How to Give Anyone Access to a OneDrive Folder

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Send a link to a folder or add people to a shared OneDrive folder

Co-authored by Megaera Lorenz, PhD Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: March 18, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Sharing a Link
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• Adding People to a Shared Folder
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• Managing Permissions
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• Video
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• Tips

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Sharing folders and files in OneDrive is simple. You can either create a shareable link to copy, or send the link directly to the specific people you want to share with. In this article, we’ll explain how to share a link, set your sharing permissions, and manage share permissions after you’ve already sent the link to others.

Quick Steps to Share a OneDrive Folder

1. Log in to onedrive.com and click My files.
2. Click the folder you want to share.
3. Click Share in the top menu bar.
4. Click the gear icon to set your sharing permissions, including who can access the folder using the link and whether they can edit it.
5. Click Apply.
6. Click Copy Link to save a share link to your clipboard, or enter the emails of people you want to share with and click Send.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Sharing a Link

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1. 
   1
   Log in to onedrive.com. You can also share links to folders from the desktop app for Windows or Mac, but you can’t edit sharing permissions.
2. 
   2
   Select the My files tab. It’s in the menu bar on the left side of the page.

   • If you’re using the desktop app, simply open the OneDrive folder on your computer.
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3. 
   3
   Click the folder you’d like to share. This will select the folder and fill in the radio button to the left of the folder icon. You can also share an individual file this way.

   • Click multiple folders if you want to share more than one folder at once.
   • If you’re using the desktop version of OneDrive, right-click (or Ctrl-click, on Mac) the folder you want to share.
4. 
   4
   Click Share. You’ll see it in the toolbar at the top of the list of files and folders.

   • If you’re using OneDrive for desktop, select Share a OneDrive Link from the context menu. This will automatically copy the link to your clipboard so you can paste it into an email, message, or document.
5. 
   5
   Set your sharing permissions. Before you copy and share the link, you might want to tweak who can access the folder and what they can do with it. To do this, click the

   

   gear icon at the top right corner of the Share window. Once you’ve made your selections, click Apply. From this menu, you can:

   • Select who has access to the link (choose from options like “Anyone”, “Only people with existing access”, or “People you choose”). You might see additional options, such as “People in <your school or work organization> with the link”, depending on what kind of account you have.
   • Select whether the people with access to the link can edit the folder or only view it.
   • Set an expiration date for the link to the shared folder.
   • Set a password for the shared folder.
6. 
   6
   Select Copy Link. This will copy the link to your clipboard so you can paste it into an email, message, or document.

   • If you want to manage your sharing permissions after you share the link, see Managing Access Permissions.
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Section 2 of 3:

Adding People to a Shared Folder

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1. 
   1
   Select the folder you want to share in OneDrive. If you want to share a folder with specific people instead of capturing a general share link, you can do so from the share settings. Go to onedrive.com and log in, then select My files and find the folder(s) you want to share.
2. 
   2
   Click the Share button. It’s at the top of the list of files and folders.
3. 
   3
   Click the

   

   Share Settings button. It’s at the top right corner of the Share window. A new window will open with additional options.
4. 
   4
   Set your link access permissions (optional). If you want to adjust who can access your shared folder using a link, select one of the options under the The link works for header. These options might vary depending on what type of account you have. For example, if you have an organizational (school or work) account, you can choose from:

   • Anyone: This option allows anyone with the link to access the folder. This means that if someone you add to the folder passes the link along to someone else, that person can access it too.
   • People in <your organization> with the link: The folder can be accessed by anyone with an account that’s linked to your school, workplace, or other organization.
   • People with existing access: The folder can be accessed by anyone who already has permission to access it (i.e., you and anyone you’ve added in the past).
   • Specific people or People you choose: This option grants access only to people you specify, either inside or outside of your organization.
5. 
   5
   Apply any additional settings (optional). Once you’ve chosen who can access the folder using the link, you also have the option to adjust what type of access they have. Use the dropdown to select whether other people can edit the folder or only view it. You can also choose an expiration date for the link or set a password.

   • Depending on your account type, you might also have the option to prevent other people from downloading the folder or its contents. This option is only available if you don’t allow other viewers to edit the folder.
6. 
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   Click Apply to save your settings. This will take you back to the main Share menu.
7. 
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   Enter the names or email addresses of people you want to add. In the Add a name, group, or email field, enter the names or email addresses of anyone you want to share the folder with. If they’re already in your contacts or part of your organization, you can just enter their names.

   • You can also use the dropdown next to this field to select whether these contacts can edit or only view the folder and its contents.
8. 
   8
   Add a message (optional). If you want, you can include a message to the people you’re sharing the folder with. Enter it in the Add a message box.
9. 
   9
   Click Send. The people you shared the folder with will receive an email with a link to the folder.
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Section 3 of 3:

Managing Access Permissions

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1. 
   1
   Select the shared folder in OneDrive. If you’ve already shared a folder and you want to change your sharing permissions, you can do so from onedrive.com. Open the My files tab and select the folder you want to manage.

   • Some of the settings for shared folder links can’t be changed (like whether people with access have edit or read-only permission), but you can do things like completely delete the link, change the password, or update the expiration date.
2. 
   2
   Click Details. It’s in the menu bar above your list of files and folders, at the far right. A new menu pane will open on the right side of the page with information about the folder you selected.
3. 
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   Click Manage Access. It’s under the Has access header in the Details pane.
4. 
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   Click the Links tab and click the

   

   gear icon. This will take you to the settings for your shared link.
5. 
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   Make any desired adjustments. From the link settings menu, you can:

   • Delete the shared link using the trash icon. This will unshare the folder with anyone who currently has access.
   • Remove or change the link password, if you set one.
   • Remove or change the expiration date for the link.
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Tips

• If your shared link expires or stops working, you can create a new one using the steps in this article.
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• If you add new files to a shared folder, you might need to re-share the folder in order for other people with shared access to see them.
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