Setting up the Shared Folders Email Template and Assigning Share Settings Access

The second step in setting up Collaborate is to create and save your practice’s email template that will be used when emailing the Share Folder and Upload Folder links to external users. External users include clients, their employees, their business contacts or to any other user(s) who need access.

As part of Collaborate, you can share the OneDrive Share Folder with the client. Refer to Sharing the Share Folder with the Client.

When folders are initially shared with the client, an email is created for the relevant recipient(s). This lets the client, contact or user know the folders have been shared with them. It also sends them the links to the Share Folder and Upload Folder that are used to verify the share and to complete the process.

An email template needs to be set up for your practice. The template is then set as the default for the email that is created when folders are shared.

When folders are initially shared with the client, this email template is automatically selected for the email that is sent out. It can also be used if the links need to be resent to the client.

Step 1 - Setting up the Email Template

An email template can only be set up and maintained by an FYI administrator, or a user in a User Group that has Permissions enabled for Templates (refer to Managing Users and Managing User Groups).

The email template is set up in the same way as any other email template. Refer to Creating Email Templates and Signatures.

It must include the following two Merge Fields to add the links to the folders.

     Share Folder Link and Upload Folder Link.

These Merge Fields are selected in the email template from the "OTHER" group and they add the following codes to the template.

{{ ShareFolderLink | web_link }} and {{ UploadFolderLink | web_link }}

When the email is created from the template, the links show with the text "Click here" that the client clicks to go to the folder.

You can add any additional text to the content.

If you have a Default Email Signature, this will be added to the email that is sent in the same way as when creating any other email in FYI. If you have a signature assigned to your user profile this will be used. Refer to Creating Email Templates and Signatures.

Within your practice you can decide if you want to send a separate email in advance of sharing the folders with information about how the client uses the Share Folder and the Upload Folder, or you can include this information in the email template. Refer to Introducing Shared Folders to your Clients and Sample Email for Practices for our recommendations of what to send out to the client.

The template will be linked to your practice’s Collaborate settings. Refer to Configuring your Collaborate Settings and Structure.

Note: To use the links to the Share Folder and the Upload Folder, any existing shared folders (prior to the release of 22 August 2020) will need to have the clients added and re-added to re-save the links so they can be used with the Share Folder Link and Upload Folder Link merge fields.

Step 2 - Setting User Groups with Permissions enabled for Share Settings

The OneDrive folders can only be shared with a client (using the Sharing Settings in the Client - Collaborate tab) by an FYI administrator, or a user in a User Group that has Permissions enabled for Share Settings. Refer to Share Settings in Managing User Groups and to Managing Users.

The next step in Setting up Collaborate is to Link your Practice’s OneDrive Admin Account. Refer to Link your Practice's OneDrive Admin Account.