ELMA365 offers a convenient, user-friendly interface to work with files. You can organize them into folders, rename them, move them to the recycle bin, create shortcuts, or mark them as favorites. For each file, you can configure individual access permissions, add new versions, and compare versions with each other.
Open the actions list
You can open the list of actions you can perform with files in two ways:
- In the list of files. Click the
icon to the right of a file’s name.
- On the file preview page. Click on the file name to open the file page. In the upper right corner of the page, click on the
icon.
Available actions
Actions that you can perform with a file include:
- Manage Access. Determine who will be able to view, edit, or delete the file. Read more about access permissions in Access permissions to files and folders.
- Move. Change the file’s location by selecting a new folder for it.
- Rename. Edit the file’s name.
- Add Link. Shortcuts help you organize information and quickly find the files you need. Select this menu item and specify where you want to add a link to this file.
- Compare with File. You can upload a file from your PC to compare the current version of the document with it. The option is only available for files in the .docx format.
- Compare with Version. If you several versions have been added for the file, you can compare them with each other. The option is only available for files in the .docx format.
- Add to Favorite. To quickly access important files, add them to the Favorite folder.
- Subscribe. Subscribers receive notifications when new messages appear in the file’s activity stream. Note that if a message contains a @mention, the mentioned user will receive a notification even if they are not subscribed to the file.
- Add Version. Upload a new file version to the system.
- Create Copy. You can copy a file and select a folder where you want to place the copy. The copy will inherit the access permissions of the original file.
- Delete. Unused files can be moved to the recycle bin. In the recycle bin, a user can remove only those files that they moved there themselves. Only the administrator can empty the entire recycle bin. Before permanent deletion, files in the recycle bin can be restored. Read more about this in the Recycle bin and deleted files article.
File versions and version comparison
ELMA365 supports file versioning. You can add new versions, compare them with each other, or restore previous versions if you make unwanted changes. The last version added to the system is automatically marked as current.
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Note that version comparing is only available for files in the .docx formats.
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To add a new version, click the 
icon on the top panel of the file preview page and upload the file. To view information about all the file versions, open the side panel by clicking the 
icon.
To download a file version to your computer, click on its name in the list.
If necessary, you can go back to the previous version and restore it. To do this, click on the All Versions link. In the pop-up, select a file version and click the Make Current button.
Compare file versions
For .docx files, the version comparison feature will be available.
- Comparing the current version with a previous one or with an uploaded file.
On the sidebar or the file preview page, click the Compare link. Select With File or With Version.
Upload a file of the same format from your computer or select one of the file versions and click Compare.
- Comparing any version of the file with any other version.
On the sidebar on the preview page, click the All Versions link. Click the 
button opposite a version’s name and select the number of the version you want to compare this version with.
You will see the result of the comparing in a separate window. The changes will be highlighted. To see more information, click a highlighted fragment.
If you have a Microsoft Office 365 subscription or an integration with OnlyOffice, you will be able to edit the document directly in this window. Then you can create a new version by clicking Add Version.
The file you edited will become the current version. It will be added as a new version in the version list.
Send a file for information/approval
You can send a file to other users for information or for approval. For example, all employees may need to view internal regulations, and a manager may need to approve a specification or a presentation.
You can send a file to several employees at once. Each of them will be assigned the task to view or approve the document. On the file’s page, a list of informed users or an approval sheet will be automatically created. It will include information about all users who viewed the document or the decisions of all approvers.
Note that it is a certain version of the file that is sent for information or approval. If a user adds a new version before the task is completed, the process will be interrupted. All participants get a notification about it, and the status of the list of informed users or approval sheet changes to Canceled.
When all users participating in the process complete the task, a new version of the file can be added and sent for information or approval.
Send a file for information
To send a file to be viewed by other employees, click Send on the top panel of the file preview page and fill out the fields in the pop-up window.
- Recipients. You can select one or several recipients. Click the magnifying glass icon and select users from the list or start typing a user’s name in the search bar.
- Assign a task and create a list of informed users. If you check this box, the selected users will be assigned the task to view the document that will appear in their My tasks section. On the panel on the right side of the file’s preview page, you will see the Informed users section. By default, this option is enabled. If you uncheck the box, the users you selected will receive a notification with a link to the file in their activity stream. The list of informed users won’t be generated.
- View before. You can set a deadline for the task. To do that, specify the date and the time in this field. If you set a deadline, an event will be scheduled in the recipients’ calendars.
- Comment. Enter additional information about the file or the task.
When you fill out the form, click Send.
On the right of the file, in the Informed users section, you will see all users who were assigned the task to view the file. The question mark icon next to a user’s name means that the employee hasn’t competed the task yet.
You can download the list of informed users in the .xlsx format by clicking 
next to the list’s status.
Send a file for approval
Click 
next to the Send button and select Send for Approval.
Specify the deadline for reviewing the document and select the approvers. You can send a file to one or several users. If there is only one approver, simply select the employee’s name in the list and click Send.
When selecting multiple approvers, you need to define the logic of the approval process.
- Select the approval type:
- Parallel. The file is simultaneously sent to all users specified in the Approvers* field. Select this option if the order the document is approved in is irrelevant.
- Sequential. The file is sent to the first approver; once they make a decision, the file is sent to the next approver. The process does not move on until the first approver either approves or rejects the file.
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Approvers receive the file in the same order as you select them in the Approvers* field.
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- Decide what happens after the first rejection:
- Interrupt. If the submitted file is rejected, the process is interrupted. The decision displayed on the file’s or item’s page will be Rejected.
- Continue. Even if one of the approvers rejects the file, the process is not interrupted, and the file is sent to the next approver. The file’s page still features the Rejected decision.
- After setting up the logic, click Send.
All employees listed as approvers will be assigned the task to review the file. If the user profile settings option Approve by email is enabled, the employee will also receive a notification about the new task to their email linked with their ELMA365 account. In the email, they can review the file and issue a decision without going to the ELMA365 interface.
As soon as the approval task is assigned, a new section named Approval sheets will appear on the sidebar of the file preview page. Here you can see a list of employees who are reviewing the item and their decisions. Until an approver makes a decision to approve or reject a file, the question mark icon will be displayed next to their name.
When the approval process ends, you will see the final decision on the file’s page.
If necessary, you can download the approval sheet as a file. To do this, click the icon to the right of the approval status.
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