Can't share Google-Docs-files with "edit permission" to external people

I'm having this same issue. This doesn't make a lot of sense. It also does not line up with what was pitched by Dropbox itself on the page selling the feature (in red below): https://blog.dropbox.com/topics/product-tips/google-docs-sheets-slides

• Manage access. Whether you’re sharing directly from Dropbox or by creating a link, you can grant recipients edit or view-only access. You can also set permissions to team-only—to keep work inside your company—or anyone, for sharing outside your Dropbox Business team. And since sharing is managed by Dropbox, there’s nothing additional for team admins to manage.

Is this an oversight or am I not understanding something. I have reached out to support and they also don't know how to fix the issue.

Hi, I'm running into the same issue as the original thread author (please review the thread for context as he documented it quite clearly). Have you tried replicating the issue on your end? I've had to explain this multiple times to support already and it's getting redundant to be honest.

1. Create a new Google Doc in a shared team folder.

2. Update file permissions to "anyone with link can edit". I've also tried "anyone with the link can view" and the same thing happens.

3. I open the link in an incognito browser and see this screen.

4. I attempt to login with my personal Google Account (to simulate a client experience that is not part of my organization) and receive this message.

5. Can't access the file at all whatsoever.

Basically, it appears that Dropbox is only letting us share links to Google Docs, Sheets, Slides with people that have the same domain as our organization (even if the file permissions are set to "anyone with link can view"). This makes it impossible to share with external clients/stakeholders.

I've been testing Box and they do not have this issue. If this is not able to be resolved, unfortunately, we're going to have to switch providers. This seems like a bug that should have been fixed a long time ago when you rolled out this feature. We would prefer to stay with Dropbox but if this is how the integration is going to work, it's not helpful to us.

You have to allow the cookies on your browser setting for third party apps. Incognito mode is the problem.

Thanks for the response, @Jay. I believe it is a team folder "Everyone at <company> can edit" (not sure on the difference between a team and a shared folder in this context). However, I updated the file-specific permissions, to add my example client (myself on a personal email address). In the "Members" column on the individual file, it says "Everyone at <company>" + "My personal email". Here is a screenshot of my admin console file-sharing settings.

Hi! having the same issue, hitting a wall for external links from Dropbox / Google Docs. Glad you made the option available to use Docs powerful features inside DB but would help a lot if you could fix this like Box, because if you advertise this sharing feature it should work as easily as GDrive. Step 2 and beyond were all done inside a separate (private) browser tab with no Dropbox login.

1.  Share Gdoc inside Dropbox (nice)

2. Sign in using a Google account.

3. Login

4. Hitting a wall (Dutch: cannot open file at the moment, check the adres and try again.)

Hope you could figure this one out, it's also a hurdle for me and my team and making the switch difficult. Thanks!

Hey Luc-FJ - thanks for joining the discussion.

As Jay mentioned, when you share a Google doc, the other user will need a Google or Dropbox account of their own to edit the file, as it doesn't allow for anonymous editing of files. 

To make sure you can edit the file, you or your collaborators will have to make sure that you're using the same email address for both your Google and your Dropbox account(s).

For more information, you can have a look here.

I hope this helps!

Hi Walter, Thanks for responding. 

For future generations dealing with the same problem, I think we understand the miscommunication and found the solution. 🙂

 As Jay mentioned, when you share a Google doc, the other user will need a Google or Dropbox account of their own to edit the file, as it doesn't allow for anonymous editing of files. 

• Check, as you can see in our screenshots, all of us are using Google or Dropbox accounts to login and open the Dropbox Google Doc link.

To make sure you can edit the file, you or your collaborators will have to make sure that you're using the same email address for both your Google and your Dropbox account(s).

• Here is the interesting part: So this would mean, as far as I understand, that IT IS NOT possible to share this gdoc ONLY as a link, but you have to add in the email bar: 
• 
• When they, for example, your client, are added, Dropbox does a few weird things:
  
  • It doesn't give you feedback inside this Dropbox Share menu that they have been added.
  • They don't receive an e-mail
    • also nothing inside of Google Drive, 'Shared with me' (which is not that strange).
  • You have to copy the link yourself from the share menu.
  • The first time they open the link it gives you an error that they Need Acces.
    • This error part happens A LOT, even inside of Dropbox itself, needs a fix
  • BUT, when you reload the page, or do a sign in again, everything works 'magically'. 🎉
    
    

So, in the end, it works, quirky, with a lot of signing in. 🙂 Hope you can make the sharing a lot more smooth in the future!