How to receive a link to a SharePoint or OneDrive file
If someone sends you a link to a SharePoint or OneDrive file, you will receive an email notification. What you can do with the file and how you can access it will depend on how they sent it.
We recommend that you ask the sender to send you the name of the library and the folders inside it, so you can create a shortcut to the file yourself.
Article Index:
Initial Setup:
Sending/Receiving files:
IMPORTANT!
For SharePoint files: Best practices dictate that the “sender” just let you know which library and folder the file resides in. This way, you can access the file directly and set up a shortcut yourself. This results in fewer links, and a cleaner work environment for the sender and the recipient.
The sender of the SharePoint link can choose one of two options: People with existing access and People in your organization with the link. Your access to the file will depend on which option they chose.
Best practices dictate that they use the People with existing access option.
People with existing access
This is the best practice
It provides a link to the document, but relies on you to already have access to it through your library permissions. Those outside your organization can not use this link.
* The item will NOT show up in your “Shared with me” list.
People in your organization with the link
This option can override the permissions in SharePoint, as it can give you access to an item, even if you don’t currently have access to it through it’s library. Please do not forward this link to anyone else. Other users in your organization would also get access to the item regardless of their current permissions to the library. External users can not use this link.
* Because this option can give you more access then you “should have”, the sender can prevent you from editing the item. They can also prevent your from downloading the item. If you are prevented from downloading the item, then you can only view it in a browser.
* The item will show up in your “Shared with me” list.
Steps to receive a link to a SharePoint file
Open your email
The recipient will receive an email which looks like this:
The recipient can click either the name of the file or the Open button to view the document.
NOTE: The line above the OPEN button indicates which option the sender used to create the link:
This link works only for the direct recipient of this message – The sender used the “People with existing access” option
This link will work for anyone in RFJ – The sender used the “People in RFJ with the link” option
See the table above for more information about the options.
Recipient’s “Shared with you” list
If the sender shared the item as People in your organization with the link, then the item will be listed in your “Shared with you” list.
FAQs:
Do I need someone to send a link to a SharePoint file/folder to me?
No. If they just let you know the path of the file, you can access it yourself. The path is the library that contains the file, and the folder(s) its in.
If you have questions about this, please let us know and we will be happy to assist you.
Take care,
