How to password protect a video

Video tends to be the file you most want to control and the hardest one to send. An unreleased product demo, a rough cut for a client, footage from a family event that a relative asked for, a recorded training session with internal figures on screen. The files are too big for email, and once a video is downloaded it can be passed around without you knowing.

Below is a look at how people usually put a video behind a password, what each method asks of you and the viewer, and how to protect a video in Fabric so it plays from a link only after the right password is entered.

How people usually password protect a video

Video hosting platforms are the familiar choice. Vimeo, for example, lets you set a video’s privacy to require a password, and viewers watch in the browser. It works well for finished pieces. The video then lives on a platform built for publishing, separate from the project files, drafts and notes it belongs with, and any change means uploading a new version.

YouTube’s unlisted setting is often used as a stand-in for a password. It keeps the video out of search and off your channel, and anyone who has the link can watch it, which is fine for low-stakes clips and less comfortable for anything confidential.

File transfer services and cloud drives are the third route. Some transfer services offer password-protected links on paid plans, and Google Drive or Dropbox can restrict a link to specific people. Transfers expire and need re-sending, while restricted drive links ask the viewer to sign in, which can stall a client who uses a different provider. Zipping the video into an encrypted archive also works, though the recipient has to download the full file and unzip it before they can press play.

Step 1: Get the video into Fabric

Drag the video into Fabric, or click Upload a file. For large files, many people find it easier to install the Fabric desktop app, which mounts Fabric as a drive in Finder or File Explorer. Videos on the drive take no space on your computer and stream when you open them, so a folder of footage doesn’t fill your laptop. How to access cloud files without using disk space explains how that works.

Video shot on a phone can go straight in from there. In the Fabric app on iOS or Android, use the share sheet from your camera roll or any other app and choose Fabric, and the clip lands in the same library as everything on your computer.

If you’d like the video to be searchable by what’s said in it, Fabric can transcribe MP4, MOV and WebM files. Transcription needs a paid plan, and search results jump to the timestamp where the words were spoken.

Step 2: Put a password on the video or its folder

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

For a project with several cuts, protecting the folder is often tidier than protecting each file. A password on a folder also covers files added to it later, so a new edit dropped into the folder next week is protected from the moment it lands.

Save the password in a password manager straight away. There’s no reset if it’s lost. Once set, anyone with access to the video has to enter the password, and that access lasts 6 hours before they’re asked again. The password protection page has a short overview.

Step 3: Share it for feedback, or publish it for viewing

Click Share to open the share modal. Which tab you use depends on what the viewer needs to do.

For review, share the video and give the person commenter permission. They enter the password, watch, and leave timestamped comments, and a comment on a video can include a drawing on the frame to point at a specific shot. You can mark each comment completed as you deal with it, so a round of notes works like a checklist. Annotations covers what commenters can do, and how to mark client feedback as done walks through a review round.

For delivery or a screening, open the Publish tab and click Create link. Name the link and choose whether to collect engagement analytics, allow indexing by search engines, let visitors copy it to their Fabric, and allow downloads. If you want viewers to watch without keeping a copy, leave downloads off. Published links are view only, with no comments. The publishing page has more on these options.

Step 4: Track views and update the password

When analytics are on, link analytics show a chart of visits over time for each published link, with dates, location and device. To see whether a particular person has watched, create a separate named link for them; analytics don’t identify visitors by name.

Send the password in a different message from the link. If it ends up somewhere it shouldn’t, change it: enter the old password, choose a new one, and tell the people who still need access. Removing protection asks you to enter the password to confirm.

Frequently asked questions

How do I send a video with a password?

Upload the video to Fabric, choose Add password protection from the right-click or three-dot menu, then share or publish it from the Share button. Send the password separately from the link.

Can I password protect a video without uploading it to YouTube or Vimeo?

Yes. In Fabric you protect the video file itself and send a shared or published link. Password protection needs a Pro or Team plan.

Which video formats can I protect?

Password protection applies to any file or folder in Fabric. For transcription, Fabric supports MP4, MOV and WebM video.

Can viewers download a password-protected video?

On a published link, only if you turn on Allow downloads when you set the link up. Leave it off and they can watch without a download option.

Can a client leave comments at specific moments in the video?

Yes, if you share it with them as a commenter. They can leave timestamped comments, draw on the frame, and you can mark each comment completed. Published links don’t support comments.

Does the viewer need a Fabric account?

No. External people can use shared links without signing up. They only need the password.

How often do viewers have to re-enter the password?

Access lasts 6 hours after the password is entered. After that they enter it again.

Is video password protection included in the free plan?

No. Password protection is on the Pro and Team plans. See individual pricing to compare plans.