrong passwords are limited. After 10 wrong tries from the same connection, or 50 on one link within an hour, the page says Too many attempts and tells them how many minutes to wait before trying again.
Sharing an encrypted file means sharing your passphrase
All your encrypted files use the same vault passphrase. To open an encrypted file you've shared, the recipient needs that passphrase.
- Never send the passphrase in the same message or channel as the link. Use a different method: a text message, a phone call or in person.
- Your passphrase can decrypt every encrypted file in your vault, not just this one. Only give it to someone you'd trust with all of them.
- If you don't want to share your passphrase, encrypt the file yourself with a separate password (for example in a password-protected archive) before uploading it, and share that password instead.
Stop sharing a file
- Click the options button next to the file and choose Share.
- Under Working links for this file, find the link. Each one shows when it expires, how many downloads it has had and whether it has a password.
- Click Stop sharing. The link stops working straight away.
Deleting a file also stops all its links.
Limits
Your plan sets how many working share links you can have at a time: 25 on Vault Pro and 100 on Vault Business. Links that have expired or reached their download limit don't count. If you see Share limit reached, stop sharing a file you no longer need to share, or wait for a link to expire.
To keep exposure low, choose the shortest expiry and the lowest download limit that will do the job, add a password, and stop sharing as soon as the recipient has the file.
Unencrypted files: anyone who gets the link can view the file without a passphrase. Use a password and a short expiry, or upload private files with Encrypt files I upload (recommended) ticked.