Using awork Connect as an External User

🪢 Want to invite your external users and collaborate with them? Then check out the awork Connect article here.

Getting Started & Invitations

How does awork Connect work?

With awork Connect, a person gets access to a project from another workspace. The invited person is added as an external user and will then see the shared project in their workspace. The requirement is that a workspace exists. If not, one can be created for free. The invitation also provides the person with information about using awork Connect and the next steps.

Accepting an invitation

External people receive an invitation link via email. If they already have an awork account and workspace, the shared project will appear there directly. If they have multiple workspaces, they'll need to choose which one the project should be displayed in - this decision cannot be reversed later. If a change becomes necessary, the admin can remove the external person and invite them again. However, this is only recommended if the person hasn't been heavily used yet (for example, assigned to tasks) - otherwise that data will be lost.

Usage & Plans

Basic Connect Plan

External people without an active awork subscription automatically receive the Basic Connect Plan. This is free and includes almost all functions of the Basic tier - the Data Importer is currently excluded. You can have as many external projects as you want, but can only create one of your own. If you need more projects, you can start a 14-day trial of the Professional Plan. After the trial ends, you can either switch back to the Basic Connect Plan or purchase a paid subscription.

Trial version or previous subscription

If an external project is shared and the invited person has already used the 14-day trial or had a subscription before, the project cannot be used directly in the old workspace. In this case, there are two options: either the person creates a new workspace on the free Basic Connect Plan, or they purchase a paid subscription in the old workspace.

Working in awork as an External User

Searching in awork as an external Connect user

Standard search criteria apply to content in your own workspace that doesn't belong to external projects. External users can also find content from other projects that they have access to through the search function. Learn more about this in this article.

Collaboration

When it comes to collaboration, you have various options available: You can mention project members in comments, create your own project, and create as many private tasks as you want. However, private tasks are only for you - adding other users is not possible. As an external user, you don't have access to project settings.

Time & Planning

There are also some special considerations when it comes to time and planning. All time you log is generally saved in the workspace that invited you. You can find this time in your "Time" menu item, but not in time reports. You don't have access to workload. However, you can schedule tasks in your own calendar - this doesn't affect the workspace where the project originally came from.

FAQ

Do I have to pay for awork as an external user?

No, there are no costs for Connect users. Collaboration with external users is free.

How do I identify external projects?

The shared project is marked with the logo of the original workspace in the bottom right of the project display. External projects appear in the main menu under "External Projects" as well as in the project overview and in dashboard filters.

What are the differences compared to internal users?

Internal users with licenses can do much more:

• Use task filters
• Plan capacity (workload & calendar)
• Take on project leadership
• Create multiple projects
• Filter in time reports
• Use automations
• Be added to teams

External users cannot do these things.

Can I access the planner as an external user?

Yes, you can access the planner, but you'll only see yourself and your own or external projects. You cannot schedule tasks or check your workload.

You can manage tasks through the calendar instead.