M365: External Guest Sharing Links for OneDrive

This article will show you how to setup sharing links for specific files or folders that are stored in Microsoft OneDrive.  

Creating sharing links will setup a M365 portal type of experience for your external guest to access only the files or folders that are needed.  This can be done by accessing your OneDrive and following the instructions below.   

NOTE:  Highly Confidential data should never be stored or shared using Microsoft OneDrive. 

Please visit (https://www.jmu.edu/computing/communication-and-collaboration/sharepoint.shtml) for more information on how to obtain a site from JMU Information Technology that is appropriate for storing and sharing Highly Confidential data.

There are different ways that you and your guest user can access OneDrive across devices. This article is written from the context of using the OneDrive web app.   

1.  Access your JMU OneDrive account on the web at and navigate to My files.

2.  Click on the ellipses out to the right of any file or folder that you wish to grant access to and click on Copy link.

3.  A sharing link has been created that can be used by guests.  Click on Settings to add guest(s) and adjust their level of access as needed.

4.  Select People you choose and type in the full email address of the guest needing access, and add in additional guest email addresses as needed.  External guests do not need Microsoft accounts to access the environment.  This example shows an individual's gmail account being added.

5. Adjust the level of access granted by selecting an option with the More settings dropdown menu.  Click Apply when ready to proceed.

6. You will be taken back to the panel verifying a sharing link was setup and copied. 

7. Go back to the file or folder that was shared and select Manage access if you would like to verify the external guests who have access to your sharing link. 

From this panel you can click on the Links tab and copy the link to distribute again, add / remove guests, or delete the sharing link altogether when its time to clean up and stop sharing.

8.  Take your copied link and distribute it to your external guest(s).  

9.  When your guest(s) access your link, they will be presented with a prompt to enter their email address.

10.  Once they have entered their email address (and it matches the access you granted), they will be sent a code to use to complete their login.

11.  Once the guest has entered their code to verify access, they are taken to a OneDrive file sharing portal where they can access what was shared with them.  

For more information and further support options for Microsoft OneDrive please visit the page below.

https://www.jmu.edu/computing/communication-and-collaboration/onedrive-for-business.shtml

• Are external guests allowed to access files in my OneDrive at JMU?
• How do I invite an external guest to access files in my OneDrive at JMU?
• How does my guest access files in my OneDrive at JMU?