Receive a link to a SharePoint folder which someone has sent to you
This article will walk you through the steps to receive access to a SharePoint folder someone sent you from their SharePoint library. This folder is meant specifically for you and will require you to enter a code sent to you in another email to verify your access to open/download it.
Article Index:
IMPORTANT!
To follow the steps in this article you must have received an email with a link (URL) to a SharePoint library folder. The email will look something like this:
Receive access to a SharePoint library folder
NOTES: These steps are shown to receive access to the folder on a Windows 10 computer, but you can follow the same steps on a Mac or Windows 11 computer (though the screens will vary slightly).
Receive the email and click on the Title
Once you receive the email, click the Title of the folder in the center of the email, or the “Open” button. In this example, the Title is “<redacted> Working Folder”
Accept Warning
Some email systems will popup a warning about clicking the link. In this example, Gmail is warning you about following the link. To be safe, click the “Show details” link in the warning popup and view the full name of the URL you are being led to. In the image below the “Show Details” link has been clicked, and therefore has been replaced with the “Hide details” link. In this example, the resulting URL is “<redacted>.sharepoint.com”. Make sure you recognize the name of the SharePoint library. If you are unsure, contact the sender of the email invite by phone or through a new, direct email to confirm that the email is legitimate.
Click the “Open anyway” button to proceed.
Request Verification Code
Once you click the Title, your default browser will open with a page similar to this. Note that the Title of the document is displayed.
Click the “Send Code” button to automatically send you the verification code in a separate email.
Verification Code Prompt
Your browser window will immediately change to reflect that it is prompting you to enter the code.
Receive email with Verification Code
You will receive a second email with the verification code. It will look similar to this:
You are receiving this code to verify that you are intended recipient of the folder. If someone else were to obtain the original link, they would still not be able to access the folder without this code.
Enter the Verification Code
Copy the Verification code from the second email and enter it in the prompt in your browser, then click the “Verify” button.
View the file
Your browser will now display the contents of the folder. You can browse the folder by clicking through the documents and subfolders.
If you have been granted read-only access, then you can:
- Open a document in a separate tab by clicking on it
- Download a document by selecting it and then clicking the “Download” link above the list
If you have been granted edit access, then you can perform the actions for read-only and also:
- Edit documents which you have opened in a separate tab
- Create new documents by clicking the “+ New” link
- Rename documents
Note:
Once you close the browser window, you will need to click the link in your email, and generate/enter the code again to regain access.
If you have questions about this, please let us know and we will be happy to assist you.
Take care,
