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Reviewing through a shared link

For a reviewer outside Social Studio: what the review page shows, how a decision is recorded, and what happens when the content has been edited since it was shared with you.

Updated

Somebody has sent you a link to read one piece of content and give an answer. You need no account and no password beyond the passphrase, if they set one.

The page shows exactly one item and nothing else. Depending on the link you were sent, you can read it, comment on it, or record an approval or a request for changes.

Your decision is recorded against the exact version you were shown, and your name is recorded as you type it. It is a self-declared name, not a verified identity, and the confirmation says so before you commit.

BEFORE YOU START

  • The link, in full. A truncated link will not be found.
  • The passphrase, if the sender set one.
  • Nothing else. There is no account to create.

STEPS

  1. Open the link. If it asks for a password, enter it and choose "Unlock".
  2. Read the content, and read the banner at the top if there is one. It tells you whether this is the current version, whether the review is already settled, and whether a decision can be recorded from this link.
  3. Read the comments, if the link allows them, before deciding.
  4. Enter your name in the field above the buttons.
  5. Choose "Approve" or "Request changes". Where you are requesting changes, say what needs changing.
  6. Confirm. The confirmation states that the decision is final for this review round.

WHAT YOU SHOULD SEE

"Thank you", and a line confirming that your approval or change request has been recorded.

WHAT THIS WILL NOT DO

  • It will not show you anything else in the sender's account. One link is one item.
  • It will not let you approve a newer version. If it says "This has been edited since it was shared with you.", you are reading the version you were sent, you can still comment, and the sender must share the newer wording for you to approve it.
  • It will not let you change your mind. "This review has already been settled. Your earlier answer stands."
  • It will not send you anything. Everything happens on this page.

IF IT DOES NOT WORK

  • "This review link is no longer available" means the link has expired, was revoked, or was not found. Ask your contact for a new one.
  • "That password is not correct."
  • "This link does not allow that action." means the sender shared it for reading or commenting only.
  • "Please say what needs changing, so the team knows what to do." means the note is empty.
  • "This link cannot be matched to the current review, so we cannot record a decision from it. Ask the sender for a new approval link. You can still read and comment." means the link predates the version binding this product now requires.
  • "We could not confirm whether that went through. Your connection dropped, so we do not know if it reached us. Retrying is safe - if it did reach us, you will see your original answer rather than a second one." Retry without worrying about deciding twice.
  • "The comments on this item could not be loaded, so this page cannot show whether the team has left any. Reload before deciding." Take that seriously; there may be context you are missing.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Why does it warn me the version might be unverified?

Because the link was created before the product recorded which version was shared. Your decision still works; the guarantee about exactly what the sender intended you to see does not.

Can I comment without deciding?

Yes, where the link allows comments. Comments are shared with the team and approve or reject nothing.

Will my name be checked?

No. It is recorded as you typed it, alongside the fact that the decision came from someone holding this link.

  • Sending work out for review

    Creating a no-login review link for someone outside Social Studio, what the three scopes allow, and what a guest reviewer sees when the content has moved on.

  • Reviewing and deciding on content

    Working the approvals queue, what "edited since submitted" means for your decision, and the separation-of-duties rule that stops an author approving their own work.

  • Giving a client a portal

    Creating a read-only portal link for a client, choosing which of the four sections they can see, and why approving is not one of the things they can do there.