OneDrive - Share by link

Use this tutorial to share files or folders in OneDrive with a shareable link. For additional help, visit Microsoft's Share OneDrive Files and Folders webpage. To watch a video version of this tutorial, visit OIT's YouTube channel.

If you'd like to share files or folders directly with specific people, see OneDrive - Share with specific people.

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Step 1

Log into https://www.office.com/ using your IdentiKeyUsername@colorado.edu email and your IdentiKey password.

Step 2

Click on the app launcher in the top left corner of the screen.

Step 3

Click OneDrive.

Step 4

Select the file you would like to share and click Share.

Note: You can also share a file from the Microsoft 365 apps by opening the file and going to File -> Share -> Share with people

Step 5

Click on the Sharing Settings icon.

Step 6

Select who you would like to share the link with.

  • Anyone gives access to anyone who receives this link, including people outside of CU Boulder. They will not need to sign into a Microsoft account, but you can set a password for the file.
  • People in UCB-O365 gives access to anyone at CU Boulder who receives the link. They will need to sign into their CU Boulder Microsoft account to view the file.
  • People with existing access does not change any permissions. Only people who already have access to the file will be able to use this link.
  • People you choose gives access only to the people you specify. Other people the file is already shared with will not be able to use this link.

Step 7

If you've selected Anyone, you'll see additional settings for the link. 

Use the MM/DD/YYYY field to set an expiration date for the link. After this date the link will no longer work and you will need to create a new one.

Use the Set password field to set a password for the file. People will need to enter this password before they can view the file.

Step 8

Select the level of access the link will provide.

  • Can view is the default and allows people to view the file.
  • Can review allows people to view the file and make suggestions, but not edit it directly.
  • Can edit allows people to edit the file.

Step 9

Select whether you would like to prevent people from downloading the file using the Block download toggle. Then, click Apply to create the link.

Step 10

Click Copy link.

Step 11

You'll see a confirmation message and can now paste the link into an email, message, or document to share it.

Step 12

To quickly get a shareable link, right-click on the file from the My Files list and click Copy Link. This link will not grant any additional access, but can be used by people the file is already shared with.