Uploading and managing files | Intralinks Designer

When you index a folder, an index number is assigned to it automatically based on the folder’s location in the folder list. Only folders at the top level of the VDR can be indexed. All the contents of an indexed folder are indexed; likewise, all the contents of an unindexed folder are unindexed.

When you add one or more items to an indexed folder, Intralinks Designer assigns an index number to each item, which appears in front of the name of the item. The number is based on the index number of the folder in which the item is placed.

Index numbers are assigned as follows:

• A folder added to an indexed folder is assigned an index number that has one more decimal place than the parent folder. For example, if the parent folder has the index number of 2, the first subfolder within it will have the index number 2.1.
• A document added to a folder is assigned an index number with one more decimal place than the folder. For example, if a folder has the index number of 2.1, the first document within the folder will have the index number 2.1.1.

You cannot edit index numbers directly; however, as long as the VDR is not frozen, you can rearrange indexed folders and documents, and the items' index numbers will be updated to reflect the items' new location. Unindexed items appear in the locations you selected for them when staging the VDR.

Indexing is an optional feature, and your VDR may not use it. By default, new folders on indexed VDRs are indexed, but you can mark a folder as unindexed. To index folders and their contents, the indexing VDR setting must be marked (on) for the VDR.

You can freeze your VDR to prevent changes to the index structure you have created.

Subfolders and documents are assigned the index number of their parent folder, and an additional decimal place is added based on the subfolders’ and documents’ position within the parent folder. If the parent folder is moved, both its index number and the index numbers of subfolders and documents within it are updated. Index numbers are not part of the item’s name.

Your VDR can have a mixture of indexed and unindexed folders.

You can create folders in the staging area by dragging them from the desktop area to the location in the staging area where you want them to appear.

1. Select the VDR you want to modify and select the Documents tab.
2. To create a top-level folder, right-click the VDR icon in the folder list on the left side of the screen.

   To create a subfolder, right-click the folder where you want it to appear. A menu appears.

3. Select New Folder from the menu. The New Folder Name dialog box appears.
4. Enter a folder name,

   The maximum number of characters allowed in folder names is 60. The folder name cannot contain the following characters: / \ : * " < > ? |

5. If you are creating a folder at the top level of the VDR , select a folder type, Indexed or Unindexed. (For subfolders, this option is dimmed.)

   If you choose Indexed, an index number is created and displayed automatically for the folder. 

6. Click Create to create the folder in the staging area.

1. Right-click the folder where you want the document placeholder to appear. A menu appears.
2. Select New Placeholder from the menu. A document placeholder is created in the folder you selected.
3. Enter a name for the document placeholder.

Note: The maximum number of characters allowed in a document placeholder name is 245. Document names cannot begin with a period (.). The document placeholder name cannot contain the following characters: / \ : * " < > ? | %

Adding content from your computer or a network drive is as easy as dragging and dropping folders and files. Simply click on the items to select them, then hold down the left mouse button and drag the desired items from the desktop panel to the staging area, or from one location in the staging area to another. 

If you are updating your VDR with PDF documents, you can choose to view the content of the documents before you add them to the VDR. Right-click on the file and select Preview from the menu.

If long path support has been enabled on your operating system, you can upload documents from paths longer than 260 characters. Contact your system administrator for information on whether long paths are enabled on your system.

1. Select the Documents tab.
2. Select the files or folders in your computer. To select multiple files and folders, press the SHIFT or CTRL key and click on the items you want.
3. Drag and drop your selections to the desired location in the staging area. If you do not drop the item to a specific location (for example, between two files), the item will appear at the bottom of the list of content items.

   If custom fields are enabled for your VDR, a dialog box appears after you drag a document to the staging area. This dialog box lists all the custom fields that have been enabled for this VDR. Enter or select a value for all the fields that apply to this document. Keep in mind that some custom fields may be required, and the document cannot be uploaded to the Intralinks primary service until entries have been made for these fields. An asterisk (*) appears next to fields that are required.

   If you move a folder or document to a location that already contains an item with the same name, you are prompted to choose whether to replace the existing folder or document or create a copy.

   If you move a folder or document that has an index number, you are prompted to choose whether to keep the index numbers or remove them. If you remove them, they are removed from the folder or document name.

From time to time, you may need to replace a document that already exists in the VDR. If you do not need to send an alert about the update to permissioned users, use the steps below to quickly update the document.

1. Select the Documents tab.
2. Locate the document that you want to replace and right-click on it.
3. From the menu that appears, select Replace Document. 
4. Locate the updated version of the document and highlight it.
5. Click Open. The dialog box closes and the original document is replaced with the version you selection.

You can copy a document to multiple VDRs and folders at one time using the Copy Document Wizard.

To begin, you must create a spreadsheet in .csv, .xlsx o r .xls format. This spreadsheet must have columns for the following information:

• Exchange ID (available on the Exchanges List)
• Path for the folder in each VDR where you want the document to be copied
• Optionally, custom fields if you are using them and if your spreadsheet is in either .xlsx or .xls format.
• Optionally, the effective date of the document.

You can download a sample file that includes instructions for how to set up your spreadsheet in the Import file step of the wizard.

If the VDRs you are uploading to use index numbering, do not include the index numbers in the folder paths. If the spreadsheet contains additional columns, they will be ignored. Be sure to give the spreadsheet an easy-to-remember name and make a note of the location where you saved it.

Note: Some VDRs may require users to accept a splash screen agreement or confirm their identities using multi-factor authentication (MFA). These requirements must be met before documents are copied to these VDRs. If the requirements are not completed, these VDRs will be skipped during the upload process. Also be sure to upload or remove any previously saved changes to the VDRs being updated before you attempt to upload documents.

1. Display a list of all your VDRs. If you are working within a VDR, select All Items from the Exchange list near the top of the screen.
2. Click the Upload Documents button in the toolbar at the top of the screen. The Select Document step of the Upload Documents to Multiple Locations wizard appears.
3. Click Browse and select the document you want to upload. Then click Open.
4. Click Next. The Import File step of the wizard If you have created an import file, skip to step 9, otherwise, continue with step 5.
5. If you have not created an import file containing information about the documents that you are uploading, click the sample link in View sample Excel file to open a sample file that you can review and modify. The sample file will be opened in Microsoft Excel.
6. The Instructions tab of the file is displayed. Read the instructions carefully before continuing.
7. Click the Sample tab to view an example of how to set up your import file.
8. Create your import file.
9. Click Browse and select the spreadsheet that contains information about the locations where the document will be uploaded. Then click Open.
10. Review the information in the remaining fields in the Import File step and make any needed changes and click Next. The Match Import Fields step appears.
11. The Exchange ID and Folder Path fields in Intralinks are automatically matched to columns in the spreadsheet you imported. Review the fields to be sure that the matches are correct. If you need to make a change, click on the name in the Import field column and select another field from the list that appears. When you are satisfied with the entries, click Next.
12. The Review Results step appears. If a problem will prevent the document from being uploaded to any location, the issue is indicated in the Result column, and an explanation of the problem is in the Comment column. Click Back if you need to make any changes, then return to the Review Results step.

    To edit custom fields, click Edit in the Custom Fields column. Make any changes and click Save.

13. When you are ready to begin uploading the document to the selected location, click Import. The document will be uploaded to the selected locations.

You can update document and folder names using a Microsoft Excel worksheet. This function is particularly useful if you need to update many documents quickly. If the VDR that you are updating uses custom fields, you can update the values that have been assigned to the documents for these fields, as well.

You can export the metadata (document and folder names and custom field values) for all the documents on your VDR, make changes to the metadata, and then import the updates. The export file will be a Microsoft Excel worksheet. In addition, during the import process, you will have the opportunity to display a sample file that explains some limitations to the import process and shows an example of a properly organized import file.

Exporting document metadata

1. Select the Documents tab.
2. Right-click the VDR that appears above the folder list on the left side of the screen. 
3. Select Export Document & Folder Updates. (This option is near the bottom of the menu; you may need to scroll the menu to display it.) A Save As dialog box appears.
4. Select a location for the file and enter a name for it, then click Save.

Importing updated metadata

1. Select the Documents tab.
2. Right-click the VDR that appears above the folder list on the left side of the screen. A menu appears.
3. Select Rename Documents & Folders. The Content Import screen

   If you need to create an import file, continue to step 4. If you have created your import file already, skip to step 8..

4. If you have not created an import file containing information about the documents that you are updating, click the download link to open a sample file that you can review and modify. The sample file will be opened in Microsoft Excel.
5. The Instructions tab of the file is displayed. Read the instructions carefully before continuing.
6. Click the Document List tab to view an example of how your import file should be set up. Note that the columns that appear in the sample must appear in your import file, and additional columns cannot be added.
7. Create your import file.
8. When your import file is complete and you are ready to begin the import process, click the Attach  link. An Open dialog box appears; use it to locate your import file and click Open. The import process will begin.

   If an error prevents the import from being completed, a message will appear advising you to view the error log. An additional message will appear on the screen indicating that errors have occurred. Click the download link within this message to see the contents of your file, along with information about the errors that occurred. Correct these errors in your import file and then repeat the import process.

9. When the progress indicator disappears from the screen, click the Finish Import button. A message appears to confirm that the import was successful.

Be sure to upload your changes to Intralinks VDRPro to complete the import process. For instructions on uploading changes, see Queuing and uploading your changes to the Intralinks primary service.

Custom field values can be set for a single folder or for several folders at the same time.

1. Select the Documents tab.
2. Locate the folder whose custom fields you want to change, and right-click on it. A menu appears.

   To update custom fields for multiple folders, press the SHIFT or CTRL key while clicking on the names of the folders that you want to select.

3. Select Edit Custom Field Values.
4. Enter or select values for each field, as necessary. Fields marked with an asterisk are required, and an entry must be made for them.
5. When you have finished making changes, click Save.

The Upload Comparison Tool allows you to compare the contents of a folder on your computer or a network drive with the contents of the VDR that you have selected for staging.

Note: Your VDR on the Intralinks primary service will be used for comparison purposes — not the copy of your VDR that appears in Intralinks Designer.

You can choose to compare all the contents of the VDR , or a specific folder and its contents (including subfolders) on the VDR.

1. From the Tools menu, select Upload Comparison Tool.
2. Select Run. The Upload Comparison Report screen appears.
3. Click the Browse button that appears next to the Select a local folder to compare field. The Browse for Folder screen appears.
4. Locate the folder that you want and highlight it.
5. Click OK. The Upload Comparison Report screen reappears.
6. The contents of your VDR appears on the right side of the screen. Locate the folder that you want to compare and highlight it. Or highlight the VDR itself if you want to include all the contents of the VDR in the comparison.
7. In the Include on Report field, select one of the following options:
   • Complete list — All contents of the selected folders will be included on the report
   • Changes only — Only the differences between the local folder and the selected folder or VDR on the Intralinks primary service will be included on the report.
8. Click Generate Report.
9. A message appears to alert you that the report has been created and saved in Intralinks Designer’s Reports folder.
10. To view the report, right-click the Intralinks Connection icon in the Windows taskbar notification area in the lower right corner of your computer screen. From the menu that appears, select Open Reports Folder. The contents of the Reports folder are displayed.
11. Locate the report (it may be easiest to sort the contents of the Reports folder using the Date Modified column, then look for the most recently added report), and double-click it to open it.

If the Allow Reviewers and Previewers to add documents to selected folders VDR setting is marked, you can give the reviewers and previewers in selected user groups the ability to add documents to specified folders. These users will be able to change, delete and move the documents that they have added to other folders for which they have the ability to add documents.

1. Select the Documents tab.
2. Right-click the folder in which reviewers and previewers will be allowed to add documents. 
3. From the menu, select Document Creation Rights.

   Note: The Set Document Creation Rights command is available on the Actions menu only if the Remember selections for future documents and subfolders VDR setting is unmarked for the VDR that you are using. If the Set Document Creation Rights command is dimmed, use the procedures in Setting permissions for all the documents within a folder.

4. Mark the Allow Add option for each group that contains reviewers and previewers who will be allowed to add documents to the selected folder(s).
5. Click Apply.

Depending upon how your VDR is set up, you can identify a particular user or collaboration group as the owner of a document. If you use this function, document ownership information can be used to select documents used by business processes.

1. Select the Documents tab.
2. Locate the document that you want to assign an owner to and right-click it. 
3. From the menu, select Edit Document Settings. The Settings screen appears.
4. In the Choose Owner field, select either Group or Person. Additional fields will appear.

   If the owner is a group: In the Document Owner (Group) field, select the group that will be the document owner. If you want to identify a specific member of the group as the owner, use the For Selected Group Member field to select the specific member of the group who will be designated as the group’s owner.

   If the owner is a person: In the Document Owner (User) field, select the owner from the list that appears. If you want to identify the group that the individual belongs to, use the For Selected Group field to select the group.

5. Click OK.

If the Effective Date VDR setting is enabled in the VDR, an effective (“as of”) date can be established for each document on the VDR. An Effective Date column appears in the content area.

1. Select the Documents tab.
2. In the content area of the screen, highlight the document or documents and right-click. 
3. Select Edit Document Settings from the menu.
4. In the Effective Date field, either type the date or click the arrow to display a calendar and select a date from it.
5. Click OK.

You can rename files on your desktop before adding them to the staging area. If the VDR is not frozen, you can rename any content item in the staging area after adding it. When renaming items, you should be aware of the limits to the number of characters in the item’s name, as well as characters that are not allowed in content items’ names. (See the following tables.) A message will appear if you enter a name that is too long or contains characters that are not allowed.

1. Right-click the item.
2. Select Rename. The item's name is highlighted.
3. Type the new name for the item.

Note: After you add a file or folder to the staging area, do not rename this item on your desktop before you upload your changes to the Intralinks primary service. If you do so, an error will occur during the update process.

You can move content items from one location to another within the staging area by using the drag/drop method. Dragging and dropping the item to a new location removes the item from its previous location.

While reorganizing VDR content, you can hide the desktop area of the main window by clicking the My Computer button on the toolbar.

If you move items to an indexed location, they acquire the index numbering scheme assigned to the new location. As your cursor hovers over the new location, an infotip displays the new index number for the item. When you move indexed items to an unindexed location, the index numbering scheme is removed from the item names.

If you move an item (folder or document) to a location that already contains a like item with the same name, a copy number is added to the item’s name in its new location.

Example: A folder named October 2022 Status Reports is moved to the 2022 Status Reports folder, which already contains a folder with the same name. Therefore, the name of the newly added folder becomes October 2022 Status Reports (2).

You can delete any of the content items displayed in the staging area if the VDR is unfrozen. This includes content that existed on the Intralinks primary service at the start of your Intralinks Designer session if the VDR is not in the open phase.

When you delete an item, the contents of the item are also deleted. For example, if you delete a folder, its contents are deleted.

1. Select the item(s) to be deleted and right-click. 
2. Select Delete from the menu.

If you delete indexed items, the numbering scheme of the remaining items does not change until the staged content is uploaded to the Intralinks primary service.

If you change your mind about deleting items, you can restore them before updating the VDR on the Intralinks primary service.

1. Right-click the items.
2. Select Undelete from the menu.

To save a staged VDR, press CTRL+S.

If you select another VDR or exit Intralinks Designer and you have not uploaded the changes that you have staged to the Intralinks primary service, a message prompts you to save your changes. These changes are saved locally (that is, on your computer or a network drive). The next time you select the VDR in Intralinks Designer, a message will ask you whether you want to continue working with the copy of the VDR that you saved previously or to make a new copy of the VDR content that currently exists on the Intralinks primary service. If you choose to make a new copy of the VDR, the changes you made previously will be lost.

Working offline

When you save a staged VDR without updating it to the Intralinks primary service, the saved VDR is available to you even if you cannot connect to the Internet or the primary service. You can work offline and save any changes that you make. When your access to the Internet is restored or the Intralinks primary service becomes available again, you can upload your changes to the primary service.

While you are working offline, a message appears in the message bar to remind you of this.

You can prevent yourself and others from reorganizing indexed content by freezing your VDR. Freezing VDRs ensures that the existing order of the VDR content is not disturbed.

Freezing a VDR

1. Locate the VDR in the folder list on the left side of the staging Right-click on the VDR; a menu appears.
2. Select Freeze Exchange Items from the menu.

Note: A VDR can be frozen only if indexing is enabled on the VDR.

Unfreezing a VDR

You can unfreeze VDRs that you have frozen if you need to make changes to their content. A message informing you that an VDR is frozen is displayed at the top of the staging area.

• To unfreeze the VDR, click the link To unfreeze, click here in the message that appears at the top of the staging area.

When you have finished making changes in the staging area, you can preview the staged VDR. The view can be printed or exported to a Microsoft Excel file. Content items marked for deletion appear dimmed on the report.

Previewing a VDR

1. Select Table of Contents from the Tools menu.

   A separate window opens. It displays each item’s index number (if indexing is used), a hierarchical list of the contents, and the action taken for each item.

2. (Optional.) Click the Print or Export button to print a copy of the Table of Contents or to export it to Microsoft Excel.

Displaying additional information about the contents of your VDR

You can choose to view additional information. You also can display the size of each content item and the date it was updated by right-clicking in the column title bar. Also, if the effective date VDR setting is enabled, this information is displayed in the Table of Contents. This information can be printed or exported to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. To do this:

1. Right-click in any column heading in the Table of Contents to display additional options.
2. Click on the options that you want to include. A check mark (tick) appears next to each option that is selected.

The columns you selected appear on the screen.

Hiding items marked for deletion

You can hide items marked for deletion from view so that you can more clearly see the organization of your VDR. To do this, unmark the Show Items To Be Deleted option on the Tools menu. To redisplay the items, mark the Show Items To Be Deleted option again.