Sharing Link settings for Office365 (including OneDrive and Sharepoint Online)


This article will discuss the file and folder sharing options in OneDrive and SharePoint.

The two platforms share a similar experience, although the Share with Anyone link is only available in OneDrive, and this link will expire after 30 days. If you want to share documents longer than 30 days within OneDrive/SharePoint, the following options are available to you.

Which option should I use for Stream (On SharePoint) videos?

Link Settings

We only recommend that you use this functionality for occasional sharing - if you need to work with a larger group of either internal or external colleagues you should consider using SharePoint or Teams

When you create a link to share a file or folder in OneDrive and SharePoint Online, it will default to the sharing option People you specify can edit. 

How to change the link settings

Right click on the file or folder you want to share and click 'share'
Click on the chevron (highlighted in yellow in the image below).

Select Anyone with the link, un-check the box under 'Other settings' if you don't want them to be able to make changes, and click Apply.

You should now have the "Anyone with this link" options. Anonymous sharing links (which can be used by people inside and outside the University) will expire after 30 days. You should think carefully whether a more restrictive link is appropriate or whether this really is information you're happy to publish to the world.

Sharing folders

When you share folders with Edit permissions, people you share with can add the shared folders to their own OneDrive. This lets them keep the folder alongside their own folders and items, easily move items between folders, and more easily work on it offline. Any updates they make sync with the shared folder, so everyone with access to the folder is up to date.

Tip: The recipient can add shared folders to their OneDrive, not individual files. If you want the recipient to add files to their OneDrive, put the files in a folder first, and then share the folder.

Re-sharing links

When re-sharing a link, it is best practice to re-share the existing link, rather than using the share button to "re-share" any given file.

The reason is that if the person attempting to re-share is not the owner of the video (or have permissions to share the file), then when they attempt to re-share using the Share button, it will send a request to the file owner(s) for approval. If this is not approved then the new share link will not work. 

Which option should I use for Stream (On SharePoint) videos?

Videos stored in Stream (On SharePoint) work in the same way as any other files and folders. Only the owner of a video will be able to adjust the sharing permissions. If you are sharing videos in Stream (On SharePoint) please use the default option People you specify can edit, and add the people that require access.

If however, you require everyone in the organisation to have access, then use the option People in University of Leeds. This will create a share link that anyone in the organisation can use. 

IMPORTANT - Only use this option if you are sure the video contains no sensitive or confidential information. The owner of the video is responsible for managing the access permissions correctly.