Canvas sharing and permissions

The canvas is where you collaborate visually with others. ALLO provides easy ways for collaborators to work on the same canvas together easily even without having the need to sign up. In this article, we will talk about:

• How to share a canvas with others
  • How to grant specific permissions when sharing a canvas
  • How to generate links to bring collaborators to specific elements or pages
• How collaborators can join a canvas as guest
• How to enter an external canvas that’s shared with me
• How to add an extra layer of security with passcodes when sharing a canvas

How to share a canvas with others

To share a canvas with collaborators, click on the "Share" button located in the top-right corner. There are two ways to share:

1. Toggle on "Share via link", copy the link, and send the link through any medium. (Protip: If you don't want people to access the canvas through the sharing link anymore, feel free to turn off the canvas sharing link by clicking the toggle or clicking "renew it". The old link will automatically become invalid.)
2. Enter collaborators' email addresses at the bottom and click "Send invite". They will receive an invitation via email.

How to grant specific permissions when sharing a canvas

Each canvas has three levels of permissions to help you collaborate and share to the degree that is just right. Before sending a canvas invitation to collaborators, make sure you have selected the desired permission.

1. Can Edit: Collaborators have full access to your canvas for collaboration from anywhere. Create alongside your colleagues with our intuitive toolset and leverage our full suite of tools.
2. Can Comment: Comment-only collaborators can preview and download objects and files, alongside using our in-canvas chat and comments.
3. Can View: Can view your canvas, can join a video chat, and view in-canvas chat conversations.

How to generate links to bring collaborators to specific elements or pages

Creating links for specific objects or pages streamlines collaboration by providing direct access to the content you want to share with collaborators or stakeholders. When you share a page or element-specific link with others, they will be directed to the relevant information right away.

To generate an element link, right-click the desired element and choose "Copy link." For a page link, click the three dots at the top-right corner of the page you want to link and select "Copy link."

💡 Notes:

• To access an element or page-specific link, the recipient must be a logged-in ALLO user with access to the canvas containing the element or page.
• Sharing the link of a specific page or element with others only changes the focus for the collaborators when they access the canvas. Collaborators can still access other pages and parts of the canvas.

✨ Pro tip: Utilize element and page-specific links to connect elements or navigate to specific canvas pages. To add a hyperlink to an element, select the target element, and select "Link" from the element toolbar.

How collaborators can join a canvas as guest

Joining ALLO canvas as a guest is simple.

• As a guest, the canvas owners must invite you via a share link or email invitation.
• Click on the shared link or the "join now" button in the invitation email.
• Click "continue as a guest" then enter your name or pseudonym, a profile icon will be automatically assigned to you, and your mouse cursor movements will be shared with other participants.
• That's it! Depending on the level of permissions the canvas owner set, you may have full editing, commenting only, or view-only permissions.

How to enter an external canvas that’s shared with me

You can access canvases associated with the projects you're in by navigating through the project tasks. However, if you're invited to canvases that are created under a project you're not a member of, you can access them by going to the "Shared with me" tab in the left sidebar. Canvases that are shared with you are listed below the shared projects section.

How to add an extra layer of security with passcodes when sharing a canvas

You can enhance the security of your canvas by setting a passcode, ensuring only those with the code can access it. To do this, go to the canvas you want to secure, click the three dots next to its name at the top of the screen, and select "Protect the canvas." Once the passcode is set, everyone other than yourself will need to enter the passcode to access the canvas.

To remove the canvas passcode, follow the below steps:

1. Enter the canvas you want to remove the passcode of
2. Click the three-dot next to the canvas name towards the top of the screen
3. Select "Protect the canvas"
4. Click "Reset Passcode"
5. The account email you used to set the passcode should be automatically filled in. If not, enter the account email you used to set the passcode
6. Click "Submit"
7. Check your email and look for the mail titled "Reset Passcode"
8. Click "Reset Passcode" 

Once the process is completed, the passcode for the canvas will be removed. Users with access to the canvas will no longer need to enter a passcode to enter.