ContentDocumentLink

Represents the link between a Salesforce CRM Content document, Salesforce file, or ContentNote and where it's shared. A file can be shared with other users, groups, records, and Salesforce CRM Content libraries. This object is available in versions 21.0 and later for Salesforce CRM Content documents and Salesforce Files.

Supported Calls

create(), delete(), describeSObjects(), query(), retrieve(), update(), upsert()

Special Access Rules

In API versions 59.0 and later, turn on the Query All Files permission to query without a filter on id, LinkedEntityId, and documentID fields. The View All Data permission is required to turn on Query All Files.
In API versions 33.0 and later, you can create and delete ContentDocumentLink objects with a LinkedEntityId of any record type that can be tracked in the feed, even if feed tracking is disabled for that record type.
In API versions 25.0 and later, you can create ContentDocumentLink objects with a LinkEntityId of type User, CollaborationGroup, or Organization.
In API versions 21.0 and later, users with explicit Viewer access (the file has been directly shared with the user) to a file can delete ContentDocumentLink objects between the file and other users who have Viewer access. In the same API versions, any user with Viewer access to a file can delete ContentDocumentLink objects between the file and organizations or groups of which they’re a member.
For orgs with Digital Experiences enabled, a document can be shared with only users and groups that are a part of the Experience Cloud site the file was created in.

Fields

Field	Details
ContentDocumentId	Type reference Properties Create, Filter, Group, Sort Description ID of the document. This is a relationship field. Relationship Name ContentDocument Relationship Type Lookup Refers To ContentDocument
LinkedEntityId	Type reference Properties Create, Filter, Group, Sort Description ID of the linked object. Can include Chatter users, groups, records (any that support Chatter feed tracking including custom objects), and Salesforce CRM Content libraries. Using the API only, you can relate notes to custom settings. This is a polymorphic relationship field. Relationship Name LinkedEntity Relationship Type Lookup Refers To Account, Accreditation, ActivationTarget, ActivationTrgtIntOrgAccess, ApiAnomalyEventStore, AssessmentIndicatorDefinition, AssessmentTask, AssessmentTaskContentDocument, AssessmentTaskDefinition, AssessmentTaskIndDefinition, AssessmentTaskOrder, Asset, AssetRelationship, AssignedResource, Award, BoardCertification, BusinessLicense, BusinessMilestone, BusinessProfile, Campaign, CareBarrier, CareBarrierDeterminant, CareBarrierType, CareDeterminant, CareDeterminantType, CareDiagnosis, CareInterventionType, CareMetricTarget, CareObservation, CareObservationComponent, CarePgmProvHealthcareProvider, CarePreauth, CarePreauthItem, CareProgram, CareProgramCampaign, CareProgramEligibilityRule, CareProgramEnrollee, CareProgramEnrolleeProduct, CareProgramEnrollmentCard, CareProgramGoal, CareProgramProduct, CareProgramProvider, CareProgramTeamMember, CareProviderAdverseAction, CareProviderFacilitySpecialty, CareProviderSearchableField, CareRegisteredDevice, CareRequest, CareRequestDrug, CareRequestExtension, CareRequestItem, CareSpecialty, CareSpecialtyTaxonomy, CareTaxonomy, Case, CodeSet, CollaborationGroup, CommSubscription, CommSubscriptionChannelType, CommSubscriptionConsent, CommSubscriptionTiming, ConsumptionSchedule, Contact, ContactEncounter, ContactEncounterParticipant, ContentWorkspace, Contract, ConversationEntry, CoverageBenefit, CoverageBenefitItem, CredentialStuffingEventStore, CreditMemo, CreditMemoLine, Dashboard, DashboardComponent, DataStream, DelegatedAccount, DocumentChecklistItem, EmailMessage, EmailTemplate, EngagementChannelType, EnhancedLetterhead, EnrollmentEligibilityCriteria, Event, HealthcareFacility, HealthcareFacilityNetwork, HealthcarePayerNetwork, HealthcarePractitionerFacility, HealthcareProvider, HealthcareProviderNpi, HealthcareProviderSpecialty, HealthcareProviderTaxonomy, Identifier, Image, IndividualApplication, Invoice, InvoiceLine, Lead, ListEmail, Location, MarketSegment, MarketSegmentActivation, MemberPlan, MessagingSession, MktCalculatedInsight, OperatingHours, Opportunity, Order, OrderItem, Organization, OtherComponentTask, OutgoingEmail, PartyConsent, PersonEducation, PersonLanguage, PersonLifeEvent, PersonName, PlanBenefit, PlanBenefitItem, Product2, ProductFulfillmentLocation, ProductItem, ProductItemTransaction, ProductRequest, ProductRequestLineItem, ProductRequired, ProductTransfer, ProfileSkill, ProfileSkillEndorsement, ProfileSkillUser, ProviderSearchSyncLog, PurchaserPlan, PurchaserPlanAssn, ReceivedDocument, Report, ReportAnomalyEventStore, ResourceAbsence, ResourcePreference, ReturnOrder, ReturnOrderLineItem, ServiceAppointment, ServiceResource, ServiceResourceSkill, ServiceTerritory, ServiceTerritoryMember, ServiceTerritoryWorkType, SessionHijackingEventStore, Shift, Shipment, ShipmentItem, Site, SkillRequirement, SocialPost, Solution, Task, ThreatDetectionFeedback, Topic, User, Visit, VisitedParty, Visitor, VoiceCall, VolunteerProject, WorkBadgeDefinition, WorkOrder, WorkOrderLineItem, WorkType, WorkTypeGroup, WorkTypeGroupMember
ShareType	Type picklist Properties Create, Filter, Group, Nillable, Restricted picklist, Sort, Update Description Required. The permission granted to the user of the shared file in a library. This is determined by the permission the user already has in the library. This field is available in API version 25.0 and later. `V` Viewer permission. The user can explicitly view but not edit the shared file. `C` Collaborator permission. The user can explicitly view and edit the shared file. You can retrieve the ShareType for ContentDocumentLink, but you can't create a ContentDocumentLink with a ShareType of `C` from an Apex trigger. `I` Inferred permission. The user’s permission is determined by the related record. For shares with a library, this is defined by the permissions the user has in that library. Inferred permission on shares with libraries and file owners is available in API versions 21.0 and later. Inferred permission on shares with standard objects is available in API versions 36.0 and later. Inferred permission can’t be used on shares with the Organization object.
Visibility	Type picklist Properties Create, Filter, Group, Nillable, Sort, Update Description Specifies whether this file is available to all users, internal users, or shared users. This field is available in API version 26.0 and later. Valid values are: `AllUsers`—The file is available to all users who have permission to see the file. `InternalUsers`—The file is available only to internal users who have permission to see the file. `SharedUsers`—The file is available to all users who can see the feed to which the file is posted. SharedUsers is used only for files shared with users, and is available only when an org has private org-wide sharing on by default. The `SharedUsers` value is available in API version 32.0 and later. Note the following exceptions for Visibility. `AllUsers` & `InternalUsers` values apply to files posted on standard and custom object records, but not to users, groups, or content libraries. For posts to a record feed, Visibility is set to `InternalUsers` for all internal users by default. External users can set Visibility only to `AllUsers`. On user and group posts, only internal users can set Visibility to `InternalUsers`. For posts to a user feed, if the organization-wide default for user sharing is set to private, Visibility is set to `SharedUsers`. Only internal users can update Visibility. Visibility can be updated on links to files posted on standard and custom object records, but not to users, groups, or content libraries. Visibility is updatable in API version 43.0 and later. The visibility setting on ContentDocumentLink determines a file’s visibility on a record post. When a file has multiple references posted in a feed, the file’s visibility is determined by the most visible setting.

Usage

Use this object to query the locations where a file is shared or query which files are linked to a particular location. For example, the following query returns a particular document shared with a Chatter group:

You can't run a query without filters against ContentDocumentLink.
You can't filter on ContentDocument fields if you're filtering by ContentDocumentId. You can only filter on ContentDocument fields if you're filtering by LinkedEntityId.
You can't filter on the related object fields. For example, you can't filter on the properties of the account to which a file is linked. You can filter on the properties of the file, such as the title field.

A SOQL query must filter on one of Id, ContentDocumentId, or LinkedEntityId.

The ContentDocumentLink object supports triggers before and after these operations: insert, update, delete. A ContentDocumentLink trigger executes whenever there is an addition or deletion of the ContentDocumentLink. When a file is deleted, a ContentDocument delete trigger executes, but the cascaded ContentDocumentLink delete does not trigger ContentDocumentLink triggers.

Example

This trigger for the ContentDocumentLink object prevents public XLSX files from being shared.

The trigger calls this helper class.

Apex has a per organization limit of 10 concurrent requests that last longer than 5 seconds. A trigger that uploads files, like bulk ContentVersion creation, can easily hit the SOQL queries limit.

Important

Associated Objects

This object has the following associated objects. Unless noted, associated objects are available in the same API version as this object.

ContentDocumentLinkChangeEvent (API version 55.0): Change events are available for the object.

Object Reference for the Salesforce Platform