A link to a shared version of a local file is inserted into metadata of the local file. The local file may be a copy of a shared file and/or a local file that is designated to be shared. For example, when a local file is uploaded to a shared location for collaboration, a link to the shared location is automatically inserted into metadata of the local file. A local copy of a shared file may be created by downloading the shared file to a local data store. A link to the shared location is automatically inserted into the locally stored. When the local file is opened, the link within the metadata may be used to access the version of the local file at the shared location. Changes made to the local file and/or shared version of the file may also be synchronized.