External sharing is the normal HummingDeck workflow. The recipient receives a browser link. They do not join your workspace or see your Document Library.
Create a link
- Open the document from Document Library.
- Select Share.
- Choose the link type.
- Add the recipient or company when the link is meant for a known audience.
- Choose access, download, expiration, and notification settings.
- Create the link and copy it into the channel you plan to use.
Create separate links when you need clean attribution for different people or audiences. Reusing one open link across several recipients makes individual engagement harder to interpret.
Choose the link type
Personal
Use a Personal link for a known contact or company. Views are organized around that sharing context. Unless you also choose Restricted Access, anyone holding the URL can still open it.
Lead Magnet
Use a Lead Magnet link for a newsletter, social post, campaign, or other wider distribution. You can ask the viewer for an email before the document opens. The entered address is self-reported, so use it as lead capture rather than proof of identity.
Captures appear in a separate inbox instead of becoming Contacts automatically. See Capture and manage leads for review, export, and follow-up workflows.
Proposal
Use a Proposal link when the recipient should accept, decline, or request changes from the document experience.
Proposal responses are explicit actions. They are different from an inferred signal such as time spent on a pricing page. Restricted Access can verify the viewer’s inbox before they reach the decision controls.
What to send
Give the link context. Tell the recipient what the document contains and why it matters now. A descriptive link such as “Review the implementation plan” is more credible than a raw URL with no explanation.
For cold outreach, do not treat the tracked link as a substitute for deliverability work. See Email deliverability when sharing links.
Test the recipient experience
Open the final URL in a private browser window. Check the access gate, document layout, download setting, proposal controls, and any custom domain. Owner preview alone does not cover every recipient state.
After sending, use the document’s activity and Analytics views to understand engagement. A view is a signal for follow-up, not proof of agreement.