Sharing a Report Publicly¶

A stakeholder who wants to see your results usually doesn't have - and shouldn't need - a full Opionate account. Sharing a report publicly gives you a link that shows a live, read-only view of that specific report, with as much or as little access control as the situation calls for.

Turning On Sharing¶

From an open report, use the Share action and switch it from private to public. A unique link is generated for that report - anyone with the link can open it without signing in, unless you add further restrictions.

Restricting Access¶

Public doesn't have to mean unrestricted. Two independent options are available:

• Require a password. Set a password and it's asked for before the report loads. Share the password separately from the link itself (a different message or channel) if you want a meaningful extra step, not just a formality.
• Require login. The viewer needs to be signed in to open the link at all. Use this when the audience is internal or already has accounts, and a password isn't the right kind of gate.

These can be combined or used independently, depending on how tightly you want to control who actually sees the data.

What a Viewer Sees¶

A shared link shows the report exactly as you've built it - the same widgets, layout, and live data an internal viewer would see, kept current as new responses arrive. There's no separate "public version" to maintain; turning sharing on exposes the same report you're already working in, read-only.

Turning Sharing Off¶

Switching a report back to private immediately deactivates the link - anyone who still has the URL saved will no longer be able to open it. If you need to share again later, turning sharing back on generates you a fresh, distinct link rather than reactivating the old one.

FAQ¶

Can a public viewer edit anything in the report?
No - a shared link is always read-only, regardless of password or login settings.

Does the public link update as new responses come in?
Yes - it reflects the same live data as the report itself, not a snapshot taken when you first shared it. If you need a frozen snapshot instead, export to PowerPoint (see Exporting Your Report to PowerPoint).

If I edit the report after sharing it, does the shared link show the changes?
Yes - anyone with the link sees your current report, including any edits you make after first sharing it.

Can I tell who's viewed a shared report?
Viewing analytics for a shared link aren't currently part of Reporting - it's a straightforward access-controlled link, not a tracked-viewing tool.

Is a public report link guessable?
Links use a unique identifier generated specifically for that report, not a predictable pattern based on the report's name or your account. Add a password on top for anything you consider genuinely sensitive.

Next: if you'd rather hand over a file than a link, see Exporting Your Report to PowerPoint.