How to send confidential documents by email

An accountant asks for last year’s payslips. A lawyer needs a signed statement and a copy of your ID. A new employer wants bank details on a form. Email is how these requests arrive, so email is how most people answer them, usually by attaching the files and pressing send. Once that message leaves, the documents sit in at least two inboxes, plus any device either person has synced their mail to.

This guide covers the usual ways people protect confidential documents sent by email, where those methods fall short, and how to send a Fabric link in the email instead, with a password, downloads switched off and a separate link for each recipient.

How people usually send confidential files by email

The plain attachment is the most common method. It works with every mail client and needs no explanation, which is why people reach for it even with sensitive files. The cost is permanence: a forwarded message carries the attachment with it, and recalling an email rarely removes a copy that’s already been delivered.

A step up is a password-protected PDF or zip file. The document is encrypted, which helps. In practice, the password often goes out in a follow-up email in the same thread a minute later, so anyone with access to that inbox has both halves.

Some people use the protection built into their mail service, such as Gmail’s confidential mode or Outlook’s encryption options. These can add expiry dates or restrict forwarding, and they’re easiest when both sides use the same provider. Recipients on other services may get a link and passcode to open instead, which can confuse someone who was expecting an attachment.

Step 1: Put the documents in one place in Fabric

Create a folder for the request (for example, Mortgage application or Tax 2026 for accountant) and drag the documents into it, or click Upload a file. If you work from the file system, the Fabric desktop app mounts Fabric as a drive, so you can move files across from Finder or File Explorer. For a single document, you can work with the file itself and skip the folder.

A folder has one advantage for this job: anything you add later is covered by the same password and appears on the same published page. How to store important documents securely online covers how to keep these documents once the email is sent.

Step 2: Add password protection

Right-click the folder or file, 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.

Three details matter here. There’s no password reset, so save the password in a password manager before you close the dialog. Anyone opening the item has to enter the password, and their access lasts 6 hours before they’re asked again. And a password on a folder also protects files you add to it afterward, so a late document from the same request needs no extra setup.

Step 3: Create a publish link for each recipient

Click Share to open the share modal, open the Publish tab and click Create link. Name the link after the person it’s for, such as Priya, accountant. Turn on collect engagement analytics. Turn off allow indexing by search engines and allow visitors to copy it to their Fabric. Leave allow downloads off if the recipient only needs to read the documents, or turn it on if they have to file them in their own system. Publishing is available on every plan.

If two people at the same firm need the documents, create a second link with its own name and settings. Fabric supports as many publish links per item as you need, and each one keeps its own record of visits.

Step 4: Write the email and send the password another way

Paste the link into the email in place of an attachment, with a line saying what’s behind it and that a password will follow separately. Then send the password by a different channel: a text message, a phone call, or a messaging app the recipient already uses with you. With the two parts sent by separate routes, someone who gets into one inbox still can’t open the files.

If the recipient spots a mistake, fix the source document in Fabric. Editing the source updates the published version, so the same link shows the corrected file and there’s no second email with a second attachment.

Step 5: Check that it arrived

With analytics on (Pro and Team), each link has its own chart of traffic over time, with visit dates and the location and device of each visitor. Link analytics don’t name the person behind a visit, which is why the link is named after the recipient. A visit on the accountant’s link the morning after you sent it is a reasonable sign the documents have been opened.

When the job is finished, the documents stay in Fabric where you can search them later. If you plan to ask AI about them, how to use AI on confidential documents safely covers the questions to think through first.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to send confidential documents as email attachments?

An attachment sends a full copy that can be forwarded and saved without your knowledge. A password-protected link keeps the file with you and lets you control whether it can be downloaded.

How do I send the password for a protected document?

Use a different channel from the one that carried the link, such as a text message or a phone call. Sending both in the same email thread puts them in the same place.

Does the recipient need a Fabric account to open the link?

No. Published links open in a browser, and external people can use shared links without signing up.

Can I stop the recipient downloading the documents?

Yes. Leave allow downloads off when you create the publish link, and the recipient can view the documents without saving a copy from the page.

How do I know if the recipient opened the documents?

Turn on collect engagement analytics and give the recipient their own named link. Link analytics, on Pro and Team, show visit dates, location and device for that link.

How long does access last after someone enters the password?

Six hours. After that, they need to enter the password again.

Can I add another document after I’ve sent the link?

Yes. Add it to the published folder. The folder’s password covers files added later, and the published page reflects changes to the source.

What if someone emails confidential documents to me?

Forward them to your Fabric email address. It only accepts mail from your verified account address, and you can approve extra sender addresses for a team.

Do I need a paid plan to send documents this way?

Publishing a link, with or without downloads, works on every plan. Password protection and link analytics are on Pro and Team; see pricing for what each plan includes.