Working with File Links

This guide shows how to create, recognize, list, and remove File Links — the symbolic references that make a single file appear in multiple places without duplicating it. If you haven't read the concept yet, start with File Links: symbolic references.

Who can: creating and removing File Links is an owner, admin, or member action. Viewers can open them, but not create them.

Step 1: Create a File Link (interface)

In the Content tab, the flow is "mark the source, then create the link at the destination":

Locate the source file (the original) and mark it for linking in the item menu
Navigate to the destination folder — where the shortcut should appear
Choose Create file link here
(Optional) give the link a name of its own — useful when the same file plays different roles in each folder
Confirm

Done: the File Link appears in the destination folder pointing to the original file. Repeat to place the same file in as many folders as you need.

Step 2: Recognize and use File Links

In the content list, a File Link:

displays an icon that indicates the origin (the type of the source file) and the path of the original file, so you know where it comes from
when opened or downloaded, delivers the content of the source file — always the current version of the original

That way you can tell at a glance what is a file and what is a reference.

Step 3: Bulk creation and listing (via AI / MCP)

For larger jobs, an AI assistant connected via the Sutram MCP Server covers operations that the interface handles item by item:

Create in bulk — reference all the files in a source folder into a destination folder at once
List by source — see all the File Links that point to a single file (where that file is being used)
List by folder — see the File Links in a folder along with the source-file data for each one

Examples of what to ask:

"Create file links for all the reports in this folder in patient X's folder."
"Where is this file referenced? List the file links that point to it."

The reference for these tools is in the Sutram MCP Server Guide.

Step 4: Remove File Links

Deleting a File Link removes only the shortcut — the original file and the other links remain intact.
Deleting the source file removes, in cascade, all the File Links that pointed to it. Before deleting a heavily referenced file, remember that the shortcuts disappear along with it.

Tips

Choose the "original" well — keep the file where it is actually managed; the other places receive links.
Name by destination — the link's own name aids readability when the same file appears in different contexts.
Always point to the file — never create a link to another link.
Review before deleting the source — if many links depend on it, weigh the impact of the cascade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I know whether an item is a file or a File Link?

A: The File Link appears in the list with an origin indicator and the path of the source file. Ordinary files don't show that reference.

Q: Do I need AI to use File Links?

A: No. You create and remove File Links through the interface. The AI assistant (via MCP) is useful for bulk operations and for listing where a file is referenced.

Q: Does renaming or moving the original file break the links?

A: No. Internally the File Link holds a reference to the source file itself, not to its path or its name. Renaming the original, renaming the link, or moving either of them to a different folder does not affect the connection. The link only ceases to exist if the source file itself is deleted — at which point the deletion cascades.

Next Steps

File Links: symbolic references — the concept behind what you just did
Records and Metadata — to structure the collection you're going to reference
Sutram MCP Server Guide — the reference for the File Links tools for use with AI

Document Version: 1.0 Last Updated: July 2026 Author: Sutram Development Team