Share files and links
Every file in a bucket is private until you decide otherwise. A private file can only be read with your credential or through a temporary link. A public file can be opened by anyone who has its link.
Public and private files
Each file row has a lock icon. Hover over it to see the file's current state.
| Private | Public | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can open it | You, with a credential, or anyone you gave a temporary link | Anyone with the link |
| Link | Temporary, expires after a short time | Permanent |
| Good for | User uploads, invoices, internal documents | Images on a website, downloads you publish |
To change a file:
- Select the lock icon on the file's row. A window shows whether the file is Public or Private.
- Select Make public or Make private. The change applies immediately.
- Select Done.
Visibility belongs to each file. Making one file public does not affect the rest of the bucket.
Uploading over an existing file
A file you upload is always private, including when it replaces a public file with the same name. If you replace a public file, make the new one public again.
Links
Select Copy link on a file's row, or open the lock icon's window and use the Copy button next to a link.
Permanent link for a public file
A public file has one link that does not expire, shown as the Permanent link. It looks like this:
https://buckets.kuberns.cloud/public/kb-product-assets-3f9a1c2b7d4e/logo.pngYou can put it in a web page, an email, or an <img> tag.
Temporary link for a private file
A private file has no permanent address. Its Temporary link works in any browser without a credential, for a short time (ten minutes by default), and then stops working. Use it to hand a file to one person, and create a new link when they need it again.
A temporary link keeps working until it expires, even if you change the file afterwards. If you need a link that keeps working, make the file public instead.
Make a public file private again
Open the lock icon's window and select Make private. The permanent link stops working. Links are served from a global network, so a cached copy can stay available for a short time while that network catches up. In practice the link stops working within about a minute.
Anyone who has already downloaded the file keeps their copy. Making a file private does not take it back from them.
Do it from your code
You can read and change a file's visibility and create links with the API:
- Get a link returns the right kind of link for a file, whatever its state.
- Set visibility makes a file public or private.