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Question

What happens to shareable links if I move, rename, and/or delete folders?

  • April 15, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 55 views
L

Hello everyone,  my company uses Box, and quite frankly it's a disorganized mess. I have been brought in to organize it. Currently, there is no structure to how the folders are set up, and a lot of the files are incorrectly named. We have about ten people that currently work inside and use Box.

My question is: If I change the name of a file, does that affect the shareable link? What if I change the name of the folder that it's in, or what if I move the folder? Since I have been tasked with restructuring Box, I'm curious what would happen to all the shareable links if I move, rename, and/or delete folders. 

      1 reply

      Jey Bueno Box

      👋 Hi ​@lovelearning22, welcome to the Box Community! I’d be glad to assist.


      Moving or renaming files and folders in Box generally does not break existing shared links. Shared links are tied to the item itself, not its name or folder path, so reorganizing content is usually safe.


      A few important exceptions apply:

      • If an item is deleted and later restored from trash, its original standard shared link is typically preserved.

      • Custom shared links are not preserved after deletion and restore.

      • If a shared link is disabled, that link is deleted. If sharing is turned back on later, a new link is created.

      • Moving content to a different folder can affect who is able to access it if the destination folder has different permission or sharing settings.


      So, for most restructuring projects, moving and renaming content should not invalidate standard shared links, but deleting items, disabling links, or changing permission contexts can affect link behavior.


      For guidance on folder structure and best practices, you may find this resource helpful: Plan Your Folder Structure


      Feel free to reach out if you have any other concerns.

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