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Collections are virtual libraries you assemble from files across any of your sources. Unlike source groups, which organize drives, collections organize individual files. A collection might be a selects reel, a client delivery package, a project mood board, or any other curated set of media. Collections live in the Collections panel, which you open from the left rail. Your own collections are under My collections, and collections other people shared with you are under Shared with me. You can share a collection with people and teams (see Collection permissions) or create a web link. Public and password-protected links open in any browser without a 1Archive account.

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Create a collection

1

Open the Collections panel

Click Collections in the left rail.
2

Add a collection

Click the + button next to the Collections heading and choose Add collection. A name field appears under My collections with New Collection filled in and selected.
3

Name the collection

Type a name and press Enter. Press Escape, or click anywhere else, to cancel.
The same + menu has Add folder, which groups collections together in the panel.

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Add files to a collection

1

Browse to the files you want to add

Open a source from Sources in the left rail and find the files.
2

Select the files

Click to select a single file, or use Shift-click, Cmd-click, or marquee drag to select multiple files. See Browsing files for full selection instructions.
3

Add to collection

Right-click the selection, point to Add to collection, and choose a collection. To start a new one, choose Add to new collection, which creates a collection named New Collection that you can rename later.
You can also drag files onto a collection in the Collections panel.
You can add the same file to multiple collections. A file’s membership in a collection does not affect its location on disk or in the source catalog.

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View a collection

Click a collection in the Collections panel to open it, or double-click it on the Collections page. It opens in the same file browser you use for sources, so you can switch between grid and list view, apply ratings and flags, and right-click files for more actions.
Files in a collection are references to the originals on their source drives. If a source is disconnected, the collection still shows the file’s thumbnail and metadata, but you cannot open the original file until the drive is reconnected.

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Search inside a collection

Right-click a collection in the sidebar or on the Collections page and choose Search images in collection. A new search tab opens in AI Image Search with that collection already picked. Describe what you’re looking for and press Enter. The search covers every folder in the collection, including files from Sources you can’t open yourself. Anyone who can open the collection can search it.
Newly added files can take a little while to become searchable while 1Archive catches up in the background. Press Enter again later to pick them up. See Search inside a Collection for what’s included.

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Rename a collection

Right-click the collection and choose Rename collection. Type the new name and press Enter, or press Escape to keep the old name.

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Delete a collection

Right-click the collection, choose Delete collection, and click Delete to confirm. The collection disappears for everyone at once: its members lose access, its web links stop working, and its comments go with it. The original files stay on their sources. Deleting a folder deletes everything inside it, every collection and folder, including ones other people created there. The confirmation tells you how many before you click Delete. You don’t have to wait around. Once you confirm, the delete finishes on its own, even if you quit 1Archive right away. Only an Owner can delete a collection. Organization Owners and Admins can also delete any collection in the organization from the Collections page of the Admin Console. For other roles, the same menu item removes you from the collection, and it stays in place for everyone else. It removes only access that was shared with you directly. Access through a team or a shared folder stays: a collection admin or a team admin can remove the team, and you can remove yourself from a whole shared folder but not from one collection inside it. See Collection permissions.
1

Open the sharing dialog

In the Collections panel, right-click the collection and choose Share Collection.
2

Pick who can open the link

Under Create new link, pick Public, Password Protected, or Private. The dialog starts on Private, which only lets in people who already have access to the collection, after they sign in. For a password-protected link, enter a password in Set Password.
3

Set expiry and downloads

Under Link Expires, choose when the link stops working. It starts at 1 Week. Turn on Allow Downloads if recipients should be able to download previews. Allow Original Downloads appears when downloads are on and your organization allows it.
4

Generate and copy the link

Click Generate Link, then click Copy and send the URL.
You need the Owner, Admin, or Editor role on the collection to create or delete links. If a link type reads Disabled by your organization, an organization Admin has turned it off.
Anyone who has a Public link can view the collection, and so can anyone who has a Password Protected link and its password. Neither needs a 1Archive account. Choose Private when only people with access to the collection should get in.
1

Open the sharing dialog

Right-click the collection and choose Share Collection.
2

Review your links

Active Links lists every link for the collection, newest first, with its type, its expiry date, and whether downloads are allowed. Click the copy icon next to a link to copy it again.
3

Delete a link

Click the trash icon next to a link to delete it. The link stops working right away: anyone who opens that URL sees an error page, and anyone who already has it open can’t browse any further.
Deleting a link does not delete the collection or affect its other links. Expired links stay in the list with their past expiry date until you delete them. You can generate new links at any time.