How can external partners review documentation without access to the full repository?

Why not add them as a collaborator

Repository access in GitHub is all or nothing for that repo. A partner who only needs to check three pages would also see your code, issues and history, and you would have to remember to remove them later.

Share one pull request, not the repo

From a pull request in DraftView, create an external review link. DraftView copies that PR's documentation files at the time you create the link, so the partner sees those pages and nothing else.

Each link has a password, an expiry of 3, 7, 14 or 30 days, and a limit on how many times feedback can be submitted. You can revoke it whenever you like.

What the partner can do

They open the link, enter the password and their name, and read the rendered pages. They can comment and suggest edits in a visual editor, with no GitHub account and no Markdown.

Their feedback comes back to you first. You review it and push what you want to the pull request as review comments and Suggested Changes.

For longer engagements

If a partner reviews regularly, invite them to your DraftView organization by email with a limited role, such as viewer or commenter. They read through your organization's GitHub App connection, so they still never get a seat in the repository.

Members can see your organization's review queue, not just one pull request, so keep this for partners you would trust with all of your documentation. For anyone else, use a link per pull request.

Common questions

Can the partner see other files in the repository?

No. The link holds a copy of the pull request's documentation files only. It gives no access to the repository itself.

Can I take access away early?

Yes. Revoke the link and it stops working at once.

Does the partner need an account?

Not for a review link. They enter the password and a name. Members you invite to your organization sign in with an email link instead.