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How to Use the Data Room

Secure document sharing for investor due diligence — protect your IP while building investor confidence

What You'll Learn

What a data room is and why investors expect one
Upload and organize documents with drag-and-drop
Set granular access permissions per document
Track who views and downloads your files
Apply watermarks and download protection
Share secure data room links with investors
Manage document versions over time
Best practices for investor-ready data rooms

What Is a Data Room?

A data room is a secure, organized repository of documents that you share with potential investors during due diligence. Think of it as a digital vault where investors can review your financials, legal documents, contracts, and pitch materials — all in one place, with full access controls.

On IPX, every project gets its own data room. It's one of the most important tools for raising capital, because serious investors won't commit funds without reviewing your documentation first.

Industry context: In traditional film/media financing, data rooms are provided by services like Intralinks or Datasite and cost $5,000–$50,000+. IPX includes data room functionality for free with every project, powered by end-to-end encryption on Base L2.

Step-by-Step Setup

1

Navigate to Your Data Room

Go to your project page and click the Data Room tab. If you haven't created a project yet, you'll need to do that first.

Path: Your Project → Data Room tab

The data room is created automatically when your project is set up. You'll see a clean interface with pre-built folder categories ready for your documents.

2

Upload Documents

Upload files using any of these methods:

Drag & Drop

Drag files directly into any folder

Browse Files

Click "Upload" to browse your computer

Bulk Upload

Select multiple files or entire folders

Supported formats: PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, JPG, PNG, MP4, MOV. Max file size: 500MB. All uploads are encrypted at rest and in transit.

3

Organize into Document Categories

IPX provides a standard folder structure that investors expect. Place documents in the appropriate categories:

Financials

  • Production budget
  • Revenue projections
  • Cash flow forecasts
  • Historical financial statements
  • Tax returns

Legal

  • Entity formation documents (LLC/Corp)
  • Operating agreement
  • IP registration certificates
  • Chain of title documentation
  • Compliance filings

Contracts

  • Talent agreements
  • Distribution deals
  • License agreements
  • Location agreements
  • Insurance certificates

Pitch Materials

  • Pitch deck / investor presentation
  • Executive summary
  • Project synopsis / treatment
  • Sizzle reel or trailer
  • Comparable analysis

Team Info

  • Key team bios and resumes
  • Advisory board profiles
  • Track record / past projects
  • Organizational chart

IP Registrations

  • Copyright registrations
  • Trademark filings
  • Patent applications
  • WGA registration
  • Blockchain-verified IP records

You can also create custom folders for any documents that don't fit the default categories.

4

Set Access Permissions

Control exactly who can see each document or folder. Click the lock icon on any item to configure access:

Public

Visible to anyone who visits your project page. Use for pitch decks, trailers, and public-facing materials.

Investors Only

Visible to users who hold tokens in your project or have been granted investor access. Ideal for financials and contracts.

Specific Users

Invite specific people by email. Perfect for sensitive legal documents, term sheets, or documents shared with specific investors during active negotiation.

Tip: Set permissions at the folder level to apply them to all documents within. Individual document permissions can override folder-level settings.

5

Track Document Views & Downloads

IPX tracks every interaction with your data room, giving you powerful analytics:

  • View tracking: See who opened each document, when, and how long they spent reading it. High engagement on your financials? That investor is serious.
  • Download tracking: Know when someone downloads a copy. If downloads are disabled, this shows attempted downloads too.
  • Engagement dashboard: Aggregated analytics showing your most-viewed documents, total unique visitors, and investor engagement trends over time.

Pro move: After sharing your data room link, check back 24–48 hours later. If an investor has spent 10+ minutes in your financials section, follow up with a personalized message — they're actively evaluating.

6

Enable Watermarking & Download Protection

Protect sensitive documents from unauthorized distribution:

  • Dynamic watermarks: Automatically overlay the viewer's name and email on every page of PDF documents. If leaked, you know exactly who shared it.
  • Download disable: Allow view-only access in the browser. Investors can read but not download or print the document.
  • Expiring access: Set documents to automatically revoke access after a specified date, perfect for time-limited due diligence periods.
  • Screenshot deterrence: Visual watermarks make screenshots identifiable and traceable.
7

Share Data Room Links

Send potential investors a secure link to your data room:

  1. Click "Share Data Room" in the top toolbar
  2. Choose access scope: entire data room or specific folders
  3. Set optional password protection for the link
  4. Set an expiration date (recommended: 30 days for initial outreach)
  5. Copy the link or send directly via email from IPX

Link format: https://ipx.exchange/projects/your-project/dataroom?token=abc123

Each link is unique and trackable. You can revoke any link at any time from the Share management panel.

8

Manage Document Versions

As your project evolves, documents get updated. IPX handles version control seamlessly:

  • Upload new version: Right-click any document and select "Upload New Version". The old version is archived, not deleted.
  • Version history: Click "Version History" on any document to see all previous versions with timestamps and uploader info.
  • Rollback: Restore any previous version with one click if you uploaded the wrong file or need to revert a change.

Investors always see the latest version. Version history is only visible to project owners and collaborators.

Best Practices

Organize Before You Share

Populate all six standard categories before sending your data room link. An incomplete data room signals disorganization. Even a placeholder note ('Coming soon — expected by [date]') is better than empty folders.

Use Consistent Naming

Name files descriptively: 'ProjectName_Budget_v2_2024.pdf' not 'budget-final-FINAL.pdf'. Include version numbers and dates. Investors review dozens of data rooms — make yours easy to navigate.

Start Restrictive, Open Up Later

Begin with 'Specific Users' access for sensitive documents. You can always broaden permissions. It's much harder to restrict access after documents have been viewed or downloaded.

Monitor Engagement Actively

Check your analytics dashboard weekly. If investors are spending time in specific sections, prepare to answer detailed questions about those areas in your next conversation.

Keep Documents Current

Nothing undermines confidence faster than outdated financials. Set a monthly calendar reminder to review and update all documents in your data room, especially financial projections.

Use Expiring Links for Cold Outreach

When sharing with investors you don't have a relationship with, set links to expire in 14 days. This creates urgency and limits exposure. Extend access for engaged parties.

Troubleshooting

Upload Fails or Hangs

Problem: File upload gets stuck at a percentage or fails with an error message.

Solution:

Try the following:

  • Check file size — maximum is 500MB per file. Compress large video files before uploading
  • Verify the file format is supported (PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, JPG, PNG, MP4, MOV)
  • Check your internet connection — uploads require a stable connection, especially for large files
  • Try uploading one file at a time instead of bulk upload
  • Clear your browser cache and try again in an incognito window
  • If uploading from a corporate network, check if your firewall blocks large uploads

Investor Can't Access Documents

Problem: An investor reports they can see the data room but specific documents are locked or missing.

Solution:

Check these common causes:

  • Verify the document's permission level — it may be set to "Specific Users" and the investor isn't on the list
  • Check if the shared link has expired — create a fresh link if needed
  • If the document requires "Investors Only" access, confirm the investor holds tokens or has been granted investor status
  • Ask the investor to log in — some permission levels require authentication
  • Check if the document was recently moved to a folder with different permissions

Large Files Won't Preview

Problem: Documents uploaded successfully but won't render in the browser preview.

Solution:

Browser preview has limitations:

  • PDFs over 100 pages may take longer to render — wait a moment for the preview to load
  • Complex XLSX files with macros may not preview — they can still be downloaded
  • Video files larger than 200MB may need to process before preview is available (up to 10 minutes)
  • Ensure your browser is up to date — Chrome and Firefox provide the best preview experience
  • If preview fails, the document is still accessible via download (if download is enabled)

Watermarks Not Appearing

Problem: You enabled watermarking but investors report they don't see watermarks.

Solution:

Watermark troubleshooting:

  • Watermarks only apply to PDF documents — other file types don't support dynamic watermarking
  • Watermarks appear during browser viewing and on downloaded copies (if downloads are enabled)
  • Ensure the viewer is logged in — watermarks display the viewer's identity, which requires authentication
  • Check that watermarking is enabled at the document level (not just folder level)
  • Clear your cache and reload — watermarks are rendered client-side and may need a fresh page load

Related Guides

Need Help With Your Data Room?

Our team can review your data room setup and provide feedback before you share with investors