Know the basics: Two ways to share SOPs with people outside your organization
Dive provides two secure methods to share SOPs with external partners, vendors, temporary staff, and others that you want to keep separate from your normal Dive workflow. Choose the method that best fits your use case.
- ① Public link (no login required): Issue a viewing URL protected by an expiration date or password, then share the link directly. No preparation needed on the recipient's side. Because one URL is issued per SOP, this method works best for one-time, ad-hoc sharing.
- ② Guest invitation: Issue a view-only account that requires recipients to log in to Dive. Guest accounts operate under the same security controls as regular users (folder restrictions, Audit log, IP address restriction, and SSO), but do not count toward your account quota and cannot access training reports or Usage Report. This method works best for long-term, ongoing external viewers who need access to multiple SOPs.
From a security perspective, we recommend Guest invitation as the default. If you only need one-time sharing, use Public link with both an expiration date and password.
Guest invitations can be changed to other user roles at any time. When you do, the counts automatically switch between guest invitations and account quota—no need to re-invite.
Which method should you use? (Quick decision guide)
Answer these three questions to determine the best method for your situation.
-
Will the recipient view the same SOP repeatedly over a long period? (Do you want to share multiple SOPs at once?)
- Yes → Guest invitation (You can share multiple SOPs together by folder)
- No (one-time viewing, a few days only, or share one at a time) → Public link
-
Do you need audit logging, IP address restriction, or SSO enforcement?
- Yes → Guest invitation (Same controls apply as for regular users)
- No → Either method works
-
Do you want to avoid using your account quota?
- Yes → Public link
- No → Guest invitation (Guest invitations consume a separate quota, but Core and higher plans include 3x your account quota reserved for guests: Core 75 / Pro 150 / Enterprise 300)
Comparison table (What is the difference?)
| ① Public link | ② Guest invitation | |
|---|---|---|
| Sharing unit | One URL per SOP | By folder (grouped access) |
| Recipient preparation | None (just open the URL) | Log in required (Dive login information) |
| Number of accounts | Does not count toward quota | Guest invitation counts as 1 guest (separate from account quota, not available for Free/Lite; Core and higher plans reserve 3x your account quota: Core 75 / Pro 150 / Enterprise 300) |
| Available plans | Lite and higher (Free is not supported). Disabled by default; the Owner must enable it | Core and higher (Free/Lite are not supported) |
| Expiration and password | Set per URL (either expiration or password is required) | Same as regular users (no expiration, password-based) |
| Access granularity | Per URL (each SOP gets its own URL) | Folder and Group level |
| Audit log | URL issuance, expiration, and access are logged | Login and viewing are logged the same way as regular users |
| IP address restriction | Not applicable | Applicable (team Security Settings apply) |
| SSO enforcement | Not applicable | Applicable |
| SOP list appearance | Only the SOP for that URL is displayed | Only SOPs the user can view are shown on one screen without folder hierarchy (folder structure is not displayed) |
| Training management scope | Not applicable | Not applicable (guests are not counted in Course assignments or Skill Map) |
| Aggregation in Usage Report and other reports | Not applicable | Not aggregated (Guests can use personal view history and Favorites) |
| SOP creation and editing | Not allowed (view only) | Not allowed (view only) |
| Permission changes | — | Can be changed to any other role at any time (counts automatically switch between Guest invitation and Number of accounts) |
| Best for | One-time briefings / Vendor quotes / Short-term resource sharing / Showing just this one SOP | Long-term vendor partnerships / On-site contractors / Ongoing access to multiple SOPs |
| Important notes | If the URL is leaked, it may be viewed (password protection recommended) | Same management overhead as regular users (group configuration, etc.) |
How to use each method
- ① Public link: How to use external sharing (issuing, password protection, history, expiration)
- ① Public link: Enable or disable (for administrators): Restrict external sharing (enable or disable external sharing)
- ② Guest invitation: What are guest invitations? (details, inviting users, access permissions)