Connecting ShareFile

Last updated: February 10, 2026

Metal integrates with Citrix ShareFile to let you browse, import, and sync files from your ShareFile account. Once connected, you can bring individual files into Metal as a one-time import, or sync entire folders for continuous, automatic tracking of changes.

Setting Up the Connection

Prerequisites

  • Your organization must have the ShareFile integration enabled by a Metal administrator.

  • You need an active ShareFile account with access to the folders you want to import.

Connecting Your Account

  1. Navigate to the Connections page from the sidebar.

  2. Find the ShareFile card and click Connect.

  3. You will be redirected to Citrix ShareFile to sign in and authorize Metal.

  4. After authorization, you are redirected back to Metal. A success message confirms the connection.

Connection Status

Once connected, the ShareFile card on the Connections page shows a Connected badge (green) with your connection details.

Browsing ShareFile Files

After connecting, you can browse your ShareFile folder structure from within Metal. The file browser shows:

  • Your shared folders at the top level

  • A file and folder table with sync status indicators for each item

  • Click on folders to navigate deeper into the hierarchy

Import vs. Sync

There are two ways to bring ShareFile content into Metal, and understanding the difference is important:

  • Importing a file downloads a single file into Metal. Metal will still detect if the file is deleted or moved in ShareFile, but new files added to the same folder will not appear in Metal automatically.

  • Syncing a folder imports all of its files and subfolders and enables full continuous tracking. After a folder is synced, Metal automatically detects when files are uploaded, deleted, moved, or renamed in ShareFile and reflects those changes in near real-time.

When to Import vs. Sync

  • Import individual files when you need a specific document in Metal but do not need ongoing updates for the rest of the folder.

  • Sync a folder when you want Metal to stay up to date with everything in that folder -- new files, deletions, and moves will all be reflected automatically.

Importing Individual Files

To import a single file, click the sync button next to the file in the ShareFile browser. Metal downloads the file and makes it available for search and analysis.

What happens behind the scenes:

  • The file is downloaded from ShareFile and stored in Metal.

  • Parent folders along the path are created in Metal as structural placeholders (shown as "Partial" in sync status). These maintain the folder hierarchy for navigation but are not actively tracked.

  • If the same file has already been imported, Metal skips the download to avoid duplicates.

What is tracked for individually imported files

Even without syncing the parent folder, Metal still detects some changes to individually imported files:

  • File deleted in ShareFile -- the file is automatically removed from Metal.

  • File moved in ShareFile -- the file's location is updated in Metal if the destination folder exists, or the file is removed from Metal if it is moved to an area not tracked by Metal.

However, the following changes are not tracked for individually imported files:

  • New files added to the same folder -- since the parent folder is Partial, new sibling files are not automatically imported.

To get full tracking of all changes including new files -- sync the parent folder instead.

Syncing a Folder

To sync an entire folder, click the sync button next to the folder in the ShareFile browser. Confirm the import when prompted.

What happens behind the scenes:

  • Metal imports all files and subfolders within the folder recursively.

  • The folder is marked as Synced, enabling continuous tracking of changes via webhooks.

  • Imported files appear in the ShareFile folder in Metal, preserving the original folder hierarchy.

After syncing, Metal monitors the folder in near real-time via webhooks. You do not need to manually re-import -- changes are detected and applied automatically.

What Changes Are Tracked After Syncing

Once a folder is synced, the following changes in ShareFile are automatically reflected in Metal:

  • New files uploaded to the synced folder (or any subfolder within it) are automatically imported.

  • Deleted files are removed from Metal.

  • Moved files are updated to reflect their new location. If a file is moved out of any synced folder into an unsynced location, it is removed from Metal.

  • Renamed files have their display name updated.

  • New subfolders created inside a synced folder are automatically imported along with their contents.

  • Deleted subfolders are removed along with all of their contents.

These updates happen in near real-time as changes occur in ShareFile.

Sync States Explained

Each file and folder in the ShareFile browser shows one of the following sync states:

Not Synced

The file or folder has not been brought into Metal. It exists only in ShareFile.

  • Shown as a gray cloud icon in the file browser.

  • No data is stored in Metal for this item.

Partial

The folder exists in Metal as a structural placeholder, but its contents are not being tracked.

  • Created automatically when you import an individual file -- the parent folders along the path become Partial to maintain the folder hierarchy.

  • New files added to a Partial folder in ShareFile are not imported into Metal.

  • New subfolders created in a Partial folder in ShareFile are not imported into Metal.

  • You can upgrade a Partial folder to Synced at any time by clicking its sync button.

Synced

The folder is fully imported and actively tracked. All changes are detected and reflected automatically.

  • Shown as a green checkmark in the file browser.

  • New files, deletions, moves, and renames are all tracked.

  • Once a folder is Synced, it stays Synced -- it does not revert to Partial.

Restrictions

  • All standard file type and file size limits apply to ShareFile imports.

  • Files that fail validation (unsupported type, exceeds size limit) are marked with an error status.

  • Files in folders with a Partial sync state are not automatically imported when added in ShareFile.

Disconnecting

If you need to disconnect your ShareFile account, visit the Connections page and manage your connection from the ShareFile card. Already-synced files remain in Metal after disconnecting.