Troubleshooting
The link doesn't work for me
Ask whoever sent it for a new one. It is not your fault and it takes them a minute to fix.
**Write to whoever sent it and ask for a new one.** It is the fastest route, takes them a minute, and says nothing bad about you: links expire on purpose, precisely so an old one is not left open out there.
Before writing, two thirty-second checks
- 1
Open it in another browser or on your phone
Rules out half the odd cases without bothering anyone.
- 2
Check you copied the whole link
Forwarding between colleagues cuts it in half surprisingly often.
- 3
And look for a more recent email
If a new one was already sent, the old one stops working.
Important
**If the link expired, what is inside is not lost and you do not start over.** The file is where it was and whatever you already uploaded is still uploaded: all that is needed is a new door. Many people assume they will have to redo the whole thing and stop replying out of weariness — and that is what genuinely delays matters.
What to say so they answer first time
Watch out
A confusing case: **the link belongs to a colleague and will not work for you**. If the email was forwarded from someone else at your company, the door may be in their name. It is not a fault — the request was addressed to a specific person. The way out is to ask for one in your name, and to say who handles this from now on.
›Have I lost what I already uploaded?
No. It is where it was; you just need a new link.
›Can I use a colleague's link?
Sometimes it will not work. Better to ask for one in your name.
›How long do links last?
It depends on the sender. If yours expire often, tell them: it can be extended.
A real case
The situation
The link expires midway through gathering the paperwork and the whole thing is given up on.
What you do
- Asks for a new one, explaining which request it is
What you get
What was already uploaded is still there and they carry on from where they stopped.
The situation
A colleague forwards their email and the link will not open on another computer.
What you do
- Asks for the request to be sent in their name and says who handles it from now on
What you get
Access is fixed and the right recipient is set up for next time.
The situation
The link was copied incompletely from the email.
What you do
- Asks for it to be resent
What you get
It is resolved without depending on copying correctly.
The situation
The link was opened on one device and is tried on another.
What you do
- Opens it from the same mailbox it arrived in
What you get
Access works because it is issued to whoever received it.
The situation
A long time has passed since it arrived.
What you do
- Asks whoever sent it for a new one
What you get
The new link takes a minute to arrive.
The situation
The link was forwarded by a colleague.
What you do
- Asks for it to be sent directly
What you get
Each delivery stands in the name of whoever makes it.
This article answers
- the link has expired
- the link they sent wont open
- i get an error opening the link
- cant access the document link