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Sharing OneDrive for Business Folders

Sharing OneDrive for Business Folders

Owned by Fung, Odette A
Last updated: May 05, 2025 by Grosshandler, Mike

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Sharing a folder in OneDrive for Business is very similar to sharing a file.  You can give one or more people permission to view/edit the contents of the folder by the instructions below.

There are several avenues for getting connected to OneDrive for Business, depending on the computer or device you are using.  This article assumes you are logged into OneDrive for Business in a web browser.

When you share a folder, you are sharing the contents of ALL of the files in the folder.

Instructions

  1. Select the folder you wish to share and choose Share in the top menu:

    image-20250505-203752.png

  2. After you click on Share, a new action box will appear. To share this folder, start typing the recipients' email address(es) in the field provided.  For UAlbany users, you can type their name to search for the person. Select the appropriate person from the search results to choose them.  Repeat this process to add multiple people to the list.

  3. Click the gear icon below the message box to select options for sharing permissions.

    image-20250505-203817.png

You can decide who can access your content with this shared link: it can work for Anyone, only to people within University at Albany, or only for specific people. 

To ensure that only the selected recipients can use the link, choose the People you choose option. This way, the recipients you select will be able to access the file through the sharing link, but if they share the link further, it won't work for anyone else.

  1. Under More settings, you can determine whether this sharing link will allow people to edit your shared content, view it, or view but not download it.  By default, recipients can edit your content (they can also rename, share, and delete). To change this, click on Can edit and change it to Can view:

    image-20250505-204225.png

  2. You can optionally include a message that will be sent to the selected person(s) in the Add a message box.

  3. Select Apply to save these changes.

  4. Click Send to instantly share the link to your file. An email will be sent to the email addresses you listed. Alternatively, select Copy link to copy the the URL that you can then share by pasting in a message or on a webpage.

    image-20250505-204401.png

People external to albany.edu must use the link in the email invitation to log in and access the folder the first time. Thereafter, the system will associate their Microsoft account with the access list and they will be able to use any available link to that folder.

  1. A shared folder will require a login to gain access. UAlbany customers will sign in with their UAlbany Mail email address and password.  Non-UAlbany customers will not need a Microsoft account. See this Microsoft article for details.

  2. Notice that the folder now has an indication under the Sharing column that it has been Shared:

    image-20250505-204926.png

     

For more information on Sharing OneDrive for Business Files and Folders, see: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/share-onedrive-files-and-folders-9fcc2f7d-de0c-4cec-93b0-a82024800c07