Distributing Policies via Magic Links
PolicySuite delivers policies to employees using magic links — passwordless, one-time-use tokens sent by email. Employees click the link and immediately see the policy in their browser. There is no account creation, no password, and no app to install. This removes the single biggest barrier to policy acknowledgement: the login screen.
What are magic links?
A magic link is a unique, secure URL generated specifically for one employee and one policy distribution. When PolicySuite sends a distribution email, each recipient gets their own link. Clicking it authenticates them instantly and opens the policy in a clean, distraction-free browser view with an Acknowledge button at the bottom.
Magic links are one-time use. Once an employee clicks through and acknowledges the policy, the link is invalidated. This ensures that acknowledgement records are tied to the individual who received that specific email — which is exactly the evidence auditors need.
How to distribute a policy
- Navigate to Policies in the left sidebar and select a published policy. Only published policies can be distributed — drafts cannot.
- Click the Distribute button in the top-right corner of the policy detail page.
- Add recipients by either uploading a CSV file or entering email addresses manually. For each recipient, include their
firstNameandlastName— see the tip below for why this matters. - Set a deadline. This is the date by which all employees should have acknowledged. The automated reminder schedule (Day 3, Day 7, Day 10) is calculated from this deadline.
- Click Send Distribution. PolicySuite will immediately send the initial email to all recipients.
What employees receive
Each employee receives a plain-text email containing a single link. The subject line is personalised with their first name when provided. Clicking the link opens the policy in their browser — no sign-in prompt, no pop-ups. They read the policy, optionally complete a training quiz if one is attached, and click Acknowledge at the bottom of the page. The entire process typically takes two to five minutes.
Link expiry and security
Magic links expire after 72 hours by default. This is configurable per distribution — for time-sensitive policies you may want a shorter window; for longer campaigns you can extend it. If an employee clicks an expired link, they will see a clear message asking them to contact their administrator for a new link.
Because links are one-time use, if the same link is clicked a second time (for example, by a mail scanner or by forwarding the email), it will display a message stating "this link has already been used." The original acknowledgement record is preserved.
Re-sending links
If a link expires before an employee uses it, or if the employee cannot locate the original email, you can issue a fresh link without starting a new distribution:
- Go to Distributions in the sidebar.
- Find and open the relevant distribution.
- Locate the employee in the recipients list.
- Click Resend Link. A new one-time link is generated and emailed immediately.
Bulk distribution via CSV
For teams larger than a handful of people, upload a CSV file instead of entering emails manually. The file must have three columns in this order:
email,firstName,lastName
alice@acme.com,Alice,Nguyen
bob@acme.com,Bob,OkaforPolicySuite validates the file before sending and will flag any rows with missing or malformed email addresses so you can correct them before distribution.
firstName in your distribution list — it personalises the email subject line and increases open rates by approximately 15%.
Still need help?
Email our support team at support@policy-suite.com — we typically respond within 24 hours.