Sharepoint document library isn't appearing in users' folder locations

Question

Hello,

I've seen similar posts to this, but cannot find an answer.

We have a large quantitiy of shared documents in the business, which are all saved in the local user onedrive for sharing.

I have created a site with the intention of advising users to save documents there before sharing so when a user leaves he documents aren't lost.

The document library appears in my sites list as a save location, but it doesn't appear in the save location for members or people I have shared the folders with.

I know there is an option to add a shortcut to onedrive for the folders etc, but this is very manual and I need it to happen automatically for users so it requires no intervention from them.

Any help appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi Anton Howard,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.

From what you've shared, I also have a quick test as the following:

• I share the folder by share button:

• In the share link setting, I select share with user in my organization, then I type the user email and click send:

• The result is as the picture below, the user account who I shared the folder will also saw as me

That said, I’m not entirely sure if I’ve fully understood your scenario. Could you please clarify the steps you took to reach the save location you mentioned?

Additionally, could you kindly let me know:

• How exactly did you share the folder? Did you send a link? If so, did the recipient encounter any errors, or did the link open normally but the folder didn’t appear?
• What permissions did you assign when sharing? Could you share a screenshot of your permission settings?
• Have you checked the Site Access Settings? Are the users internal, external, or both?
• Have you reviewed the Site Permissions to confirm whether those users have access to the site and what level of permission they have? To check site permission, you can follow picture below

If possible, could you also share a screenshot of what the user sees (or doesn’t see)? That would help me better understand the issue and provide more accurate support.

Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution. 

Thank you for your time cooperation, I'm looking forward to your response.

Best Regards,
Mia - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist.

Answer 2

Hi Mia,

I hadn't originally shared the folders because I assumed adding members to the site would allow them to see the folders also.

Looking through the options for sharing folders it says they are shared with the site members already, so I don't know why they can't see them.

However, I did share one of the folders in the site with two existing members and they are now able to see all of the folders which is a bit strange. Trying to replicate the same methos of sharing with a new user didn't work, the folders are not showing for the new user. I expect the locations to show in the save as section, usually under quick access, this is where they magically appeared for the other members.

I need to share all of the document library, so do you know if sharing one folder will do that or do I need to share all folders separately?

These are all internal users, nothing external for now. To be honest, I expected it to be much easier than this to set up a SharePoint site for sharing documents.

Regards,

Anton

Answer 3

Hi Anton Howard,

Thank you for your update and I'm sorry for my late response.

Regarding to your description, as far as I know, adding users as members of a SharePoint site does not automatically sync the document library to their OneDrive or file explorer (e.g., under Save As or Quick Access).

For a document library or folder to appear in a user’s file explorer, they need manually click Add shortcut to OneDrive or use the Sync option in the document library and this is why some users see the folders (after manual interaction), while others don’t.

Therefore, as you mention in the message above, you need to manual Shortcut as an alternative method. And I've researched so far, there is still another workaround, but this method requires elevated admin permissions and should be used with caution. It’s more complex and may not scale well for large teams. If possible, you may want to infer:

• You can assign Site Collection Administrator in the Advanced Permission Setting in site for each user, and this will allow your member to add the shortcut on your behalf.

I understand this setup may feel more manual than expected, but if you think this affected to your workflow or changes you want to make, I'd recommend you post your valueable suggestion via SharePoint (picture below) or in the Microsoft Feedback Portal Ideas · Community

Once again, I apologized for my late response and thank you for your valuable time and cooperation. If you have any further question or concern, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Best regards,

Mia – MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 4

Hi Anton Howard,

Good day and I hope you're doing well.

It has been a while and I am writing to see how things are going with this issue. Have you encountered any difficulties, or is there anything else I can assist you with?

Thank you for your valuable time.

Best Regards,
Mia - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist. 

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Answer 5

Hi Mia,

Members are able to manually add the shortcut, but it isn't ideal and requires further instruction to them, it also doesn't serve a purpose when new users come into the business.

I thought there would be an easier way, it does seem that if a user views the sharepoint site/document library, then it will appear in the quick access tab within Microsoft applications but my testing is inconclusive.

It seems to work in a similar way to shared mailboxes, they only appear automatically if the user has full access rights, otherwise they have to find/add the mailbox manually. For the sharepoint site, it wouldn't be wise to give owner rights to all users.

Regards,

Anton