FYI allows your practice to collaborate directly with external users by securely sharing documents and folders using a dedicated SharePoint site. Clients and their contacts will receive links to the shared documents and folders, removing the need to send documents back and forth.
External users can be provided with access, including clients, their employees, their business contacts or any other user(s) who need access.
Collaborate functions are only available for practices on the Pro plan.
Quick Reference Guides for New Collaborate
The Quick Reference Guides below are a shortcut to getting started with setting up and using New Collaborate.
- Setting up New Collaborate for FYI Admins to set up New Collaborate for your practice.
- New Collaborate Learning Resources to get your team up and running.
Note: Practices upgrading to New Collaborate from Legacy Collaborate using OneDrive should also refer to the articles in Upgrading to New Collaborate.
Sharing documents with external users via New Collaborate
Documents are shared from FYI directly to external users via your SharePoint Collaborate site. The client is sent an email with a link to the New Collaborate site, where they will be able to access the files within the client Share Folder. Documents can also be shared using the Share No Email function if an email notification is not required, where the file is just uploaded straight to the site.
Sending a link instead of an attached file is much more secure, especially important for sensitive documents. Refer to Sharing Documents with Clients.
In FYI, documents shared with the client via Collaborate are displayed in the Client - Collaborate tab. Refer to the Client - Collaborate Tab for more information.
Sharing the Share and Upload Folders with Clients
You can use New Collaborate to share access to the entire client's folder with the client, any contacts recorded for the client in your practice management software, or any other guest user who needs access to the documents.
The link to the Collaborate site can be saved and used in the future. On the site, they will be able to access the client folder containing any documents that have been shared for that client, along with any documents currently in Co-Edit mode with the client. The name of the Client folder, and any underlying folders, is controlled by the folder structure settings within the Collaborate settings in FYI.
The Upload Folder, also found in the Client folder, provides a secure way for clients to send documents to the practice instead of sending documents by email. For example, clients can upload documents such as Tax Receipts. Refer to Sharing the Share Folder and Upload Folder with the Client.
Note: Sharing a document with a client (that matches the listed client email address) will automatically entitle the client to access the entire folder. Other recipients will only be able to access the document shared with them. To access the folder, the recipient would need to be added to the Sharing Settings.
Sharing Documents as Co-Edit with Client
Collaborate also allows you to share documents with your client using the Co-Edit feature. The document is shared with edit access, meaning both the client and team members can work on the document at the same time and immediately see changes. Refer to Co-Editing a Document with a Client.
Sharing Access to Client Files with Staff
All staff will be able to access the client files on the New Collabrate SharePoint site, however, we recommend they access files directly from within FYI itself.
Note: Client Security is not supported with New Collaborate.
