How to password protect a folder

Protecting files one at a time stops working once there are more than a handful. A folder of tax returns going back seven years, a client’s project files, an HR folder of personnel records, the scans in a family emergency binder. What people want is one password on the folder, covering everything inside it, including files that haven’t been created yet.

This guide covers the usual ways people try to lock a folder on a computer or in the cloud, and how to set a single password on a folder in Fabric and share it with the people who need it.

How people usually password protect a folder

On a Mac, the common method is an encrypted disk image made in Disk Utility. It creates a password-protected volume that behaves like a folder once it’s opened. It works well for one person on one machine. Sharing it means sending a large image file and the password, and anything added afterwards only reaches the other person if you send the image again.

Windows users often discover that a folder’s properties offer encryption tied to their own user account, or that BitLocker encrypts a whole drive. Both protect files from someone else using the computer. Neither is designed for giving a password to a colleague or client, so people fall back on a password-protected zip archive made with a tool like 7-Zip. That’s a snapshot, and it has to be rebuilt each time the folder changes.

Cloud drives solve the sharing part. Google Drive and Dropbox let you share a folder with named people, and some plans add password-protected links. Access is usually account-based, which is reliable inside a team and less so with outside clients. How to set up a client portal covers the wider question of giving clients a place to collect their files.

Step 1: Create the folder and fill it

Create a folder in Fabric and add files by dragging them in or clicking Upload a file, which handles large numbers of files at once. To move an existing folder from your computer, the desktop app mounts Fabric as a drive in Finder or File Explorer, so you can drag the whole folder across. Files on the drive take no space on your computer and stream when opened.

Everything in the folder gets processed on arrival: Fabric reads the text inside documents and images, writes a summary of each item, and suggests tags. A large folder stays searchable without any extra sorting, which matters when the folder is locked and you want to find one file quickly once you’re in.

Step 2: Add the password to the folder

Right-click the folder, or open it and click the three-dot menu, and choose Add password protection. Enter a password. Password protection is on the Pro and Team plans.

The password applies to the whole folder. Files you add later are covered automatically, so a scan saved next month or a new deliverable dropped in by a colleague sits behind the same password from the start.

Fabric has no password reset, so store the password in a password manager. Anyone with access to the folder has to enter it, and access lasts 6 hours. Individual files inside can also have passwords of their own if one document needs a narrower audience than the rest of the folder.

Step 3: Share the folder with the right people

Click Share and invite people with a role: viewer, commenter, editor or admin. Roles can be set at space and file level, as explained under roles and permissions. External people can use shared links without signing up for Fabric.

Roles and the password work together. Take a household tax folder: your partner might be an editor who adds documents, and your accountant a viewer who only reads them. Both enter the same folder password, and their role then decides what they can do once they’re in. If someone needs to leave feedback on particular documents, the commenter role lets them highlight text and comment.

When the folder belongs to one client, put it in a space just for that client and share the space; they see only that space. How to limit team members to specific client folders covers the same idea for your own staff.

Step 4: Publish the folder as a protected page

If the folder is for delivery rather than collaboration, publish it. Click Share, open the Publish tab, and click Create link. A folder publishes as a web page, and editing the folder in Fabric updates the published version. How to turn a folder into a website explains how that page works.

Set up the link as you create it: a name, whether to collect engagement analytics, whether to allow indexing by search engines, whether visitors can copy it to their Fabric, and whether to allow downloads. The publish page describes each option. With analytics on, link analytics show visits with dates, location and device for each link.

Step 5: Change or remove the password

People and projects change. To change the folder’s password, enter the old one and choose a new one, then give it only to the people who still need access. To remove protection altogether, for example once a project is archived, enter the password to confirm. The folder and its links stay where they are throughout.

Frequently asked questions

How do I put a password on a folder?

In Fabric, right-click the folder or use the three-dot menu, choose Add password protection, and enter a password. It needs a Pro or Team plan.

Can I password protect a folder in Windows without extra software?

Windows’ built-in options, folder encryption tied to your user account and BitLocker for whole drives, are designed to protect files on your own computer. For a folder you want to share behind a password, Fabric lets you set one from the web or desktop app.

Are files I add later protected too?

Yes. A password on a folder also covers files added to it later.

Can a file inside a protected folder have its own password?

Yes. Each file or folder can have its own password.

Can I share a password-protected folder with someone outside my team?

Yes. External people can open shared and published links without signing up. They enter the password to see the contents.

How long does access last?

Six hours after the password is entered. Then it’s needed again.

What if I forget the folder password?

There’s no reset. Keep it in a password manager, ideally a shared one if your team needs it.

Which plan includes folder password protection?

Pro and Team. Team plans aren’t priced per seat. See team pricing.