DMS Links Explained

Below is a short introduction to testing on different DMS link types. Use this page to take a look at how to get and how DMS links work. Before going to the DMS links URL, here are some tips for URL anatomy. For more details, please see the DMS documentation.

DMS URL links

DMS URL links can be shared or copied. There are 2 typical kinds of links: Classic links and URL links.

Classic links use the document location and document name in the directory (default setup in OnePCP DMS). Once the document is moved or renamed, the link will not be available anymore.

URL links include GUID (globally unique identifier), this kind of link is independent of the document location and document name.

Four steps to get the GUID URL link from OnePCP DMS:

select the document then ‘copy link’ by using the toolbar button
then paste the link into a new browser
and after pushing ‘enter’, the link will change to show the document GUID
remove suffix that includes document name and some filter choice

If you tried to share files and folders by using the link in Step 1, you might have noticed very long URLs being generated by SharePoint. An example of such a URL is:

http://abb.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/sites/OnePCP-DMS/TemplateWorkingLibrary/Word/PCP%20R%26D%20QMS/Hardware%20Development/3BSE042061_en_TPF%20Environmental%20Type%20Test%20Description.docx?d=w229c3bb5a20e4ee88a9f95082f918498&csf=1&web=1&e=1Cyg25

Characters right after the main part of the URL: http://abb.sharepoint.com change depending on what you are sharing. probably does not mean much to you, but thought would share, it in case you are curious.

:f means Folder sharing
:w means Word document sharing
:x means Excel document sharing
:p means PowerPoint document sharing
:b means PDF document sharing
/:r - indicates a read-only link
/:e - edit link

The “_layouts” is a mapped folder. Mapped folders are the folders in the SharePoint project that correspond to the physical location of the files in the SharePoint Server installation.

Take 3BSE042061 as an example.

URL link: http://abb.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/sites/OnePCP-DMS/TemplateWorkingLibrary/Word/PCP%20R%26D%20QMS/Hardware%20Development/3BSE042061_en_TPF%20Environmental%20Type%20Test%20Description.docx*d=w229c3bb5a20e4ee88a9f95082f918498&csf=1&web=1&e=1Cyg25

(generated by the DMS toolbar "copy link", people with existing access can use the link).

The part until '?' is the same as with the classic link, besides /:w:/r shows it's an Excel sharing with read access. Just copy this part, and it works well as the classic link. The suffix ?d=w229c3bb5a20e4ee88a9f95082f918498&csf=1&web=1&e=1Cyg25 shows filters. The format for the filter is generally to use a question mark (?) first, and an ampersand (&) for every additional key/value pair.

Learned from other forums, that those extensions (? and all the characters after that) are an old version of Microsft carryover that got removed recently. Those extensions will bring up the specific version instead of the LATEST version of the document. Lesson: Remove the parameter (need to test this).

Generated by "Share"->"Copy link". You could manage access right by choosing "can edit" "can view" or "can preview". The access right depends on people's right to the folder. This method will get one short link as below https://abb.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/OnePCP-DMS/**EbU7nCIOouhOip-VCC-RhJgB-JBC-VIDpsXJYfY2KNEQQg*3. It is generated by opening the document and copying the URL from your browser. (strange! couldn't preview document online. The Document is downloaded by default)

Generated by filter - using ID to show selected document itself, then using toolbar "Copy link", pasting link in one new browser webpage. The link itself will be changed as below: https//abb.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/sites/OnePCP-DMS/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7B229C3BB5-A20E-4EE8-8A9F-95082F918498%7D?& file=3BSE042061_en_TPF%20Environmental%20Type%20Test%20Description.docx&action=default&mobileredirect=true.

The link, sourcedoc=%7B229C3BB5-A20E-4EE8-8A9F-95082F918498%7D shows the document GUID. Suggest removing the string after &file. That is, the resulting link becomes http://abb.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/sites/OnePCP-DMS/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7B229C3BB5-A20E-4EE8-8A9F-95082F918498%7D. This link will lead you to latest version no matter if the file is moved to another folder or changed to another name.

sourcedoc=%7B229C3BB5-A20E-4EE8-8A9F-95082F918498%7D equals sourcecode={229C3BB5-A20E-4EE8-8A9F-95082F918498}.

Limitations:

This method will work only with Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Other types of documents won't open with this link.
It will open the document in the browser.
Users must already have access to these documents.

In the classic link: https://abb.sharepoint.com/sites/OnePCP-_DMS/TemplateWorkingLibrary/Word/PCP%20R&D%20QMS/Hardware%20Development/3BSE042061_en_TPF%20Environmental%20Type%20Test%20Description.docx, the part http://abb.sharepoint.com/sites/OnePCP-DMS/TemplateWorkingLibrary/Word/PCP%20R&D%20QMS/Hardware%20Development/ shows the document's location.

The suffix 3BSE042061_en_TPF%20Environmental%20Type%20Test%20Description.docx shows the selected document's name. %20 replaces any space in the URL string to make sure the link works consistently when you share the URL via Email, text or Teams by copying and pasting it.

DMS URL links​

DMS URL links