Sharing in Paperpile explained

Research is collaborative and so is Paperpile. It's easy to share articles, PDFs, or any reference. Since there are many different use cases, Paperpile offers quite a few sharing options.

Ways to share

• Private share links: For quick one-off sharing or sharing with colleagues not using Paperpile. You can create a share link for one or more references in your library or for any of your shared folders or shared libraries. Share the link via email, messaging, during a Zoom call, and your colleagues get all the information they need including abstract, link to publisher website, and PDF. No Paperpile account is required to view share links. See Share references with a private link or email.
• Shared folders: For sharing subsets of your personal library with others. You can share any of your folders with other Paperpile users. For example, you maintain an up-to-date reading list on a topic for yourself in a folder and you want to share it with a colleague working on the same topic. You have full control if others can add or change references in your folder or if you also want to share your annotations or notes. See Share a folder with other users.
• Shared libraries: If you want to create a common literature repository for your research group, organization, or company. Shared libraries are separate from your personal library and have their own set of folders, labels, notes and annotations. You have full control who can read and change data in a shared library. To get started, see Create a shared library and Manage shared libraries.

More things to know about sharing

Permissions

If you collect references with your co-authors for a manuscript, everyone should be able to add new references. However, if you share a reading list with a class, you probably don't want anyone to change it.

To allow for all those different use cases, you can choose between three levels of permissions in shared folders and libraries:

• Viewer: Can view all content but cannot make any changes.
• Editor: Can view all content, edit metadata, add new references, and attach files. Cannot invite others or change settings.
• Admin: Has full access to all content like Editors but can also invite other users and change settings.

See Permissions in shared folders and libraries for more details.

Private vs. collaborative notes and annotations

If you share some articles from your personal library, you don't always want to share your personal notes and PDF annotations. That's why in Paperpile there is always an option to keep your personal notes and annotations private. On the other hand, if you want to collaboratively annotate PDFs or share notes, you can do so.

• Share links: Below each share link you can choose whether you want your notes and annotations to be shared. See Share references with a private link or email.
• Shared folders: You can control whether your notes and annotations are shared. In the sharing dialog, turn on the Share notes and annotations option to share notes and annotations with others. By default, only references are shared, not your personal notes and annotations. See Share a folder with other users.
• Shared libraries: Notes and annotations in shared libraries are separate from your personal library and are always shared with anyone who has access. To make private notes and annotations, you can add any reference to your personal library. When viewing PDFs in shared libraries, you can easily switch between private and shared annotations. See Annotate PDFs collaboratively with others.

Live copies vs. independent copies

Assume you've added an article from your personal library to a shared library and then fix a typo in the title. Should the title also be updated in the shared library? In most cases you would say yes, because you want an up-to-date and complete version everywhere.

In other situations—assume you work on systematic literature review or in a controlled industry—you want to keep your shared library independent and strictly separate from the users' personal libraries.

To accommodate for these different scenarios, you can choose between two sharing modes in shared folders and libraries:

• Live copy: The reference others see in a shared folder or library is the same copy you have in your personal library. All changes you and other users make to the reference will be reflected everywhere the reference is shared. That's the default.
• Independent copy: The reference in your personal library and the copy you shared is completely independent. Any changes made to one copy will not affect the other copy.

You can change the sharing mode of a shared folders and libraries and individual references.

Comparison of sharing options

Common questions

How do I share references with someone who doesn't use Paperpile?

Use private share links. Select the references, click the share button in the toolbar, and copy the link to send to anyone. See Share references with a private link or email for more details.

Can I share just one article?

Yes. Select the reference and click the share button in the toolbar to create a private share link for that single reference.

What's the difference between a shared folder and a shared library?

A shared folder is a subset of your personal library that you share with others. They are ideal for short-term collaborations and shared reading lists.

A shared library is a completely separate library that exists independently and has its own folders, labels, notes, and annotations. They are suitable for group literature repositories and long-term collaborative projects.

How do I stop sharing a folder?

Click the three-dot menu of the folder and select Share to open the sharing dialog. Find the user in the user list, click the permissions menu next to their name, and select Remove. To stop sharing via link, in the sharing dialog, turn off the option Anyone with the link.

Can I share labels?

Labels are not shared in shared folders. However, shared libraries have their own set of labels that are shared with all members of that library.