Share an existing technical file with your customer

You can proactively share your technical file with your customer. Even if you have not received a technical file request, you can still share your technical file directly with the customer. This feature allows the receiver to access the shared technical file and enables transparent collaboration on compliance documentation.

 Feature access

Sharing a technical file is available for all plans. 

 Before you begin

• Ensure the technical file is ready to be shared
• Make sure that the technical file does not contain private or confidential information of other customers
• Check whether your customer has already sent you a technical file request. If so, share the technical file through the existing request to ensure that the shared technical file is linked to the customer's request. Follow the process described in View a technical file request.
    

Video instructions

Prefer to watch instead? A short step-by-step guide will follow soon!

 Steps

Share your technical file

1.  Open your technical file and go to the Sharing tab.
2.  Click Add Share.  
   • Note: Sharing a technical file gives the recipient permission to access and view its contents. They can view all documents that are not marked as private, including documents added after the technical file is shared. However, once they Accept & Clone the shared technical file, newly uploaded documents will no longer be visible to them.
3. Fill out the required information (marked with an *) in the pop-up window and add a comment for the receiver. 
4. Select the permissions:
   • View & Clone: The receiver van make a copy of your technical file
   • View only: The receiver can only review your technical file. Select an end date if you want to make it available for a short period. 
5. (Optional) Click Add extra documents to include documents that are not yet part of your technical file. These will also be uploaded in the Documents tab.
6. (Optional) Click Exclude documents to exclude documents you don't wish to share by checking the box in front of the document name. 
   • Note: Excluding documents means that the recipient will receive an incomplete technical file. As a result, the recipient may not be able to use the technical file as complete evidence of compliance towards market surveillance authorities or in legal proceedings.
7. Click Next.
8. Fill out your customers' article number, product name and any other relevant information. 
9. Click Save & Share.
   • Note: If you do not want to enter customer-specific product information, click Skip & Share to use your own product information. 

The receiver will now receive a platform notification informing them that a technical file has been shared with them. See Review received technical files.

Adjusting your technical file share

The share can be managed from the Sharing tab of the technical file and from the Shares tab in the top bar: 

Tips and best practices

• Use View & Clone sharing to ensure your customer can manage the technical file independently. This allows your customer to make a copy and store it in their account. 
• Use View Only to allow the customer to view documents and create issues, but not clone the technical file.
• Managing document permissions

You can control which documents are available for sharing from the Documents tab:

1. Go to the Documents tab.
2. Click Set document permissions.
3. Select or deselect Shares allowed for the relevant documents.
4. Click Save & Close.

Note: 

• Documents for which Shares allowed is deselected will not be included in future shares unless the setting is changed.
• Setting a document to "public" makes them visible online when activating the Digital Product Passport.

• Don't use the Add share button under the Sharing tab in the existing technical file, if your customer has sent you a technical file request. This technical file has no link to the customer's request. Instead, accept the customer's request and share the relevant technical file following the process described in View a technical file request.
• Share the technical file to receive feedback from your customer or a compliance advisor. As long as the share remains active, this can support communication and the management of issues.  
• Use Manage articles if you need to adjust the product name or article number or want to add additional information. These changes will be visible in the existing share on the receiver's side.

 
 Troubleshooting

• The receiver can't "Accept & Clone" the technical file.

The technical file may have been shared with View only rights.

1. Go the Sharing tab in the technical file
2. Click the Set rights icon (the lock)
3. Change the permission to View & Clone
4. Click Save changes.

• My customer sent a technical file request, but I shared it manually.

1. Remove the share from the Sharing tab.
2. Go to the customer's request under the Request tab.
3. Click Accept.
4. Click Share.
5. Select the relevant technical file and complete the process described in View a technical file request.

FAQ

• Why can't the receiver see my shared technical file?
   They may not have the correct user rights, or the technical file may have been shared with a different email account. It is also possible that another colleague of the receiver has already accepted, declined or archived the share. Check if the correct email account was used and reshare the technical file. 

• The receiver has accepted the technical file and I uploaded a new document. What should I do?
   Once the receiver has accepted the technical file, newly uploaded documents will no longer be visible to them. In this case, you need to reshare the technical file or ask the recipient to send you a document request and upload the document directly into their cloned technical file.
•  Can I share only part of a technical file?

Yes. You can exclude specific documents during the sharing process. You may want to exclude confidential or commercially sensitive documents that are not required by the receiver. However, excluding documents means that the recipient will receive an incomplete technical file.

• Can I make documents unavailable for all future shares in this technical file?

Yes. Go to the Documents tab, select Set Document Permissions and deselect Shares Allowed for the relevant documents. These documents will then be excluded from all future shares unless the setting is changed.

Related articles

Create a technical file

View a technical file request

Manage your open issues

Use document remark or issue and the differences