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File types

Admins decide which kinds of file people can share in the workspace, with one rule for members and another for guests from other companies. Open the workspace menu, choose Workspace settings → Security & compliance → File types.

Workspace settings, Security & compliance: File types, with members blocked from sharing programs and scripts, PowerShell scripts always allowed and ISO images always blocked

  • Members can share any type of file.
  • Guests can share anything except programs and scripts.

Changing a rule only affects new uploads. Files that were already shared stay where they are.

For each of Files from members and Files from guests, pick what They can share:

Choice What it allows
Any type of file Everything.
Anything except programs and scripts Everything except programs, installers, scripts, shortcuts, disk images and Office files with macros.
Only the kinds I pick Just the kinds you tick: Documents, Images, Audio and video, Archives and Code and data (Corporate and Enterprise).

“Programs and scripts” covers files such as .exe, .msi, .bat, .cmd, .ps1, .vbs, .js, .lnk, .sh, .app, .pkg, .dmg, .deb, .jar, .apk, .iso and macro-enabled Office files like .docm and .xlsm. With Only the kinds I pick they stay blocked whichever kinds you tick.

Files from guests set to Only the kinds I pick, with Documents and Images ticked and dwg and step always allowed

On the Corporate and Enterprise plans you can also list extensions, separated by commas:

  • Always allow: extensions people can share whatever the choice above says, like dwg, step for drawings your partners send.
  • Always block: extensions nobody can share, even with Any type of file, like zip.

Type them with or without the dot; Freesbe tidies them up when you save.

Freesbe checks every upload on the server, so the rule holds for the desktop app, the browser and the API alike. Files sent in a meeting’s chat are checked too: guests from outside the workspace follow the rule for guests.

  • By name: the last extension counts, so invoice.pdf.exe is an .exe.
  • By what’s inside: Freesbe reads the start of the file. A Windows, Mac or Linux program, a Java or Android package, a shortcut or a disk image is recognised even when it’s been renamed to report.pdf or has no extension. An extension on Always allow doesn’t let a program through under someone else’s name either.
  • Plain-text scripts like .bat and .vbs look like any other text, so those are recognised by name.

When a file isn’t allowed, it isn’t uploaded. The person sees why straight away, and the message can still be sent without it.

A guest’s message with scanner-setup.exe turned away: This workspace doesn’t let guests share scanner-setup.exe. The PDF next to it uploaded normally.

Files in a Slack import follow the rule for members, since everyone imported from Slack joins as a member. Files the rule turns away are left out of the imported messages and counted as skipped.

Feature Free Business Corporate Enterprise
Any type of file, or anything except programs and scripts Yes Yes Yes Yes
Only the kinds I pick Yes Yes
Always allow and always block lists Yes Yes

On Free and Business, Only the kinds I pick and the lists are greyed out, each with Requires the Corporate plan underneath. Click Corporate plan to upgrade under Billing → Plans.

If the workspace moves off Corporate or Enterprise, the lists stop counting and Only the kinds I pick works like Anything except programs and scripts, so nothing becomes looser.

On the Business plan, Only the kinds I pick and the lists are greyed out, each saying it requires the Corporate plan, with a link to upgrade