SharePoint external user sharing

Question

Hello, I am trying to share a file in SharePoint with an external user.

I looked it up and found that besides granting permissions, there is an option for all users to view the link.

However, when I look at the sharing settings, there is no option called 'All users with the link'.

How should I set this part?

Answer 1

Dear @Claire Mia,

The option you are looking for is typically labeled "Anyone" (or "Anyone with the link"). If this option is grayed out or missing from your sharing dialog, it means that anonymous external sharing is currently disabled at either your organization (tenant) level or for this specific SharePoint site.

Here is how you can resolve this depending on your administrative role:
If you are a SharePoint or Global Administrator

To enable the "Anyone" link option, you must update the external sharing settings in the SharePoint Admin Center:
Step 1: Check Organization-Wide Settings:

• Go to the Microsoft Admin Center > Scroll down and select SharePoint Admin Center.
• Under Policies, select Sharing.
• Under External sharing, set the slider for SharePoint to Anyone.
• Click Save.

Step 2: Check Site-Level Settings:

• In the left menu, select Sites > Active sites.
• Select the site where the file is stored.
• Click Settings (or the Sharing tab in the side panel) and select External sharing.
• Change the option to Anyone (Note: A site's sharing setting cannot be more permissive than your organization's global setting).
• Click Save.

For step-by-step documentation, see Microsoft’s official guide: Change the external sharing setting for a site.

If you are an End User (Not an Admin)

If you do not have administrative access to the SharePoint Admin Center:

• Use "Specific people": Select the Specific people option in the link settings window, enter the external user's full email address, and click Send. This allows secure external sharing without needing the "Anyone" link.
• Contact your IT Administrator: Request that your organization's M365 or SharePoint administrator enable "Anyone" sharing for your site if public/anonymous links are required for your workflow.

Please let me know if you need further guidance.

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Yes" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".   

Note: Please follow the steps in the forum document to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Answer 2

All users with the link is not the current SharePoint sharing label. The equivalent option is typically one of these, depending on the configuration:

• Anyone: anyone who gets the link can access it without signing in.
• People in your organization with the link: anyone in the organization who has the link can access it.
• People you choose or Specific people: only the named recipients can use the link.

For sharing with an external user:

1. Select the file in SharePoint and choose Share.
2. Open Link settings.
3. If the goal is to share only with that external person, choose People you choose or Specific people.
4. Enter the external user and choose Can edit or Can view.
5. Send the invitation.

If the goal is a link that external users can open without signing in, the site and organization must allow Anyone links. If Anyone does not appear, it has likely been restricted by the SharePoint or Microsoft 365 admin.

Important behavior:

• If a sharing option is greyed out or missing, admins may have restricted it.
• A site cannot be more permissive than the organization-level sharing setting.
• If the organization or site is set to require sign-in or verification, use Specific people for external sharing.
• For safer sharing, avoid broad anonymous links for sensitive files.

If only one external user needs access, the recommended setting is Specific people rather than an open link.

---

• Manage sharing settings for SharePoint and OneDrive in Microsoft 365
• Manage sharing settings for SharePoint and OneDrive in Microsoft 365
• Plan sharing and collaboration options in SharePoint and OneDrive
• Plan sharing and collaboration options in SharePoint and OneDrive
• Share SharePoint files or folders
• How to grant external user access to a folder in sharepoint - Microsoft Q&A