Salesforce: Files Visibility and Actions

We shared about Files Sync in the previous blog, where we can have two-ways sync from Salesforce with desktop computers, also ability to "create" folder structure from desktop computers which will be synchronized to Salesforce.

Next question, once I have my file in Salesforce, who can see my Files? Only me? Or someone else in the company will able to see my files?.

Your files in Salesforce can be private to you, privately shared, or visible to your entire company.

Sharing Setting	Definition	When Does a File Have This Setting?
Private	The file is private. It hasn't been shared with anyone else besides the owner. The file owner and users with “Modify All Data” permission can find and view this file. However, if the file is in a private library, only the file owner has access to it.	A file is private when you: Upload it in Files home Publish it to your private library Sync a file in your Salesforce Files Sync folder Stop sharing it with everyone (Make Private) Delete posts that include the file and the file isn't shared anywhere else
Privately Shared	The file has only been shared with specific people, groups, or via link. It's not available to all users in your company. Only the file owner, users with “Modify All Data” or “View all Data” permission, and specific file viewers can find and view this file.	A file is privately shared when it's: Only shared with specific people or a private group Posted to a private group Shared via link Posted to a feed on a record Published to a shared library
Your Company	All users in your company can find and view this file.	A file is shared with your company when it's posted to a feed that all users can see, a profile, a record, or a public group.

When a file sharing is private, only the file owner (the one who upload the file) and users with Modify All Data permission (this includes your System Administrators) will able to see the file, but not for users with View All Data permission. However, for Privately Shared files, users with "View all Data" permission will be able to see it.

Here actions user can do with the file by file owner, collaborator and viewer:

Action	File Owner	File Collaborator	File Viewer
View or Preview	Yes	Yes	Yes
Download	Yes	Yes	Yes
Share	Yes	Yes	Yes
Attach a File to a Post	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sync a File	Yes	Yes	Yes
Upload New Version	Yes	Yes
Edit Details	Yes	Yes
Change Permission	Yes	Yes
Make a File Private	Yes
Restrict Access	Yes
Delete	Yes

Make file Private

When you have a file has been shared with many people or groups, you can "restore" it back as private by clicking "Make Private" link from Sharing Settings (unfortunately until Summer '17 release, this only available in Classic, and not in Lightning)

Prevent others from sharing and unsharing

You have files shared to other user or group, Salesforce offers a function not to allow other users to share it. There is a box in file sharing setting called "Prevent others from sharing and unsharing", tick this box to enable it.

Let's see from user experience when accessing the files shared with them, the first one is the default where they are allowed to share with other users, and the second screenshot when the file owner enable the option not allowed to share:

this is normal file shared to another user (2nd file)

when the owner makes the file not shareable (1st file)

File Privacy on Records
Before Winter '18 release, all files on records in Lightning Experience were visible to everyone with access to the record. Winter '18 release introduces "File Privacy on Records" option, when the option selected is "Private on Records" in Lightning Experience and communities, the file will be not visible to all user able to access the record, it will be behavior as Private sharing file.

Only file owners and administrators have the power to change the value of File Privacy on Records.
A file marked as private in Lightning Experience is also private in Salesforce Classic. Admin needs to add File Privacy on Records field into Content Version object page layout in the Setup menu.

Reference:

• Who Can See My File?
• Make a File Private
• Keep Files on Records Private