How to share to 'anyone with the link' on Sharepoint

Question

We have a business 356 basic acc. We need a few folders for external use, to be able to share files with a link. We don't feel confident setting up the 'Anyone with a link' option for the whole internal 'site' on Sharepoint, because it compromises privacy on all folders and we want to avoid making any mistakes with sharing settings. In short, we want to have internal and external folders totally separated.

What would be the best workflow for this?

Thanks!

Answer 1

To share folders with the 'Anyone with the link' option in SharePoint while keeping internal and external folders separate, you can follow these steps:

1. Create Separate Document Libraries or Sites: Set up a dedicated document library or site specifically for external sharing. This way, you can manage permissions and sharing settings independently from your internal folders.
2. Configure External Sharing Settings: In the SharePoint admin center, navigate to the sharing settings for the specific document library or site you created for external use. Here, you can enable the 'Anyone with the link' sharing option for that library or site without affecting your internal folders.
3. Set Default Link Type: For the external library or site, set the default link type to 'Anyone with the link'. This ensures that when users share files from this location, the links will be accessible to anyone who has them.
4. Adjust Link Permissions: You can also set link permissions to restrict access to view-only or allow editing, depending on your needs. This can help maintain control over what external users can do with the shared files.
5. Educate Users: Make sure that users understand the importance of sharing links only from the designated external library or site to avoid accidental sharing of internal content.

By following this workflow, you can effectively manage external sharing while keeping your internal data secure.

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References:

• Manage sharing settings for SharePoint and OneDrive in Microsoft 365
• Change the organization-level external sharing setting

Answer 2

Dear @Ajda Bertok, 

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.   

I understand your concerns. Enabling “Anyone with the link” at the tenant (organization) level can feel risky when you only want a few folders to be externally accessible while keeping your internal data protected. 

SharePoint uses a two‑tier permission model: 

• Organization (tenant) level sets the maximum type of sharing allowed across all sites. 
• Site level can only be more restrictive than the organization's setting, not more permissive. 

If the tenant-level setting is configured to “New and existing guests only,” the “Anyone with the link” option becomes unavailable everywhere, including for a single folder or library you want to expose. This is why it feels like the entire environment must be opened, even though your intention is to share only specific content. 

To avoid exposing internal content, you can consider the following workarounds: 

Please note that Options 1, 2, and 3 require administrator privileges to complete. 

Option 1: Create a separate SharePoint site dedicated to external sharing 

This is often the simplest and most secure approach.  By creating a new SharePoint site (for example: “External Files”), you can store only the documents intended for external access, while keeping all existing sites fully internal and locked down. 

 

Option 2: Tighten access to internal content manually 

If there are particularly sensitive libraries or folders, you can remove external access entirely by adjusting permissions through Advanced permissions settings on each site. This ensures external users cannot see or open internal materials. 

Open the SharePoint site where the sensitive content is stored. 

Go to the document library or folder you want to secure. 

Click Shared > Manage access. 

 

Choose Advanced settings. 

Remove the external group (“Your site name Visitors”). 

 

This approach ensures external users cannot view, open or access internal material. 

 

Option 3: If you prefer not to enable “Anyone” at the organization level 

If enabling “Anyone” links isn't preferred, you can use “Specific people" links, which verify identity via a one‑time passcode, prevent link forwarding and avoid creating guest accounts unless required. 

In SharePoint or OneDrive, select a file or folder. 

Click Shared. 

Select Link settings and choose “People you choose” (Specific people). 

 

Enter the email addresses of your external recipients. 

Set permissions:  

Can view or can edit, depending on what you need. 

Send the link. Recipients will verify their identity before accessing. 

This method keeps your organization very secure while still enabling controlled collaboration. 

Additional information is available in the following resource:  

Overview of external sharing in SharePoint and OneDrive in Microsoft 365 - SharePoint in Microsoft … 

Best practices for unauthenticated sharing | Microsoft Learn 

Manage sharing settings for SharePoint and OneDrive in Microsoft 365 - SharePoint in Microsoft 365 … 

External or guest sharing in OneDrive, SharePoint, and Lists - Microsoft Support 

You can check out this link for additional workaround options regarding external sharing: 

SharePoint Online External Sharing Best Practices | SharePoint Maven 

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