6 Ways Playbook Securely Shares Large Files
Got raw footage you need to send to your editor, a collection of high-resolution photos for a client, or a batch of design files for a new campaign?
Then you need a quick and easy way to share your large files securely. Perhaps you’ve found services like Dropbox — with its file storage limitations and unreliable uploads — frustrating. If so, you might consider Playbook, a digital asset management (DAM) platform that allows you to store, organize, and share files of any size or format with both internal and external teams.
- No File Size Limits
- Visual Preview and Direct Sharing Links
- Select Board Sharing
- Web Publish Feature
- AI-Powered Smart Search
- Robust IP Protection and Security
1. No File Size Limitations
One of the things Playbook users love most is the ability to upload and share files of any size, which allows them to work without the limitations imposed by other file-sharing services.
Illustrator and Playbook user Zoe Kleinman-Cardoso shares her experience.
“I tend to manage big files like ESDs or large PNGs. With Playbook, I like that I can upload ESDs on the go, or sometimes large PSAs.”
This flexibility allows efficient project management without worrying about file size restrictions, which is a common pain point for creatives handling intricate or high-resolution designs. Playbook lets you share these massive assets without compression or quality loss. This means your files remain in their original format, preserving every crucial detail for your project.
Say you're a photographer needing to send a full photoshoot — hundreds of high-res images — to a client. Rather than breaking the files up into smaller chunks or risking quality loss through compression, you can upload the entire photoshoot to Playbook in one go and share it seamlessly with your client.
2. Visual File Preview & Direct Sharing Links
When you share large files with Playbook, recipients can view them directly in their browser without the need to download them, create a Playbook account, or install software.
This feature is particularly beneficial for creatives, as it allows stakeholders to preview files before deciding to download them — saving both time and bandwidth.
They also receive a direct sharing link that allows them to download files instantly. These links simplify the large file-sharing process by allowing you to share large files or entire boards with collaborators. What’s more, revisions to the files can be made and viewed without having to resend or regenerate the original direct sharing link. This way, Playbook ensures your collaborators always have access to the latest version.
3. Board Sharing: Keep Your Projects Organized
Instead of sending files piecemeal, you can give collaborators access to all relevant assets contained in individual Playbook boards — one space that contains everything, no matter how large the files.
Let’s say you're working on a video project for a client. You can create a board that includes multiple video files, scripts, and reference images. With Playbook’s board sharing, you can invite collaborators directly to this specific board, where they can see the project’s entire structure at a glance.
Collaborators invited to the board have limited workspace permissions — you can choose between view-only access or full editing rights. This flexibility is perfect for working with clients, external partners, or third-party agencies who need access to project materials but shouldn't have full control over your workspace.
By maintaining a clear and organized workflow structure, Playbook's board sharing feature makes it easier to manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders, ensuring smooth collaboration and significantly reducing miscommunication and asset clutter.
4. Publish: Beautiful Presentation for Client Handoff
Playbook’s popular Publish feature allows you to create stunning, professional client-handoff galleries or brand portals with just a few clicks. By making it easy to present large files professionally, we’ve turned large file sharing into a memorable client experience, helping you make an impression with every project handoff.
Whether you’re sharing final deliverables or showcasing your latest work, Publish helps you make a lasting impression by displaying your files in a visually appealing format that’s perfect for creative professionals.
Imagine you’ve just completed a design project for a client and want to present it in the most polished way possible. With the Publish feature, you can create a gallery that highlights your work with a professional cover while allowing clients to navigate through the files easily — all within a beautifully designed template.
Want to see how this could look for your brand or portfolio? Check out this sample brand portal featuring Gagosian. For even more client handoff and brand portal resources, check out our template gallery here.
5. AI-Powered Smart Search: Playbook x SearchGPT
Brands spend thousands on every photoshoot, only to have results and assets buried deep on a Google Drive. Every DAM claims they have AI search but do they really? Available with the Playbook Team Plan, Playbook’s own SearchGPT help users perform natural-language based searches to find exactly what they need — and fast.
Under the hood, Playbook uses OpenCLIP to generate embeds and GPT to process queries. Your query is mapped into the same vector space as your assets to locate the closest matches and nearby clusters for additional follow-ups suggestions. No more hours wasted digging through sub-folders to find last years social media assets. Before transferring to Playbook, 33% of professionals using alternative DAMs like Google Drive and Dropbox spent up to five hours per week searching for files.
And the best part: search and sharing stay secure by design. Results only surface assets the requester is authorized to see, abiding by team and project-level permissions. When it’s time to share, you can keep control with options such as role-based access (viewer/editor) or link expiration so collaborators see exactly the right file. Our conversations tab logs activity and helps teams verify who viewed or downloaded assets, while custom tags and AI image-to-text keep sensitive content organized without exposing anything outside its permission set. Smarter search means faster work, so your best assets are discoverable to the right people, and invisible to everyone else.
Want to try our SearchGPT for yourself? Check out our demo!
6. Robust IP Protection & Security
When it comes to sharing large files online, security is just as important as ease of use, and 65% of Playbook users say security features are a must-have.
Playbook offers a suite of advanced security features that ensures your work is shared securely and protected from unauthorized access or misuse. These integrations include watermarking, expiration links, two-factor authentication (2FA), and SAML SSO, giving you full control over how your files are accessed and used.
- Watermarking: Available even on the Free plan, watermarking allows you to protect your files by adding a visual watermark that discourages unauthorized distribution.
- Expiration Links: On the Pro and Team plans, users can create shareable links with expiration dates, adding an extra layer of security. Once the link expires, access to the files is revoked, reducing the risk of unwanted downloads after the intended sharing period.
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): For added security, Playbook’s Pro and Team plans offer 2FA, which requires a secondary authentication method when accessing files. This significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access.
- SAML Single Sign-On (SSO): Available on the Team plan, SAML SSO provides enterprise-grade security by allowing users to log in through a single, centralized authentication system. This simplifies the login process for larger teams and enhances security by ensuring that all users are authenticated through a trusted source.
By offering these advanced security features, Playbook ensures that your work is always protected, giving you peace of mind when sharing large files with clients, collaborators, or external agencies.
Securely Sharing Large Files with Playbook
Playbook doesn’t just let you share large files easily — it also offers a powerful suite of features that can help you organize and store your large files much more securely. With a diverse selection of templates and galleries, end-to-end workflow automation tools, and robust security features, you’ll never struggle to share your assets again!
Learn more about Playbook or sign up to start sharing your files right away!