How it plays out on a deal
View-only is the default many sellers want for sensitive folders. It keeps the document inside the platform, where every open is logged and the watermark applies, instead of letting a copy land on a laptop where control ends.
It has costs. Large spreadsheets are hard to analyze in a browser viewer, and advisers push back when they cannot run their own models. Rooms differ a lot in how good the in-browser viewer is, particularly for complex workbooks, and that quality decides whether view-only is workable or causes constant exceptions.
What to check in a review or demo
- 1How a large, multi-tab spreadsheet with formulas renders in view-only mode.
- 2Whether view-only can be combined with print but not download, or the reverse.
- 3Whether the viewer works on a phone or tablet without downloading the file.
Read alongside
- Download and print controlsSettings that decide whether a user may save or print a document, often with options such as download as protected PDF, original format or not at all.
- Secure viewerThe in-browser document viewer a data room uses to display files without handing the reader the original, so protections such as watermarks and copy limits can apply.
- Dynamic watermarkingAn overlay stamped on a document at the moment it is viewed, printed or downloaded, showing details such as the reader's name, email, IP address and the time.
- Document rights control (DRM)Protection that stays attached to a file after it is downloaded, so the owner can still limit opening, printing or copying, and can revoke access later.