File sharing feature

We are excited to announce a powerful new feature that makes sharing your generated codes easier than ever before. Starting today, you can now share files directly from both the Quick Generator and Collection Export with anyone you choose. Whether you need to send promotional codes to a colleague, share voucher files with a client, or distribute serial numbers to your development team, our new file sharing feature has you covered.

This feature was designed with flexibility and control in mind. We understand that when you share sensitive data like promotional codes or license keys, you need precise control over who receives them and how they can be used. That's why we've built a comprehensive set of sharing options that put you in complete control of your distributed files.

What can you share?

The file sharing feature works seamlessly with both of our code generation outputs:

• Quick Generator files: When you generate codes using the Quick Generator, you can now share those generated files directly with recipients instead of downloading and sending them manually. This is perfect for one-time code generation needs where you want to quickly distribute the results.
• Collection exports: If you manage your codes in Collections, you can share any export file directly. Whether you've exported as CSV, JSON, XML, or any other supported format, sharing is just a few clicks away.

This unified approach means you don't need to worry about different workflows for different types of files. The sharing process is consistent across all your generated content, making it easy to distribute codes regardless of how they were created.

Share with multiple recipients

Sometimes you need to send the same file to multiple people. Perhaps you're distributing a set of discount codes to different members of your marketing team, or sharing a voucher file with several colleagues who need access to the same data. With our file sharing feature, you can specify up to three recipients in a single share operation.

Each recipient receives their own unique download link, which means you can track exactly who downloaded the file and when. This granular tracking provides valuable insights into your distribution process and helps you understand how your shared files are being accessed.

Adding recipients is straightforward. Simply enter their email addresses in the sharing form, and we'll handle the rest. Each person will receive a personalized email notification with secure access to their download link.

Control download limits

Security is paramount when distributing sensitive data. That's why we've included the ability to set download limits for each recipient. When creating a share, you can specify the maximum number of times each recipient is allowed to download the file.

This feature is particularly valuable in several scenarios:

• Preventing unauthorized distribution: If a download link falls into the wrong hands, the download limit prevents unlimited access. Once the limit is reached, the link becomes invalid.
• Enforcing single-use downloads: Set the limit to one download per recipient to ensure each person can only access the file once. This is ideal for sensitive data that should be retrieved immediately and then secured.
• Allowing reasonable redundancy: Set a higher limit to allow recipients to download multiple times if they need to re-download on different devices or after accidentally deleting the file.

The download limit applies individually to each recipient, so you can be confident that each person has controlled access to your shared content. And if you need unlimited downloads, you can simply leave this field empty-the choice is yours.

Time-based expiration

Not all shares need to last forever. In fact, for security and business reasons, many shares should have a defined lifespan. Our file sharing feature allows you to set exactly how long the share remains active.

You can specify the number of days after which the sharing will automatically expire-from one day to twenty-eight days. When a share expires, all download links associated with it become inactive, and recipients can no longer access the file through those links.

This time-based expiration is useful for many business scenarios:

• Time-limited campaigns: Share promotional codes that should only be accessed during a specific campaign period. Once the campaign ends, the share expires automatically.
• Contract-based distributions: If you're sharing codes as part of a time-limited contract or agreement, set the expiration to match the contract duration.
• Security best practices: Even if you forget to manually revoke access, automatic expiration ensures that old shares don't remain accessible indefinitely.

The expiration always occurs at the end of the final day, giving recipients the full day to complete their downloads before access is revoked.

Download notifications

Want to stay informed about how your shared files are being used? You can opt to receive email notifications every time a recipient downloads your shared file. This real-time awareness helps you track distribution and ensures you're always in the loop.

These notifications are valuable for several reasons:

• Confirmation of delivery: Know exactly when recipients access your files, confirming that the share was received and utilized.
• Usage monitoring: Track download patterns to understand how quickly your shared content is being accessed and whether recipients are downloading multiple times.
• Security awareness: If you notice unexpected download activity, you can quickly investigate and, if necessary, delete the share to prevent further access.

The notification emails contain clear information about who downloaded the file and when, giving you complete visibility into the distribution process. And if you prefer not to receive these notifications, simply uncheck the option when creating your share.

Personalized email notifications

When you share a file, recipients receive an email notification with a secure link to download the file. But we didn't want to stop at a generic notification - we've given you the ability to customize this communication to better suit your needs.

You can personalize the email in two ways:

• Custom email subject: Replace the default subject line with your own. This helps recipients immediately understand the context and importance of the shared file. A clear subject line like "Q4 Marketing Campaign Codes" is much more informative than a generic notification.
• Custom message: Add a personal message that will be included in the email body. Use this to provide context, instructions, or any additional information recipients might need. Whether you want to explain what the codes are for, provide usage instructions, or simply add a friendly note, this message becomes part of the notification email.

This customization makes your shares feel more professional and personal. Recipients receive clear, contextual information about why they're receiving the file and what they should do with it. No more confused follow-up emails asking "What is this for?" - you can provide all necessary context upfront.

Managing your shares

All your file shares are conveniently organized in a dedicated "File shares" section in your account. Here you can view the complete history of all shares you've created, along with detailed information about each one.

For each share, you can see:

• Creation timestamp: When the share was created.
• Resource type: Whether it was a Quick Generator file or Collection Export, along with details about the original generation including format and file size.
• Expiration date: When the share will expire (or has expired).
• Recipient details: For each recipient, you can see their email address, when the notification was sent, how many times they've downloaded the file, and the timestamps of their first and last downloads.
• Share settings: Whether download notifications were enabled for this share.

If you ever need to revoke access to a share - perhaps the codes were compromised, or the distribution should no longer continue - you can delete the share at any time. Once deleted, all download links become immediately inactive, preventing any further access.

Getting started with file sharing

Using the file sharing feature is straightforward. After generating codes through the Quick Generator or exporting from a Collection, you'll see a "Share" option alongside the download option. Click this to open the sharing form where you can:

• Enter the recipient email addresses
• Set the download limit per recipient (optional)
• Set the number of days until expiration (1-28 days)
• Enable or disable download notifications
• Customize the email subject and add a personal message (optional)

Once you've configured everything to your liking, click "Share" and we'll send personalized email notifications to all your recipients. Each email contains a secure, unique download link that respects all the limits and expiration settings you've defined.

Security considerations

We've designed file sharing with security as a priority. Here's how we protect your shared content:

• Unique download tokens: Each recipient receives a unique download token. This means if one link is compromised, it doesn't affect other recipients' access.
• Automatic expiration: Shares don't last forever - they expire based on your configured time limit, reducing the window of vulnerability.
• Download tracking: With download notifications enabled, you can quickly detect any unusual download patterns that might indicate unauthorized access.
• Instant revocation: Delete a share at any time to immediately revoke all access.

While file sharing is designed to be convenient, we recommend following best practices for sensitive data: set appropriate download limits, use reasonable expiration times, and regularly review your active shares in the File shares section.

Final words

The new file sharing feature represents a significant enhancement to the codito.io platform. By combining flexible distribution options with granular control settings, we've made it easier than ever to share your generated codes while maintaining security and visibility.

Whether you're a marketer distributing promotional codes to clients, a developer sharing license keys with your team, or a business owner coordinating voucher campaigns, this feature streamlines your workflow and puts you in complete control of your distributed content.

We're committed to continuously improving our platform based on your feedback. Try the file sharing feature today and let us know what you think. As always, we welcome your suggestions for future enhancements.