From the Share button on your SOP, you can issue an "Issued external sharing URLs" that anyone can access without needing to log in. Use this to share SOPs with contractors, business partners, event participants, and others who don't have a Dive account.
💡 Unsure about "external sharing URL vs. guest invitation"? First, read Guide to sharing SOPs externally: which method to use. One page covers the decision tree and comparison table.
The URL you issue is protected by either or both of the following:
- Set expiration: After the specified date passes, the URL can no longer be accessed
- Password: The viewer must enter a password when accessing
Once issued, you can later change the expiry date, rotate the password, disable, or re-enable the URL. A history is kept showing who issued which SOP and when.
Before you start: team activation is required
External sharing is disabled by default for security reasons. To use it, an Owner must enable it in team settings.
- For activation steps, see Restrict external sharing (enable/disable external sharing)
After activation, users with the appropriate role 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 modal that appears, open the External sharing (no login required) tab
- Set expiration toggle ON and select the expiry date (the deadline is 23:59 on the specified date)
- As needed, toggle Protect with password ON and enter a password (details below)
- As needed, toggle Open from the specified step ON and select a step (recipients will start viewing from the selected step, not from the beginning of the SOP)
- As needed, toggle Open with auto transition enabled ON (when recipients open the URL, in-step repeat will be off by default, and when the step playback ends, it will automatically advance to the next step)
- As needed, enter a Comment (example: "For ABC Company", "For information session", etc. It will remain in the issue history and audit log)
- Click Issue URL. The URL is copied to your clipboard and a QR code is displayed
From Show print screen below the QR code, you can also print in a QR-printing layout.
Required rules for issuing (expiration OR password)
When issuing a URL, it must meet at least one of the following:
- Set expiration is ON with a date of today or later
- Protect with password is ON and a password is entered
You cannot issue a bare, permanent URL with both options OFF. If you want to turn off expiration (make it a permanent URL), password protection becomes mandatory.
Protect with password
- Manual entry: Set any password you like (up to 64 characters)
- Auto-generate: Click the Auto-generate button next to the input field to instantly create a random 8-character password made of easily distinguishable characters (excluding 0/O, 1/l/I, etc.)
- Tell the recipient via a separate channel: For security, we recommend sending the password through a different path than the URL (not the same email). The password is stored as PBKDF2 hash and is not kept in plain text where guests (recipients) can read it directly
- After issuing, "This URL is password-protected. Password: XXXX" appears below the URL, and you can copy just the password using the copy button
Behavior right after issuing
- The URL is automatically copied to your clipboard. Paste it directly into email or chat to share
- The QR code is displayed on the spot. You can also use it for on-site scanning at information sessions and similar events
- If password protection is ON, don't forget to notify the recipient via a separate channel of the password
Open with a specified language
If you toggle Open with a specified language ON in the share modal, the URL and QR code you issue will let you specify the display language (29 languages) and SOP translation when opened. You can distribute URLs that open in that language from the start to overseas locations or non-Japanese-speaking staff.
The specification applies only when that URL is opened. Recipients can choose a different language after opening, and their regular language settings will not be changed. For details, see I want to print a QR code / copy a sharing URL.
Open with auto transition enabled
If you toggle Open with auto transition enabled ON in the share modal, when that URL is opened, playback starts with in-step repeat turned off (automatically advancing to the next step). When step playback ends, it automatically advances to the next step. Use this for posted QR codes, viewing while your hands are busy, and similar situations.
The specification applies only when that URL is opened. Recipients can switch in-step repeat after opening, and their regular settings stored on their device will not be changed. For conditions on auto-advancing to the next step, see How to use continuous playback and automatic step advancement.
Recipient experience
- Recipients can view the SOP without a Dive account or login by simply opening the URL
- For password-protected URLs, a Password-protected entry screen appears immediately after opening. The SOP displays after entering the correct password. An incorrect password will not open it
- Once the expiry date and time (23:59 on the specified date) passes, the URL can no longer be accessed
- A disabled URL cannot be accessed
View and manage issue history
In the same SOP's Share > External sharing (no login required) tab, below you'll see a history (mini list) of URLs issued for that SOP.
- Copy URL: Re-copy the same URL from each row in the history
- Also show disabled / expired: Toggle to switch (default shows only active ones)
- Only me / Entire team toggle: Owners and team administrators can view URLs issued by all team members
- Edit / Details: From the top right of the mini list, the full-feature "Issued external sharing URLs" list opens
Full list of issued external sharing URLs
In the full list, you can do the following:
- Copy URL: Copy an existing URL for resharing
- Change expiry date: Choose a new date and time to extend or shorten the expiration (to make it permanent, password protection is required)
- Rotate password: Keep the URL the same but replace the password with a new one. Convenient when recipients change or if there's risk of a leak
- Remove password protection: You can remove password protection only from time-limited URLs (permanent URLs cannot have it removed since the password is their only safeguard)
- Disable: The URL can no longer be accessed (use this for accidental issuance or when a business partner leaves)
- Re-enable: Re-enable a disabled URL (combine with expiry date change if the deadline has passed)
- Confirm auto transition: In the Auto transition column of the list, you can see the setting (on/off) for when that URL was issued
- Filter: Search by SOP name, issuer, or comment; filter by status; switch scope between only me and entire team
Note: The issuer, owner, and team administrator can see the set password (plain text) from the full list (for internal resharing and correcting missed notifications). The token that guests (recipients) read directly does not contain plain text—only the PBKDF2 hash is stored.
Audit and trail
All issuing, disabling, re-enabling, expiry date changes, and password changes for external sharing URLs are recorded in the Audit log. A record is kept of who issued or operated which SOP and when with what comment, so you can use it to meet internal operational rules and audit requirements.
Tips for effective use
- Keep the expiration short: Set the minimum expiration needed for your use case (default is 7 days)
- Use password protection for sensitive sharing: Combined with expiration, password protection means the URL alone won't leak sensitive content. The key is to send the password through a different channel than the URL
- Always protect long-term reusable URLs with a password: Permanent URLs require password protection. You can maintain security by rotating just the password regularly while keeping the URL distribution the same
- Use comments for operations: Including the recipient name and purpose in the issue comment makes it easier to identify URLs in the history list
- Disable when no longer needed: After an information session or contract ends, disable the URL to reduce leakage risk
- Be careful with sensitive SOPs: This feature lets anyone with the URL access it. Before issuing, confirm that the content is appropriate for external sharing