Cannot add shortcut for shared folder

Question

I received an email inviting me to access a folder. I clicked the OPEN button and was taken to my OneDrive. I can see the folder and access the contents from Shared with me on the web.

I then selected the shared folder and clicked Add shortcut. I then received an error at the bottom of the web page that says: 1 shortcut wasn't added.

I need this to access this folder from my Windows 11 File Explorer.

I am a Microsoft 365 subscriber. I have installed the latest Windows updates.

How can I create a shortcut for the shared folder?

Answer 1

Hi

This is a public Microsoft Q&A forum, so I’m unable to receive screenshots by email.

Please post the screenshots directly here using the image/attachment button in the reply box. Before uploading, make sure to hide any email addresses, account names, or other personal information.

Once you post them here, I can help check what is causing the “1 shortcut wasn't added” error.

Answer 2

Hi

The key requirement is that the shared folder must give you Edit permission. Microsoft confirms that only folders marked “Can edit” can be added as a shortcut to My files: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/add-shortcuts-to-shared-folders-in-onedrive

Please open OneDrive > Shared and check the folder. If it does not say “Can edit”, ask the owner to share it again with editing allowed.

If it already says “Can edit”, check My files for an existing shortcut to the same folder, remove it if present, then try Add shortcut again. Also make sure the OneDrive desktop app is signed in with the same Microsoft account.

Once the shortcut successfully appears under My files on the web, it should also appear automatically in Windows 11 File Explorer.

If it still says “1 shortcut wasn't added” even with Edit permission, please let us know whether the person sharing the folder is using a personal Microsoft account or a work/school account, as that changes the available sharing options.

Answer 3

For OneDrive personal, a shared folder can be added only if it appears in Shared and the folder has Edit permission. Only folders can be added, not individual files.

Use this path on OneDrive on the web:

1. Open OneDrive in the browser and go to Shared.
2. Find the shared folder.
3. Select the circle on the folder tile.
4. Choose Add shortcut to My files.

If 1 shortcut wasn’t added appears, the supported causes in the product guidance are:

• the item is not a folder
• the folder was already added
• more than one folder was selected

For personal OneDrive, also check these limits:

• up to 100 folder shortcuts from a single person’s OneDrive or Teams site
• up to 1,000 total shortcuts across files and folders

If the shortcut is added successfully, it should appear in My files on OneDrive.com and in File Explorer through the OneDrive sync app.

If it still does not appear in File Explorer after being added on the web, check whether selective sync is excluding it:

1. Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the Windows notification area.
2. Open Help and Settings > Settings.
3. Go to the Account tab.
4. Select Choose folders.
5. Make sure the relevant folder is selected, then select OK.

For personal OneDrive, there is also a current known issue where some shared folder shortcuts in My files appear as .url internet shortcuts instead of normal folders. When that happens, opening the shortcut opens the folder on OneDrive.com in a browser instead of as a synced folder in File Explorer. The documented status is that these shortcuts will automatically convert back to folders when the issue is resolved. The shared folder content remains accessible on OneDrive.com.

A temporary workaround is to use the shared folder from OneDrive on the web. If full access exists to the account that shared the folder, OneDrive can be added as a service to open Office files more easily on the computer.

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References:

• Add shortcuts to shared folders in OneDrive
• OneDrive shared folders shortcuts showing up as Internet Shortcuts
• Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in OneDrive