Office 365 - Sharing Links via the Desktop

Office 365 - Sharing Links via the Desktop

Everything you need to know about Office 365 Sharing Links


Sharing links allow you to give other people access to your files. The types of sharing option available will vary depending on what you are trying to share and the restrictions that are in place for your account. For security and GDPR compliance reasons, some of these features may not be available. 

How to share a file 

If you have uploaded your file into a OneDrive or SharePoint location you will be able to right click the document and press Share.

If you don't see the share button, or receive an error make sure your file has had time to sync to the cloud. If it's a large file this could take some time. You will know it's synced by checking the cloud status icons next to your file - this should be a green tick or a cloud icon if it's already been uploaded from another device.

Once you have clicked the share icon (with the blue cloud) you will be able to start populating the details.


The sharing options available to you are explained below:


  1. Specific people
This will allow you to share the file or folder with people you specifically name. You should add their e-mail addresses to ensure you correctly idenitfy them. They can be internal or external users. When the user receives the link they will have to confirm their identity. They will do this either by logging on with their e-mail account or a code will be e-mailed to them. Only the people you specify can access the documents.
  1. People with existing access
This acts as a shortcut and will only give access to people that have already been given permissions. This is useful if you are already working in a SharePoint site but want to quickly point a colleague to a file or folder. You can e-mail them a copy of the link.
  1. People in your organisation
This will give everyone in your school or company access to the file or folder via the link you are creating. They will need to logon to confirm they belong to your organisation.
  1. Anyone with the link
This will give anyone access to the file or folder. This is the least secure option as it doesn't require the recipients to logon, and there is nothing to stop them from forwarding or sharing the link with others.

Additional Settings

If you choose the 'anyone with the link' option, you will be given access to additional sharing options. These will allow you to set the date that the link will expire. You can leave this blank and the link will remain open indefinitely. However, in some settings this may be pre-populated with a date. This is because your organisation has put a restriction in place. If you need a particular date, you can choose this yourself. Once the date is reached the link will automatically close to protect your files.

You can also set a password to add a level of security to the link. You would need to communicate this password to anyone that you want to access the folder.


Once you have configured the link settings to match your requirements, you can press the Send button and an e-mail will be sent to your recipients that have been named in the To: box



Alternatively, you can press 'copy link' and then paste this into an e-mail via Outlook.