M365: External Guest Sharing Links for Teams / SharePoint

This article will show you how to setup sharing links for individual files or folders that are stored in Microsoft Teams / SharePoint.  

Sometimes users will want to only share specific files or folders without inviting the external guest to the full team and set of channels where they would be able to see and participate in posts and conversations happening. 

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 the files section of the teams channel (or the SharePoint site) where the files are located and following the instructions below.   These instructions are written from the context of sharing links setup in Teams, but the same thing can be accomplished from the SharePoint side of things.

NOTE:  Highly Confidential data should never be stored or shared using Microsoft Teams or standard SharePoint site. 

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.

1.  Access the team and channel where the files that you want to share are located.  Navigate to the Shared section.

2.  Click on the bubble out to the left side of the file or folder you want to share and select Copy link.  

3.  The sharing link has been created.  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.  External guests do not need Microsoft accounts to access the environment.  This example shows an individual's gmail account being added.

Adjust the level of access granted by selecting an option with the More settings dropdown menu.

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

Go back to the file / folder that was shared and select Manage access if you would like to verify the external guests who have access, copy the link to distribute to them again, remove guests, or delete the sharing link altogether when it is time to clean up and stop sharing.

5.  The user(s) that you invited should now receive an email with a link to access the shared file or folder.

• The user(s) you have shared with will only have access to the files / folders that you selected from your Teams site.   
• They can use the original email invitation or make a bookmark in their web browser to continue to access the share. 

6.  When you are ready to clean up and remove other user(s) access, navigate back to the file or folder shared in Teams and select Manage Access.

• Click on the user name and permissions to modify their access.

• Click on the Direct Access section to expand the options.
• Click on the box showing permissions assigned.
• Click on Remove direct access.
• Click on Remove to confirm and take away access.

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

• Can I share individual files or folders from Microsoft Teams?
• How do I share individual files or folders from Microsoft Teams?