From [Share] in an SOP, you can issue an external sharing URL that can be opened with no login required. This is useful when you want to share an SOP with people who do not have a Dive account, such as subcontractors, business partners, or briefing session attendees.
💡 If you are wondering, “What is the difference between an external sharing URL and a guest invitation?”, first read Sharing SOPs Externally: Choosing the Right Method. It shows a decision chart and a comparison table on one page.
You can protect the URL you issue with one or both of the following.
- Expiry date: Access is blocked after the specified date.
- Password: Viewers must enter the password to open the URL.
After issuing, you can change the expiry date, change the password (rotation), disable, or reactivate the URL. The history records who issued which SOP and when.
Before You Start: Team Activation Is Required
The external sharing feature is disabled by default for security reasons. To use it, the Owner must configure the team settings.
- For how to turn it on, see External Sharing Restriction Settings (Enabling and Disabling External Sharing)
Once enabled, users with the target roles can use this feature.
Issue an External Sharing URL
- Open the SOP you want to share externally
- Click the [Share] button at the top
- In the dialog that appears, open the [External sharing (no login required)] tab
- Turn on the [Set expiration] switch, then select the expiry date (the URL expires at 23:59 on the selected date)
- If needed, turn on the [Protect with password] switch and enter a password (see details below)
- If needed, open [Opening options], turn on [Open from the specified step], and select a step (recipients start viewing from the step you select, not from the beginning of the SOP)
- If needed, turn on [Open with auto transition enabled] (when recipients open the link, playback starts with In-step Repeat turned off, and automatically moves on to the next step when each step finishes)
- If needed, turn on [Open in continuous play] (when recipients open the link, it starts in continuous play, playing from Step 1 onward like a video. Questions are skipped. For details, see Playing an SOP Continuously Like a Video (Continuous Play))
- If needed, enter a Comment (for example, “For XX Co., Ltd.” or “For briefing session”. It is recorded in the issue history and the audit log)
- Click [Issue URL]. The URL is copied to the clipboard, and a QR Code is displayed
You can also print the QR Code in the QR print layout from [Show print screen] below the QR Code.
Required Rules for Issuing (Expiry Date or Password)
To issue a URL, you must meet at least one of the following conditions.
- [Set expiration] is turned on, and a date from today onward is specified
- [Protect with password] is turned on, and a password is entered
A URL with both options turned off (an “unprotected permanent URL”) cannot be issued. If you turn off the expiry date (to make the URL permanent), password protection is required.
Protect with Password
- Manual entry: You can set any password of up to 64 characters.
- Auto-generate: With the [Auto-generate] button next to the input field, you can create an 8-character random password in one click. Characters that are easy to confuse (0/O, 1/l/I, etc.) are excluded.
- Send the password to the recipient separately from the URL: For security, we recommend not sending the password through the same route as the URL (for example, in the same email). Passwords are saved as PBKDF2 hashes, and plaintext is not stored anywhere the guest (recipient) can read directly.
- After issuing, “This URL is password-protected. Password: XXXX” is displayed below the URL, and you can copy only the password with the copy button.
What Happens Right After Issuing
- The URL is automatically copied to the clipboard. Paste it into an email or chat to share it.
- The QR Code is displayed right away. You can also use it at briefing sessions and other events where people scan it on site.
- If password protection is on, be sure to notify the password through a separate channel.
Open with a Specified Language
Open [Opening options] in the share dialog and turn on the [Open with a specified language] checkbox. You can then specify the Display language (29 languages) and the SOP translation language for the URL and QR Code you issue. You can distribute URLs that open in the specified language from the start to overseas sites and foreign staff.
This setting applies only when the URL is opened. Viewers can choose a different language after opening it, and their usual language settings are never changed. For details, see Printing a QR Code or Copying a Shared URL.
Open with Auto Transition Enabled
Open [Opening options] in the share dialog and turn on the [Open with auto transition enabled] checkbox. When the URL is opened, playback starts with In-step Repeat turned off (the state where playback automatically moves on to the next step). When playback of a step ends, it automatically moves on to the next step. Use this for situations such as viewing from a posted QR Code, or viewing while your hands are busy with work.
This setting applies only when the URL is opened. Viewers can switch In-step Repeat after opening it, and the usual settings saved on their device are never changed. For the conditions under which playback automatically moves to the next step, see How to Use Continuous Playback and Automatic Step Transition.
What Recipients Experience
- Recipients can view the SOP just by opening the URL, with no Dive account or login required.
- If the URL is password-protected, a screen labeled [Password-protected] appears right after it is opened. Enter the correct password to view the SOP. An incorrect password will not open it.
- If the URL is accessed after its expiry (23:59 on the specified date), it can no longer be viewed.
- Accessing a disabled URL does not allow you to view the SOP.
- A URL whose issuer has left the team (for example, has been deactivated) cannot be viewed until it is taken over.
View and Manage Issue History
At the bottom of the [Share] → [External sharing (no login required)] tab for the same SOP, a history (mini list) of the URLs issued for that SOP is displayed.
- Copy URL: You can copy the same URL again from each row of the history.
- Also show disabled and expired URLs: Switch with the toggle. By default, only active URLs are shown.
- Only me / Entire team switch: Owners and Team Administrators can also view URLs issued by everyone on the team.
- [Edit / Details]: From the upper right of the mini list, the full-featured “Issued external sharing URLs” list opens.
Issued External Sharing URLs (Full Features)
In the full list, you can do the following.
- Copy URL: Copy an existing URL to share it again.
- Change expiry date: Select a new date and time to extend or shorten the expiry date (to make the URL permanent, password protection is required).
- Change password (rotation): You can replace only the password with a new one while keeping the URL the same. This is useful when the recipient changes or when there is a risk of leakage.
- Remove password protection: You can remove password protection only from URLs with an expiry date. URLs without an expiry date cannot have it removed, because the password is the only barrier.
- Disable: Prevents access to the URL from then on. Use this for URLs issued by mistake or for business partners who have ended their relationship.
- Reactivate: Enable a disabled URL again. (If the URL has expired, use this together with changing the expiry date.)
- Take over: If the person who issued a URL leaves the team (for example, is deactivated), that URL becomes “Suspended” and cannot be opened. Owners and Team Administrators can set the list to [Entire team] and click [Take over] to resume the URL as if they had issued it, keeping the same URL and QR Code. If the person is added back to the team, the URL can be opened again.
- Check auto transition: In the [Auto transition] column of the list, you can check the setting (on or off) that was in place when the URL was issued.
- Filter: Search by SOP name, issuer, or comment, use the status filter, and switch the scope between Only me and Entire team.
※ Issuers, Owners, and Team Administrators can check the password that has been set (plaintext) from the full list. This is for re-sharing internally and for handling cases where the password was not passed on. The token that guests (recipients) read directly does not contain plaintext; only the PBKDF2 hash is stored.
Audit and Records
Issuing, disabling, reactivating, changing the expiry date, and changing the password of an external sharing URL are all recorded in the Audit log. The log shows who issued or changed which SOP, when, and with what comment. You can use it to meet internal operating rules and audit requirements.
Tips for Using It Effectively
- Keep expiry dates short: Set the shortest expiry date that your purpose requires (the default is 7 days from now).
- Use a password together with the expiry date for sensitive sharing: If you protect the URL with a password as well as an expiry date, the SOP cannot be viewed even if the URL alone leaks. The key is to pass the password through a route different from the URL.
- Always password-protect URLs that are used for a long time: URLs without an expiry date must be password-protected. If you regularly rotate only the password, you can keep distributing the same URL and still stay secure.
- Comment practice: If you include the “Recipient name” and the “Purpose” in the comment when issuing, they are easier to tell apart in the history list.
- Disable when the purpose is over: Disable URLs as soon as they are no longer needed, such as after a briefing session or when a contract ends, to reduce the risk of leakage.
- Be careful with highly confidential SOPs: Anyone who knows the URL can access it. Before issuing, check whether the content can really be shared externally.