When you can't access work

Access problems are usually account, membership, permission, or item state

If ALLO says you cannot access a canvas, project, dashboard, file, or workspace, start by checking the account and permission path. Access is layered: you may need the right account, active workspace membership, permission to the specific item, and a link that still points to existing work.

Refreshing can help if access was just granted, but it cannot override missing permission. If you can open the item but cannot edit, use When work is read-only.

Availability

Quick recovery sequence

1. Confirm you are signed in with the email that was invited or shared.
2. Switch to the correct workspace.
3. Ask the owner to confirm the link and your permission.
4. Check whether the item was archived, deleted, moved, or restored.
5. Refresh after permission changes.
6. If you are still blocked, contact support with the link and account email.

Symptom guide

Check the account

Different email addresses are different ALLO accounts. A shared link sent to your work email may not open when you are signed in with a personal email. On desktop and mobile, compare the account email with web if work appears in one surface but not another.

If you accidentally created a second account, ask the owner to share with the correct email. Do not keep working in the wrong account just because it happens to open ALLO.

Check workspace membership

Workspace membership can be active, removed, or deactivated. If your workspace membership is deactivated, project or canvas permission cannot reopen workspace access. A workspace admin must restore deactivated access or reinvite you if you should return.

If you were never a full workspace member but were invited to one canvas as an external collaborator, you may be able to open that canvas without seeing the full workspace. Ask the owner whether you were meant to join the workspace or only access a specific item.

Check item permission

Each item can have its own access:

If a dashboard contains a pinned canvas or file, the dashboard share is not enough. You need access to the pinned resource too. See Share a dashboard.

Check archived, deleted, or moved work

If the owner says you used to have access but the item is gone, check whether it was archived, deleted, moved, or restored somewhere else.

Use:

For missing-work steps, see When work looks missing.

Check billing or quota blockers

Billing and quota warnings can affect workspace behavior, but they are not the same as item permission. A failed payment, seat warning, or storage overage may require admin action before some workflows recover.

If you are not an admin, send the warning text to a workspace admin.

Access on mobile and desktop

Mobile and desktop follow the same permission model as web. If a link opens on desktop but not mobile, check mobile app version and account email. If it fails everywhere, permission or item state is more likely than app surface.

Use Open a shared canvas on mobile or Open canvases in the desktop app for surface-specific behavior.

What to ask the owner or admin

Send them:

When to contact support

Contact support when the owner confirms your access, you are signed in with the correct email, the item exists, and you still cannot open it after refresh. Include the link, workspace name, account email, expected permission, who shared it, and the error screenshot.