Open shared work

Open the shared item from its card

Shared with me lets you open canvases and projects that someone else shared with you. Before opening, scan the card details: title, item type, sender, shared date, project location, unread state, and any permission information ALLO shows. Those details help you avoid opening the wrong item when multiple people share similarly named canvases.

To open shared work:

1. Go to Shared with me.
2. Find the item.
3. Click or select its card.

A shared canvas opens in the canvas editor or viewer. A shared project opens in the project area. If the item has a menu, you may also see actions such as opening in a new tab, copying a link, marking read, or viewing details depending on the surface and your role.

For the broader Shared with me model, see Shared with me overview.

Read the card before opening

The card can save you from opening the wrong work. Check who shared it, when it was shared, and where it belongs. A canvas named Review is much more useful when you can see that it was shared by the design lead yesterday and belongs to the Brand Refresh project.

If the card shows project context, use it to decide whether you need the canvas or the project. Opening the canvas is best when you need one specific work surface. Opening the project is best when you need views, tags, sections, dates, or multiple canvases.

If the card shows permission context for a canvas, treat it as a quick hint. Your actual available actions are the controls you see after opening. Permissions can change after the list loads, so refresh if the card and opened item disagree.

Open a shared canvas

Select the canvas card. The canvas opens with the access granted to you. The share controls whether you can view, comment, edit, present, export, invite others, or only inspect the content.

If the canvas contains attached files, use the canvas file tools or Files to preview, open, or download them when available. Shared canvas access does not necessarily grant access to every file in the workspace.

Open a shared project

Select the project card. The project opens with the views and actions available to you. Project setup and your permission control whether you see Dashboard, List, Kanban, Calendar, Timeline, tags, filters, and linked canvases.

If you were invited for a specific canvas, open the project and use views or filters to find the relevant work. If the project contains many canvases, use the project’s canvas list or All canvases to find the canvas you need.

If a project opens but one canvas inside it does not, that canvas may have separate access. Ask the project owner whether the canvas should be shared with you too.

Open from a direct shared link

If someone sends you a direct ALLO link, open it while signed in with the email that received the share. If ALLO asks you to sign in, use that same email. After you open the link successfully, the item may also appear in Shared with me depending on how it was shared.

If the link opens in the wrong workspace or says you do not have access, check whether you have multiple ALLO accounts. The most common cause is using the right link with the wrong email.

If the link works but the item is missing from Shared with me, keep using the link and ask the sender to confirm that you were shared directly. Shared with me is a recovery surface, but the direct link is still useful when it opens.

Marking opened work read

Opening shared work can help clear unread state, and some surfaces also provide explicit mark-read or read-all actions. If an unread badge does not clear immediately, refresh or wait briefly for the state to update across open tabs and devices.

Marking something read only changes your unread state. It does not remove the item from Shared with me, revoke access, or notify the sender that you completed review. For details, see Unread shared work and Mark shared work as read.

Actions that may be available

Shared item menus and buttons depend on item type and permission. You may see open, open in new tab, copy link, mark read, remove from a personal list, or other item actions. You may not see edit, share, delete, export, or file download if your role does not allow them.

If an action is missing, open the item and check the controls inside the canvas or project. Some actions belong to the opened work, not the Shared with me card. If the action is still missing, ask the owner to adjust permission.

Do not use missing actions as proof that the item is broken. ALLO hides or disables actions that your current role should not use.

Permission examples

If a teammate shares a canvas as view-only, you can open and read it, but editing and file removal may be unavailable. If they expected you to collaborate, they need to change the share permission.

If a project owner shares a project, you may be able to open project views and tasks, but a private canvas inside the project may still require its own permission. Ask for access to the specific canvas.

If an external collaborator shares a canvas with your work email, you must use that work email. Signing in with a different account can make the same link fail.

If a workspace admin deactivates your account or changes your role, shared items may stop opening even if they still appear in a list. See Deactivated access.

Troubleshooting opening problems

If the card does nothing or opens a blank page, refresh ALLO and try again. Then open the direct link if you have it. If the direct link works, the list may need to refresh.

If ALLO says you do not have access, confirm the account, workspace, and sender. Ask whether the item was unshared, moved, deleted, or shared with another email. Use Fix shared access.

If the item opens read-only, check whether that is the intended permission. Read-only is a valid sharing state. Ask for edit access only if you actually need to make changes.

If the item was deleted, ask the owner or admin to check Trash before the retention window ends.