How To Share Sharepoint Files With External Users Securely

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How To Share Sharepoint Files With External Users Securely. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

SharePoint is a powerful tool for collaborating with people outside your organisation, but incorrect sharing settings can leave sensitive business data exposed. By configuring external sharing controls and managing guest access correctly, you can collaborate safely with contractors, accountants, and clients while meeting your obligations under Australian privacy law.

Quick Fix Steps

1. Confirm external sharing is enabled at the organisation level in the SharePoint admin centre.
2. Set the site-level sharing policy to match your collaboration needs.
3. Share specific files or folders rather than entire document libraries where possible.
4. Use the Specific people option to restrict access to named recipients.
5. Set expiration dates and passwords on sharing links when supported.
6. Review and remove guest access regularly through the SharePoint admin centre.

Detailed Instructions

1. Configure Organisation-Level External Sharing

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin centre with an administrator account.
2. Navigate to Admin centres > SharePoint.
3. In the left-hand menu, select Sharing.
4. Under External sharing, choose Anyone, New and existing guests, or Existing guests based on your organisation's requirements.
5. Select Save to apply the changes.

2. Set Site-Level Sharing Permissions

1. In the SharePoint admin centre, go to Active sites.
2. Select the site you want to manage.
3. Open the Sharing tab in the site details panel.
4. Choose an external sharing level that is equal to or more restrictive than your organisation setting.
5. Select Save.

3. Share Files or Folders Securely

1. Open SharePoint in your browser and navigate to the document library containing the file or folder.
2. Select the item you want to share.
3. Click Share in the command bar.
4. Under link settings, select Specific people to limit access to named recipients only.
5. Enter the email addresses of your external collaborators.
6. Choose whether recipients can Edit or View the content.
7. Optionally, set an expiration date for the link.
8. Click Send or Copy link to share securely.

4. Manage Guest Access and Permissions

1. In the SharePoint admin centre, select Active sites and open the relevant site.
2. Go to the Permissions tab.
3. Review the list of users and groups with access to the site.
4. Remove any external users who no longer require access by selecting their name and choosing Remove.
5. For file-specific permissions, return to the document library, select the file, open Manage access, and adjust or revoke sharing links as needed.

5. Audit Sharing Activity

1. In the Microsoft 365 compliance centre or SharePoint admin centre, open Reports or Activity.
2. Review external sharing reports to see which files have been shared with users outside your organisation.
3. Investigate any sharing activity that does not match your expected collaboration patterns.
4. Document your findings as part of your organisation's privacy and security review process.

Troubleshooting

External User Cannot Access the Shared File

• Confirm the recipient is using the email address to which the invitation was sent.
• Check that the sharing link has not expired.
• Ask the recipient to check their junk or spam folder for the sharing invitation.
• Verify that external sharing is enabled at both the organisation and site level.

Sharing Option Is Greyed Out

• Ensure you have edit permissions for the file or folder.
• Confirm your organisation's sharing policy allows the sharing level you are attempting to use.
• Check whether the file is checked out or restricted by a retention policy.

Guest Access Appears in Search Results

• Review site permissions and remove unnecessary guest users.
• Confirm the site's sharing policy is not set to Anyone if you require authenticated access only.
• Use Manage access on individual files to revoke links shared too broadly.

Maintaining secure external sharing in SharePoint requires ongoing attention. Review your sharing settings and guest access list at least quarterly, and remove access for collaborators who no longer need it. If you host with us, you don't need to do this yourself — just Open a Ticket and our Brisbane team will get it sorted. If you need assistance configuring SharePoint permissions for your organisation, Open a Ticket.

Still Having Issues?