The **Web Share API** allows a site to share text, links, files, and other content to user-selected share targets, utilizing the sharing mechanisms of the underlying operating system.

These share targets typically include the system clipboard, email, contacts or messaging applications, and Bluetooth or Wi-Fi channels.

The API has just two methods.

The {{domxref("navigator.canShare()")}} method may be used to first validate whether some data is "shareable", prior to passing it to {{domxref("navigator.share()")}} for sending.

The {{domxref("navigator.share()")}} method invokes the native sharing mechanism of the underlying operating system and passes the specified data.

It requires {{Glossary("transient activation")}}, and hence must be triggered off a UI event like a button click.

Further, the method must specify valid data that is supported for sharing by the native implementation.

The Web Share API is gated by the [web-share](/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Headers/Permissions-Policy/web-share) Permissions Policy.

If the policy is supported but has not been granted, both methods will indicate that the data is not shareable.

### Extensions to other interfaces

- {{domxref("navigator.canShare()")}}

- : Returns a boolean indicating whether the specified data is shareable.

- {{domxref("navigator.share()")}}

- : Returns a {{jsxref("Promise")}} that resolves if the passed data was successfully sent to a share target.

This method must be called on a button click or other user activation (requires {{Glossary("transient activation")}}).

The code below shows how you can share a link using {{domxref("navigator.share()")}}, triggered off a button click.

```js

const shareData = {

title: "MDN",

text: "Learn web development on MDN!",

url: "https://developer.mozilla.org",

};

const btn = document.querySelector("button");

const resultPara = document.querySelector(".result");

// Share must be triggered by "user activation"

btn.addEventListener("click", async () => {

try {

await navigator.share(shareData);

resultPara.textContent = "MDN shared successfully";

} catch (err) {

resultPara.textContent = `Error: ${err}`;

}

});

```

The above example is taken from our [Web share test](https://mdn.github.io/dom-examples/web-share/) ([see the source code](https://github.com/mdn/dom-examples/blob/main/web-share/index.html)). You can also see this as a live example in {{domxref("navigator.share()")}}.

{{Specifications}}

{{Compat}}