External sharing can support productive collaboration, but every guest, link, and shared location should have a clear owner, purpose, scope, and review date.
What External Sharing Means
External sharing allows people outside the organization to access SharePoint or OneDrive content. Examples include vendors, contractors, clients, board members, and partner organizations.
External access can be controlled at both the organization and site level. A site cannot be more permissive than the organization-wide setting.
Common Link Types
Anyone links
Anyone links can allow access without requiring the recipient to sign in. They are convenient but difficult to attribute and may be forwarded. Avoid them for sensitive or long-lived information.
Specific people links
Specific people links are intended for named recipients and require authentication as the identified user. They are generally easier to control for external collaboration.
People in your organization links
These links work only for users within the organization and are useful for internal sharing without changing broader site membership.
People with existing access links
These links do not grant new access. They provide a convenient link to people who already have permission.
Do not confuse a link with complete access removal
Deleting one sharing link does not remove access received through a group, Team, direct permission, or another active link.
Choose the Least Permissive Method
Use the most controlled sharing method that still allows the business work to proceed. If a vendor needs access to one folder, do not add the vendor to a broad site group.
Assign an Internal Owner
Every external collaboration area should have an employee responsible for approving access, reviewing membership, confirming the shared content remains appropriate, and removing access when the work ends.
Set a Review Date
External access should not continue indefinitely by default. Record when access should be reviewed and remove it when the contract, project, or board term ends.
Teams Guests and Channel Sites
Adding a guest to a Team may grant access to the connected SharePoint site. Private and shared channels have separate SharePoint sites with separate membership. Review all connected locations rather than only the main site.
Vendor Collaboration Example
A consulting firm needs access to project documents for 90 days. A safer approach is to create a controlled project library or site, add named guest accounts, use specific-people links where appropriate, assign an internal owner, and schedule a review before the contract ends.
Board Member Example
Board members may need recurring access to meeting packets and policies. Use a dedicated controlled site with clear ownership, named guests, and a process to remove former members promptly.
External Sharing Approval Process
- Document who is requesting access.
- Identify the outside person and organization.
- Confirm the business purpose.
- Classify the information being shared.
- Select the narrowest appropriate location.
- Choose the link or guest method.
- Assign an internal owner and review date.
- Record approval and removal.
External Sharing Review Checklist
- Identify all external users.
- Confirm each business purpose and owner.
- Review organization and site sharing settings.
- Review active sharing links.
- Check Teams and Microsoft 365 group guests.
- Remove expired or unused access.
- Reduce excessive permissions.
- Document the next review date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does turning off a sharing link remove all access?
No. The person may still have access through another link, direct permission, group membership, or Teams membership.
Should guests be added to the whole site?
Only when they need broad site access. For a limited need, share the narrowest appropriate location.
Are anyone links always unsafe?
They may be acceptable for low-risk public information, but they should not be the default for sensitive or controlled business content.
When Professional Support Helps
A review is useful when guests have accumulated over time, open links were used without documentation, or administrators cannot explain who can access shared content.
Need help applying this?
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