Support has now ended for Legacy Collaborate.
To upgrade to New Collaborate, refer to Upgrading to New Collaborate.
The Collaborate function also gives clients access to the Upload Folder within the shared OneDrive folder.
The Upload Folder provides an alternate way for clients to send documents to the practice instead of sending documents by email. For example, clients can upload documents such as Tax Receipts. Also if you are doing bookkeeping services for the client, Upload provides a way for your clients to send source documents and information.
Important: Legacy Collaborate creates Client Folders on OneDrive using the Client Name. If you have more than one client with the same name, do not add the other clients to Legacy Collaborate. Upgrade to New Collaborate to create unique client folders and share documents with different clients sharing the same name.
Using the OneDrive Shared Folders is functionality of Microsoft
A client can only access the Upload Folder if:
- They have been given access to the shared folders from the Sharing Settings in the Client - Collaborate tab.
- The client has verified their access to the shared folders.
- The client has also verified their access to the Upload Folder.
Refer to Sharing the Share Folder with the Client.
Sharing the Upload Folder with Users who are not Microsoft 365 Users
You can share the Upload Folder with users who are not Microsoft 365 Users (for example, to a .gmail email address). The users will still be able to access the folder, open and upload documents but there may be a slightly difference experience to when the user has a full Microsoft 365 account.
User Accesses the Share Folder and Upload Folder
Once a client has access to the Share Folders, they will also see the Upload Folder. Refer to How the External User accesses the Shared Folders.
Note: To allow them to upload files, they will need to have first clicked the link to the Upload Folder in the email that you send them (and verify access if prompted).
From the Share Folder, a client can then open the Upload Folder. The client can then drag files to the Upload Folder, or use the Upload function to upload selected files or folders. If a client uploads more than one file at a time, the documents are auto-filed in FYI individually, not as a bulk document.
Note: There is a 500MB limit per file that can be added to the Upload Folder.
Uploaded Documents sent to FYI
- When a client adds files to the Upload Folder they are automatically imported to FYI and then deleted from the Upload Folder.
Note: The sync from OneDrive to FYI is performed every 10 minutes.
- Where relevant, the imported documents from the Upload Folder are auto-filed.
- Where the document imported from the Upload Folder cannot be auto-filed, they display in the In Tray of the OneDrive admin account as set up when your practice's OneDrive was linked and shared (refer to Link your Practice's OneDrive Admin Account). It is recommended that the In Tray for this user is shared with other members of the practice so they can file the uploaded documents.
- The Source field in the documents in FYI shows as "Client Upload". You can include this column in a documents view to see documents that a client has uploaded.
- If you want uploaded items to be moved to the In Tray instead of being autofiled, set up a Custom Process that will locate the documents using a Filter set to a Document View that has the Source set as "Client Upload" and the date set as "Today". The Custom Process can then use the Alter Document step to change the Filing status to "Unfiled". Refer to Process Step Details - Alter Document.
- You can use the Source field document view as the basis of a summary notification automation to notify team members that documents have been received from the client. Refer to Custom Processes using Views and Summary Notifications and for an example of how to set this up, refer to Client Upload Notification.
Sending the Link to the Upload Folder Manually
If you need to send the link to the Upload Folder at any time, for example, if the client loses their link, an FYI Admin, or a user in a User Group that has Permissions enabled for Share Settings, can resend this by copying the link to your clipboard from the Sharing Settings.
To send a client a link to the Upload Folder:
- On the Collaborate tab for the relevant client, click Sharing Settings.
- Click Options and select Upload Link.
This copies the link to your clipboard.
Note: The Upload Link is only available if the folder has already been shared with the client. - Paste the link into an email and send it directly to the person.
When the client opens this link, and verifies if prompted, the Upload Folder displays directly so they can upload data to it.
The email template that is set up for your practice for the email used when initially sending the links can also be used to resend the link by creating an email, selecting the client and selecting the relevant email template. This will add the links to the Share Folder and to the Upload Folder that are relevant for that client. Refer to Setting up the Shared Folders Email Template and Assigning Share Settings Access.
Removing Access
To remove the client's access to the Share Folder, to the Upload Folder and to documents that were directly shared with users, this needs to be done from your OneDrive by someone with administrator access to your practice's OneDrive. Refer to Removing Access to the Share Folder and Upload Folder.