File visibility is decided by two things: which folder a file is in, and who is looking. This page lays out every case.
Access to the Files tab follows the employee's permission level.
| Permission level | Files access |
|---|---|
| Administrator, Regional Administrator, Airstudio Support | Every folder, plus Configure |
| Scheduling Manager, Scheduling Analyst | Every folder on records they can open. No Configure. |
| Equipment Manager | No Files access. |
| General Staff | Only files inside a Staff Shared folder, plus the Retouching area. Everything else is hidden. |
Regional Administrators see files only on records in their teams.
<aside> 💡
If a photographer says a file you uploaded is missing, it is almost always in a private folder. Move it into Staff Shared and it appears for them.
</aside>
A contact who signs in to the portal sees the Shared folder of every record tied to an organization they are attached to:
Contacts never see private or Staff Shared folders, and never see another organization's files. What they can do inside Shared, such as uploading or making folders, is set in Configure; see Sharing Files With Organizations.
A subject who signs in, or a parent attached to them, sees the Shared folder on their own subject record and on their own sessions. Nothing else. Use it to deliver proofs or a signed release to one family.
An upload link shows only an upload form; the person never sees your folders. A download link shows exactly the folder or selection it was made for. Either can be public, password protected, or restricted to signed-in contacts, and either can expire. See Upload and Download Links.
A file's own settings can override its folder: Not Shared Visible hides one file inside a Shared folder, and the external Delete, Rename, and Update switches control what portal users may change. See Folder Structure & Configuration.