The files on your OneDrive are private until you share them. Keep in mind that when you share folders with Edit permissions, people you share with can add the shared folders to their own OneDrive. This lets them keep the folder alongside their own folders and items, easily move items between folders, and more easily work on it offline. Any updates they make sync with the shared folder, so everyone with access to the folder is up to date.
Sharing options
Recipients can only add shared folders to their OneDrive, not individual files. If you want the recipient to only see certain files, put the files in a separate folder first, and then share that folder. There are two options to share files in OneDrive.
Choose Share with “Copy link” to share items with lots of people you might not know personally. For example, via social media or email. Anyone who gets the link can view or edit the item, depending on the permission you set.
Choose Share with specific people if you want to send the link more privately, with permissions set for specific individuals or groups.
Share with Copy Link
Go to the OneDrive website and sign in with your Microsoft account or your work or school account.
Pick the files or folders you want to share by selecting its circle icon.
Select Share
Select Copy Link to copy the link.
To change the link permissions, select the settings gear icon,
Anyone gives access to anyone who receives this link, whether they receive it directly from you or forwarded from someone else. This may include people outside of your organization.
People in Your Organization with the link gives anyone in your organization who has the link access to the file, whether they receive it directly from you or forwarded from someone else.
People with existing access can be used by people who already have access to the document or folder. It does not change any permissions. Use this if you just want to send a link to somebody who already has access.
Specific people gives access only to the people you specify, although other people may already have access. If people forward the sharing invitation, only people who already have access to the item will be able to use the link.
Under Other settings, you can set any of the following options:
Allow editing lets people who are signed in with a Microsoft Account edit the files or folders they have access to. If you’re sharing a folder, people with Edit permissions can copy, move, edit, rename, share, and delete anything in the folder they have access to. Unchecking this box means that people can view, copy, or download your items without signing in. They can also forward the link to other people. However, they cannot make changes to the version on your OneDrive.
Block download prevents people from downloading the file or folders they have access to. Unchecking this box means that people can download the files onto their devices.
Set expiration date lets you set a date for the link to expire. After the date you set, the link won’t work anymore and you will need to create a new link for users requiring access to your file or folder.
Set password lets you set a password to access the file. When a user clicks the link, they will be prompted to enter a password before they can access the file. You’ll need to provide this password separately to anyone you want to share the file with.
Once you have set all your link settings and permissions, select Apply.
Select Copy and then select Send.
Paste the link and send the link where you want to send it, like an email, message, or post.
Share with Specific People
The process is much similar to the above so we will not list the step by step process, but we will just talk about the similarities in the differences. In step 5, above we will just select specific people and add the individual email addresses of the people that you want to give access to. This method is more secure and restricts the amount of access given to the folder. It also adds a layer of security as the person that has access is the person that is able to log into that Microsoft account. All the rest of the options are more or less the same.
Common Issues
Links will stop working if files or folders are moved within your OneDrive. So, please ensure all data is properly filed before creating links or sharing files with other users.
If you created a OneDrive link for sharing and it no longer works, create a new link.
If a link you received no longer works, it may be that the owner has moved the file or stopped sharing the folder with you.
If you (or anyone you’ve shared it with) move files into a shared folder, you’ll need to share it again to ensure the new files get included.