Overview#
There are several distinct ways to put a Fusion design in front of another person, and they differ in who can see it, whether they need an account, whether they can download, how long access lasts and how much control you keep. Picking the wrong one is the usual source of leaks ("I just sent the public link") and of friction ("my customer cannot sign in"). This page compares the options and gives a decision procedure.
The earlier cloud-collaboration page showed the share command in passing. Here we treat sharing as a policy.
Where to find it#
- Data Panel: right-click the design and choose Share Link. The Share dialog has the options listed below.
- Fusion web client: hover a design in the projects list, click More and then Share, or click Share on the Overview, Properties or View tab. The web client offers three routes: Copy Link, Email and Embed.
- Project members screen: the Members and Permissions tab, for membership-based sharing.
- Export: File > Export for neutral and native file formats; the web client can download files and folders.
- Hub admin switch: profile image > Admin > Hub Settings > File Sharing > Edit, to allow or block link sharing for the whole hub.
Sharing methods compared#
| Method | Recipient needs account? | Can edit? | Can download? | Revocable? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project membership | Yes (Autodesk ID) | Depends on role | Reader role or higher | Yes, by removing | Ongoing teammates |
| Share Link (public link) | No | No (view in the web client viewer) | Optional (CAD files) | Yes, turn off sharing (see below) | Quick review, marketing preview |
| Share Link with password | No (needs the password) | No | Optional | Yes | Slightly more controlled review |
| Email link / embed (web client) | No | No | Optional | Same as link | Documentation, wikis |
| Exported file by email/drive | No | Depends on format | Always | No, once sent | One-off hand-over, CAM shops |
Notice the last column: an exported file cannot be recalled.
Public links in detail#
A public link opens the design in the Fusion web client Viewer for anyone who has the URL; no Autodesk ID is required. The viewer supports markup in a reduced form: a subset of the web client's markup tools, saved as a comment with a snapshot.
Settings in the Share dialog (Data Panel):
| Setting | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Share the latest version with anyone using this link | Creates the link to the most recent version of the design | The dialog describes a link to the latest version; the documentation describes no fixed-version option |
| Allow item to be downloaded | Shows a Download menu in the viewer for CAD file formats | Optional, off until checked. Office files and PDFs open in the PDF viewer and can be downloaded even when this is off |
| Require a password to access the public link | Visitors must enter the password | Optional |
| Copy | Copies the link to the clipboard |
The documentation mentions no link expiry date. When someone downloads from a link, they choose a CAD format and enter an email address; Fusion exports the file and emails a Download File link, which is active for 7 days from the email.
Two behaviours that matter. First, when a link is opened by a non-member, a copy of the design is shared, not the original design; if a project member opens it, the original design is opened in the viewer. Second, a hub admin controls file sharing for everyone: it is on by default, and when it is switched off every existing share link stops working (for hub members too) until it is switched on again.
Note: not confirmed in Autodesk's documentation: how to revoke a single public link. The documented controls are the hub-wide File Sharing switch and removing access. Test in a private browser window before you promise a customer that a link is dead.
How private is a "public" link?#
Treat it as a bearer secret: anyone who gets it can view. This is general guidance, not Autodesk data: the URL can be forwarded or pasted anywhere, so the right mental model is "unlisted", not "private". A password adds a second factor you must send through a separate channel.
Guidelines:
- Never put a link to a design under NDA in a public channel.
- Because the documented link shows the latest version, later saves and versions become visible to anyone with the link. For a review that must stay frozen, share an exported PDF or STEP instead, or share a copy of the design made for that review.
- Use a password and keep downloads off unless required.
- Check the downloads setting before sending. If downloads are on, the recipient gets geometry.
- Remember references: a link to an assembly displays its components. Check what is included before sending.
Step by step: create a public link#
- In the Data Panel, right-click the design and choose Share Link.
- Check Share the latest version with anyone using this link.
- Decide whether to check Allow item to be downloaded. Leave it off unless required.
- Optionally check Require a password to access the public link and enter a password.
- Click Copy, close the dialog, and send the link through a channel appropriate to the sensitivity.
- Record the link in your project log: who received it, date, purpose, planned end date.
- Open it yourself in a private browser window to see what an outsider sees. To end sharing for everyone, a hub admin can switch off Allow Sharing in Hub Settings (this disables all share links in the hub).
Sharing with invited users#
Inviting a person to a project makes them a member with a role. Managers and administrators of a project invite from the Members and Permissions tab, by name, email address or group; people who are not yet in the hub get a hub invitation. This is the right approach for anyone who will see multiple files over time, needs to comment, or must be tracked in an audit. Project members follow the project by default and receive alerts for new posts, updates and comments, including @mentions; email notifications are set under My Profile > Settings.
Considerations:
- Fusion licenses are assigned to hub members; a person with only Basic Access (for example someone invited to a Personal-license hub) can view, comment and mark up, and download if their permissions allow.
- Customers often prefer not to create accounts. Offer a Share Link for a first look and membership for sustained work.
- Give invitees access only to the folder they need, using a folder role or a dedicated project (see the roles page).
Exporting and sending files#
When the recipient needs geometry in their own CAD, a public link is the wrong tool. Export from File > Export (Type drop-down), or from the Fusion web client. Formats listed in the documentation: Fusion (.f3d, .f3z), 3MF, Inventor (.ipt, .iam), AutoCAD DWG, DXF, FBX, IGES, LMV (.svf), OBJ, SAT, SketchUp (.skp), SMT, SPD, STEP (.stp, .step), STL and USDZ.
| Format | Use | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| STEP (.step/.stp) | Neutral solids exchange with other CAD | Loses parametric history; keep a copy of the source |
| Fusion archive (.f3d) | Another Fusion user wants the native design | Includes the design history; consider what it reveals |
| .f3z archive | Design with its external references | A design with external references cannot be exported as .f3d, only as other CAD formats including .f3z |
| IGES/SAT/SMT | Legacy systems | Quality varies (general) |
| STL/OBJ/3MF | 3D printing, meshes | Mesh only, no parametrics |
| DXF/DWG | 2D drawing interchange; drawing outputs have their own topic | Check scale and units |
An exported design does not stay associative with the original. In the web client, folders are zipped when downloaded and include .f3d and .f3z archive files; Fusion design files must be downloaded individually because a format must be chosen. USDZ export needs ASCII English characters in the path, file name and system username, and unsupported appearances (for example 3D wood) become Steel Satin.
Warning: A native .f3d includes the full timeline, so a recipient can see every sketch, parameter and feature (general behaviour of a parametric file). For external delivery prefer STEP or a drawing PDF, unless you intend to share design intent.
Web viewing and the Fusion mobile viewer#
Anyone with access can open designs in the Fusion web client without installing Fusion, and Autodesk offers a free Fusion mobile app (Mac App Store and Google Play) in which you select the project and design. Comments, markers and markup are documented for the web client; a snapshot-based comment is also available from the desktop. Use this for shop-floor reviews, customer meetings and managers on the go.
Sharing drawings and documentation#
Drawings in Fusion are separate documents linked to a design (copy commands offer Include Drawings). Sharing a design link does not state that its drawing is included, so share both explicitly or export the drawing to PDF and attach the STEP file. Keep the PDF's title block revision aligned with the model version you share, so the supplier never wonders which one is authoritative.
Sharing outside the organisation: governance#
Larger teams should write down a short external sharing policy. Suggested elements:
- Who may create public links (all editors, or only leads).
- Which data classes never get a link (export-controlled data, unreleased products, customer IP).
- Required settings (downloads off by default, a password, a defined end date for the review).
- Required logging (who, what, when).
- A named person who reviews active links monthly.
Export-controlled or regulated data (ITAR, EAR and similar) has extra constraints on where data may be stored and who may access it. Consult your compliance officer. (Autodesk's mirrored Fusion help only confirms that hubs live in a region and that cross-hub copy needs the same region; it gives no data-residency or compliance guidance.)
Options reference#
| Option | What it does | Notes/default |
|---|---|---|
| Share Link | Opens the Share dialog for a design | Data Panel right-click |
| Share the latest version with anyone using this link | Creates a link to the latest version | |
| Allow item to be downloaded | Lets viewers download CAD formats | Off until checked; email link valid 7 days |
| Require a password | Password-protects the link | Optional |
| Copy Link / Email / Embed | The three web client routes | Embed gives HTML for a site or blog |
| Allow Sharing (hub) | Hub admin switch for all links | On by default; off disables all links |
| Invite member | Adds a signed-in user with a role | Preferred for ongoing work |
| Export | Writes a file to disk | Not revocable |
| Notifications | Email and alerts for new versions, comments, mentions | Per user, My Profile > Settings |
Tips and pitfalls#
Tip: Before emailing a link, open it yourself in a private/incognito window to see exactly what an outsider sees.
Tip: For a review that must freeze, remember that the documented link follows the latest version: export a PDF or STEP from the version you want to show and share that, or share a copy of the design.
Warning: Public links to assemblies show their referenced components too. Check what the assembly contains and, if necessary, share a cleaned copy.
Warning: Do not share through personal-hub files for business work. The hub owner controls the data and the hub-wide sharing switch.
Warning: Test any link in a private window before promising a customer anything; the sharing dialog and the hub switch are the only controls the documentation describes.
Practice exercise#
Create a simple part and save it. Make two changes and save so that there are three entries in the History dialog. Create a Share Link with downloads off and a password. Open it in a private window, enter the password and confirm which state it shows. Save again and reload the link to confirm it follows the latest version. Then ask your hub admin (or use a test hub) to switch Allow Sharing off and confirm the link stops working, and on again to confirm it returns. Expected result: you know precisely how links behave in your hub and have a written entry in a share log.
Related#
- Roles and Permissions (this section)
- Reviews, Markups and Comments (this section)
- Backup, Offline Work and Export (this section)
- Getting started: Cloud Collaboration