Shared Items

What Is a Shared Item

A shared item is an email, template, portfolio, data extension, or content area on which you set permissions. These permissions control who has access to the shared item and in what capacity. For example, you may be able to view a shared item but not make changes to it, or you may be able to make changes to a shared item but not delete it.

You can use shared content as part of dynamic content, and it is possible to share dynamic content from a shared items folder.

The difference between a shared item and a non-shared item, such as an email template, is that users outside the business unit can access the shared item if they have particular role and permission settings. You can set permissions for particular roles to allow access to particular items for users outside the business unit. For example, you want a template to be used by all of your business units. Therefore you create the template as a shared item and set permissions for the item to allow access by all users in all business units. When you share an item in Enterprise 2.0, you grant access to an instance of the item. Anyone with access to the item can view and access changes made to the item.

Shared items are located in a shared items folder, which is a tool in an enterprise-edition account used to share information between business units and users. You can also share folders across several different business units within the same Enterprise 2.0 account. Items that you save into one of these folders are available to all users working in business units with the appropriate permissions. You can set permissions on the shared items folder. These permissions function the same way as permissions function on a shared item. Users working within business units inside an Enterprise 2.0 account can also created shared items folders and set permissions on them.

The creator of an item retains ownership of that item unless that ownership role is changed by an administrator or a user with permissions to change ownership of a shared item or folder.

Why Use a Shared Item

Use a shared item to share branding, content, and images for emails, landing pages, and websites. Sharing items makes it easier for you to control your data and messaging across diverse scenarios.

How to Create a Shared Item

Note: If an item is placed in its respective shared folder and no other action is taken by the owner of the item, all business units will have full access to that item.

1. Click the Content tab.
2. Click Shared Items.
3. Click the folder that contains the item type you want to create. You can create the following types of items:

• Emails
• Templates
• Portfolio Items
• Content

4. Click the Create button from the toolbar. 
5. Follow the instructions in the dialog box that opens. 
6. Click the Save button to save the settings and return to the shared items workspace.  
7. Click on the Permissions menu item.
8. Apply a role and set permissions for the shared item.
9. Click the Save button to save the settings and return to the shared items workspace.

How to View Shared Items

1. Open the Shared Items folder in the Content tab.
2. Click on the shared folders to see a list of shared items in the workspace.

You will see items for which you have access.

How to Create Shared Email Items

Note: You must create the shared item in a shared item folder.

1. Click the shared emails folder.  
2. Click the Create menu item.
3. Select method necessary to create new email from the following:

• Build from Existing Template
• Build from HTML
• Revise Existing Email 

4. Click the Next button.
5. Enter information in the subsequent dialogs to create your email.
6. Your shared email item is appended to the list of shared email items. 
7. Click the permissions menu item.
8. Set permissions for the shared item. Click here for more information on setting permissions.

How to Create Shared Templates

Note: You must create the shared item in a shared item folder.

1. Click the shared templates folder.  
2. Click the Create menu item.
3. Enter a name for the template and designate a folder to store the template.
4. Select method necessary to create new template from the following:

• Use template editor
• Paste HTML

5. Click the Submit button.
6. Enter information in the subsequent dialogs to create your template.
7. Your shared template item is appended to the list of shared template items. 
8. Click the permissions menu item.
9. Set permissions for the shared item. Click here for more information on setting permissions.

How to Create Shared Portfolios

Note: You must create the shared item in a shared item folder.

1. Click the shared portfolio folder.  
2. Click the Single Upload or Batch Upload menu item.
3. Select file(s) to upload. 

4. Click the OK button to upload the file(s) or the Cancel button to not upload the files and return to the shared portfolio workspace. 
   Your shared portfolio item(s) is appended to the list of shared portfolio items. 

5. Click the permissions menu item.
6. Set permissions for the shared item. Click here for more information on setting permissions.

How to Create Shared Content

Note: You must create the shared item in a shared item folder.

1. Click the shared contents folder.  
2. Click the Create Content menu item.
3. Enter a name for the content and designate a folder to store the content. 
4. Click the Next button to advance to the next dialog or click the Cancel button to not advance to the next dialog and return to the shared content workspace.
5. Select orientation from the following:

• Text Only
• Image Only
• Image top
• Image Bottom
• Image Left
• Image Right
• Free Form
• HTML Only

4. Click the Next button to advance to the next dialog.  
5. Define the initial properties of your content area.
6. Click the Next button to advance to the next dialog. 
7. Format and enter your content, as necessary.
8. Click the Save button to save your content and return to the shared content workspace, or click the Cancel button to not save your content and return to the shared content workspace. 
   Your shared content item is appended to the list of shared content items.

9. Click the permissions menu item.
10. Set permissions for the shared item. Click here for more information on setting permissions.

How to Update Shared items

1. Open the shared item.
2. Make changes as necessary.
3. Save item.
4. Change permissions, if necessary
5. Save item.

How to Delete Shared Items

1. Open the shared item.
2. Click the Delete menu item.

The shared item is permanently deleted. 

How to Change Permissions for a Shared Item

You must be the owner of an item to change permissions for the item. As the owner of the item, you can perform all operations on the item, even if you remove permissions from your business unit.

1. Select the Content tab.
2. Click Shared Items.
3. Click the folder of the items to share.
4. Select the checkbox next to the item to share. 
5. Click Permissions.
6. Select the checkbox next to the business unit for which you want to edit the permissions.
7. Click Edit Permissions.
8. Check/uncheck permissions for the business unit.
9. Click the Save button to save the settings and return to the edit permissions workspace. Click the Cancel button to not save the settings and return to the edit permissions workspace.
10. Click the Return menu item to return to the shared items workspace.

How to Set a Start and End Date for a Shared Item

1. Select the Content tab.
2. Click Shared Items.
3. Click the folder of the items to share.
4. Select the checkbox next to the item to share. 
5. Click Permissions.
6. Select the checkbox next to the business unit for which you want to edit the permissions.
7. Click Edit Permissions.
8. Select a Start Sharing and End Sharing date by using the Date Calendar and Time drop down menu.

   If no time is selected, 12:00:00 AM is defaulted.

9. Click the Save button to save your changes and to schedule your item.
   The business unit with whom you have shared the item appears under an appropriate Sharing heading: Always Shared, Currently Shared, or To Be Shared. 
10. To modify the sharing dates, click the checkbox next to the desired business unit and repeat steps 8-9. 

How to Share a Suppression List (Enterprise 2.0)

Enterprise 2.0 allows you to share suppression lists from parent business units to child business units. Therefore, the master publication list that controls opted-out subscribers can be used to compare to subscriber lists, which ensures that only the subscribers who opted-in for the publication receives the publication.

Note: A shared suppression list has a direct impact on the subscription center of the business units with which the suppression list has been shared. When a subscriber visits the subscription center through an email sent from a business unit, the subscriber sees a list of publications which includes both the suppression lists created by the business unit and the suppression lists shared with the business unit.

Using Shared Data Extensions

Any data extensions being shared must exist in the main Shared Data Extensions folder or a sub-folder. You can change permissions on data extensions as you can with other shared items. The owner of the data extension must move the data extension from the Data Extensions folder to the Shared Data Extensions folder in order to share it.

Note: AMPscript and Query users must use the ENT prefix indicating the data extension exists at the parent level. Click a link for more info:  Query | AMPscript