A molecular model can be ready to review long before everyone who needs it has the right file—or the right level of access. Sending a document without clarifying who can use it may lead to avoidable back-and-forth: Is this version meant for a broad audience? Can a collaborator open it? Are they expected to edit it?
SAMSON Connect provides a way to publish SAMSON documents and choose their visibility. The useful part is not just sharing a link; it is deciding what access the document needs before you hand it off.
Choose access that fits the handoff
From SAMSON, select Home > Publish. In the dialog, enter the document name and description, then choose a visibility option. The three choices distinguish who can use the document from who can edit it:
- Public: Everyone can use the document. Editing requires access rights.
- Hidden: Anyone with the link can use the document. Editing requires access rights.
- Restricted: Access rights are required to use or edit the document.
That distinction can help you make a deliberate choice. If the goal is to let anyone use the document, Public is the broadest option. If you want link-based access rather than general access, Hidden may fit. If using the document itself should require permission, choose Restricted. In every case, do not assume that permission to use a document also means permission to edit it: the Public and Hidden descriptions explicitly reserve editing for users with access rights.
After filling in the details and choosing visibility, click Publish document. SAMSON Connect shares the document in its Documents area and provides its link in the same window. Before sending that link, it is worth checking that the selected visibility matches the intended audience and explaining to recipients whether they should simply use the document or request editing access.
Get a shared document into SAMSON
Sharing is only half of a handoff. To download a document that has been shared in SAMSON Connect – Documents, open SAMSON and select Home > Download. This gives recipients a clear route from the shared document to a local copy they can work with in SAMSON.
A simple sharing checklist
- Give the document a name and description that help recipients recognize what they are opening.
- Choose Public, Hidden, or Restricted based on who should be able to use it.
- Remember that use and editing are different permissions.
- Share the provided link with a short note about the intended audience and next step.
- Use Home > Download when you need to retrieve a document shared through SAMSON Connect.
You can access and manage shared documents, including documents shared with you, through your SAMSON Connect account. For more details, see the SAMSON documentation on sharing documents.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.