# Secure Document Sharing

> Secure Document Sharing by cloudHQ replaces the default Google Drive share link with a password-protected, expiring share URL that records every download. Recipients open a clean landing page, enter the password, and download the file - while the sender gets a full audit trail showing exactly who opened what, when, from which IP, and from where.

Secure Document Sharing solves the chaos of sending sensitive files over email. A standard Google Drive share link is forwardable, lives forever, and gives the sender no visibility into who actually downloaded the file. With Secure Document Sharing, every share gets its own URL on www.secure-document-sharing.com that can be password-protected, geo-restricted, and auto-expired after a chosen date. Each visit and download is logged per visitor IP, so the sender can answer "did my client open the contract?" or "was this file downloaded from outside the country?" without guessing. The product is delivered as a Google Workspace Marketplace add-on, a Gmail Chrome / Edge extension that adds a "Secure Share" button to the compose toolbar, and a web wizard on cloudhq.net.

## Key links

- [Website](https://www.secure-document-sharing.com): product home page
- [Chrome Web Store listing](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/secure-document-sharing-v/enbifffnimiijjcmlmbhodcpofhdbjib): install the Chrome extension
- [Microsoft Edge Add-ons listing](https://microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons/detail/gkmdjljeboegiegnpgghnkcgcadeanbc): install for Microsoft Edge
- [Google Workspace Marketplace add-on](https://workspace.google.com/marketplace/app/secure_document_sharing_by_cloudhq/469760724175): install as a Workspace add-on
- [Pricing](https://www.secure-document-sharing.com/pricing): plans and upgrade
- [Web wizard](https://www.cloudhq.net/main_secure_share/secure_share): create a secure share without installing anything
- [Dashboard](https://www.cloudhq.net/main_secure_share): manage your secure shares
- [Demo video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDpqNmDwNR4): see it in action
- [Support](https://support.cloudhq.net/category/browser-extensions/secure-share/): help articles and contact

## How it works

- Install Secure Document Sharing from the Chrome Web Store (or Edge Add-ons / Google Workspace Marketplace), or use the web wizard at cloudhq.net.
- Open a Gmail compose window. A "Secure Share" button appears in the compose toolbar.
- Click the button and pick a file (or multiple files) from your Google Drive.
- Optionally set a password and an expiration date (1 day, 7 days, 30 days, 1 year, or never).
- A password-protected share card is inserted into your email body. Send the email as usual.
- The recipient opens the link on a clean landing page hosted at www.secure-document-sharing.com, enters the password if required, and downloads the file.
- Every visit, password attempt, and download is logged per visitor IP, with approximate geolocation. The owner sees a full audit dashboard for each share.
- All shares can be paused, resumed, or deleted from the dashboard at any time.

## Features

- Password-protect any Google Drive file with a single click
- Set automatic expiration dates - 1 day, 7 days, 30 days, 1 year, or never
- Detailed per-visitor audit reports: IP, approximate location, timestamp, password-attempt outcome, download events
- Restrict access by geographic location, IP address, or country
- Insert password-protected share links directly into the Gmail compose window
- Insert previously-created shares into a new email in two clicks
- Branded recipient landing pages: custom logo, header text, colors, and page background (paid plans)
- Files stay in the owner's Google Drive - cloudHQ never copies, mirrors, or stores the documents
- Works with files of any size, from a 1 KB contract to a multi-gigabyte archive
- Recipients do not need a Google account, a plugin, or any client software - just a browser
- Domain-wide deployment for Google Workspace administrators
- Spam-report button on the recipient page, with automatic abuse-handling for the owner
- Pause and resume any share at any time without changing the URL
- Mobile-optimized: recipients can open and download from a phone or tablet
- Email and phone support

## Who uses Secure Document Sharing

- **Legal professionals**: share contracts, depositions, and case files where uncontrolled forwarding would create exposure.
- **Healthcare professionals**: share referral letters, lab reports, and care plans that must remain confidential and auditable.
- **Accountants and financial advisors**: share tax returns, financial statements, and audit material with clients who need real proof of delivery.
- **HR and operations teams**: send job offers, policies, and salary data both inside and outside the organization.
- **Real estate agents and brokers**: share lease agreements, inspection reports, and disclosures with buyers and sellers.
- **Marketing and creative agencies**: send unreleased campaign assets to clients during review windows.
- **Educators and school administrators**: share exam materials, student records, and internal communications.
- **Engineering and technical teams**: share diagrams, manuals, and proprietary specifications with approved partners only.
- **Researchers and academics**: share unpublished work, datasets, and papers with collaborators during peer review.
- **Freelancers, consultants, and small businesses**: deliver proposals and final assets with built-in expiration and download tracking.
- **Government and public sector**: share internal memos and departmental reports with strict geographic and time-based controls.
- **Nonprofits**: share donor reports, grant applications, and strategy documents with select stakeholders.
- **International teams**: share files across borders with country-level access controls to meet local privacy regulations.

## Pricing

- Free trial: 20 secure shares, no credit card required.
- Premium: $4.90/month for unlimited shares, custom-branded landing pages, and full audit reporting.
- Upgrade: https://www.cloudhq.net/purchase?product_what=secure_share

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Secure Document Sharing safe?

Yes. We do not store any of your documents on our servers - files remain in your Google Drive and are streamed on demand using the credentials you authorized. All communication with cloud services is encrypted using HTTPS / TLS. Passwords for share links are never stored in plain text. Authentication with Google is handled via OAuth and OpenID, so we never see or store your Google password. Our infrastructure is regularly patched and protected by an enterprise-class firewall.

### How is this different from a regular Google Drive share link?

A standard Google Drive share link is forwardable, has no expiration, and gives the sender no visibility into who downloaded the file. Secure Document Sharing wraps the file in a password-protected, time-limited URL on a landing page you can brand, and records each visit and download per visitor IP. The recipient still gets the file - the sender keeps the control.

### Do recipients need a Google account?

No. Recipients open the link on any browser, on any device, and enter the password if required. No Google account, plugin, or sign-in is needed.

### Where is the file actually stored?

The file stays in the owner's Google Drive. cloudHQ does not copy or mirror it. When a recipient downloads, the file is streamed on demand using the owner's authorized OAuth credentials and is not retained on cloudHQ servers.

### Can I revoke or pause a share after I send it?

Yes. Every share is listed on the cloudhq.net dashboard. You can pause it, resume it, or delete it entirely at any time. Paused or deleted shares stop serving the file immediately, even if the recipient still has the URL and the password.

### Can I expire a link automatically?

Yes. When creating a share you can pick an expiration of 1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, 180, or 365 days, or "never expires". After the expiration time the link stops working, even if the recipient still has the URL and password.

### Can I see who downloaded my file?

Yes. Every share has a per-IP audit page showing each visitor's IP address, approximate geographic location, every view, every password attempt (right or wrong), and every download, with timestamps. You can answer "did my client open the file?" and "was it opened from outside the country?" exactly, not approximately.

### Does it work on mobile?

Yes. Both the compose-time creation flow (in the Gmail mobile web) and the recipient landing page are mobile-optimized.

### Can my whole company use this?

Yes. Secure Document Sharing can be deployed domain-wide from the Google Workspace Marketplace by a Workspace administrator. Each user gets their own dashboard and their own shares, and admins can review per-user audit reports.

### Is there a limit on file size?

No practical limit. Files stay in your Google Drive, so the file-size limit is your Google Drive storage quota. Recipients can download files of any size that exists in your Drive.

## Company

- Product: Secure Document Sharing
- Maker: cloudHQ
- cloudHQ homepage: https://www.cloudhq.net
- Support: https://support.cloudhq.net/category/browser-extensions/secure-share/