Resource Visibility: What Customers Can and Cannot See (CMS)
This article explains resource visibility for Resource Library (CMS) objects shared with your customers and partners.
The Resource Library (CMS) is only included with the Enterprise package of Accord. To learn more about our pricing and packaging options, contact sales@inaccord.com.
What’s In This Article?
Visibility Levels
Every resource, folder, and Hub in the Accord Resource Library (CMS) has one of three visibility levels: visible to everyone, internal, and restricted.
|
Visibility Level |
Who can see it |
|
Everyone |
Your team, all partners in your workspace, and customers in any Accord that includes the resource |
|
Internal |
Your team only |
|
Restricted |
Your team plus the specific audience you select: all partners, specific partner domains, or individual partners |
When you set your desired visibility level on a folder, every resource inside inherits it, including resources you add later. To handle an exception, change the setting on the individual resource or sub-folder.
Inside an Accord, Restricted visibility also extends to customers. Resources added directly to an Accord's Resources tab can be restricted to specific buyers and customers on that deal. Learn more in Restricted Resources.
Stages and steps currently only support Internal only. See Internal Steps, Stages, and Resources.
Troubleshooting
Sometimes customers can't view a resource set to be visible to everyone. This usually happens for one of two reasons:
- The customer's company restricts access to web services like Google Drive or SharePoint (e.g. at the browser or VPN level)
- The file's own sharing settings are private, but you still want specific customers to view it in Accord
We've built a few solutions to these challenges.
Workarounds
If you use the Resource Library and sync resources from Google Drive or SharePoint, your customers never need access to the original file:
- Static media files (PDFs, images, videos, etc.): copied to Accord's storage, so they're always viewable. Your customer accesses the file from our servers, not an embedded file.
- Collaborative documents (Google Docs/Sheets/Slides, Word/Excel/PowerPoint, etc.): saved as a PDF snapshot and previewed in-app.
Note: certain Google-native types (Forms, native video) can't be snapshotted.
Syncing
Both static media and collaborative documents refresh automatically about once a day. To refresh instantly, use the Refresh action on the resource's kebab menu.
See the Google Drive or SharePoint integration articles for more details.
Unsynced Files
These workarounds only apply to files synced to the Resource Library via the Google Drive or SharePoint integration. They do NOT apply to resources created by pasting a Google Drive or SharePoint URL.
FAQ
Q: My customer blocks Google Drive or SharePoint at the browser or VPN level. Can they still access files originally stored there?
A: Yes. Synced files are stored in Accord, so your customer's browser never contacts Google's or Microsoft's servers — everything is served by Accord.
Q: Will my sellers and their customers always see the same content?
A: Sellers view the original file in Google Drive or SharePoint; customers view Accord's synced copy. The content is identical as of the last sync.
Q: Could my sellers and their customers ever see different versions?
A: Yes, briefly. Syncing runs about every 24 hours, so if the original file changed since the last sync, the customer may see the older version until the next sync. Use the Refresh action to sync immediately.
Q: Do partners see resources set to “visible to everyone”?
A: Yes. “Visible to everyone” resources are visible to every partner in your workspace. Use Restricted for content partners should see but buyers shouldn't, and Internal for content partners shouldn't see.
Q: Can I create a Share Link for a Restricted resource?
A: No. Sharable Links aren't available for Restricted resources. Add the resource to an Accord instead.