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How to Collaborate with External Users in OneDrive and SharePoint
Question details
The user needs to enable external partners to collaborate on project files hosted in Microsoft 365 environments without the friction of constantly downloading and re-uploading files.
- Product
- OneDrive and SharePoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Sharing organization project files (such as Microsoft, Autodesk, or Adobe documents) with external partners for seamless, continuous collaboration.
- Observed behavior
- Users want to establish a direct synchronization and real-time collaboration workflow for external guests instead of relying on manual file transfers.
Ensure you have administrator access to the Microsoft Entra admin center (formerly Azure AD) and Microsoft 365 admin center, as changing B2B collaboration and tenant sharing policies requires high-level permissions.
Configure Microsoft Entra B2B Collaboration and B2B Sync
Use Microsoft Entra B2B to invite external partners as guest users, allowing them to authenticate securely and use the Sync option for shared OneDrive and SharePoint folders.
Microsoft Entra B2B collaboration allows your organization to securely share applications and services with guest users from any other organization while maintaining control over your own corporate data. By enabling B2B Sync, these external users can synchronize shared folders directly to their local devices.
Log in to the Microsoft Entra admin center. Navigate to 'Identity' > 'Users' > 'All users', click on 'New guest user', and follow the prompts to send an invitation to your external partner's email address.
Go to the SharePoint admin center, expand 'Policies', and select 'Sharing'. Ensure that external sharing for SharePoint and OneDrive is set to 'New and existing guests' or 'Anyone'.
Navigate to the specific SharePoint site or OneDrive for Business folder you wish to share. Click the 'Share' button, specify the invited guest user, set editing permissions, and send the link.
Instruct the external user to open the shared folder link in their web browser. Once authenticated, they can click the 'Sync' button on the top toolbar to synchronize the folder locally using their OneDrive client.
Collaborate Seamlessly with WPS Office Cloud
If configuring complex Microsoft Entra B2B settings and tenant policies is too cumbersome for your team, consider using WPS Office as a lightweight, free alternative. WPS Office provides built-in cloud collaboration that makes external sharing and real-time co-editing effortless without needing an IT administrator.
- 1. Open your file in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office, open the document, spreadsheet, or presentation you want to share, and click the 'Share' button in the top right corner.
- 2. Create a collaborative link: In the sharing panel, select 'Create Link' and change the permission settings to 'Anyone with the link can edit'.
- 3. Share with external partners: Copy the generated link and send it to your external collaborators. They can instantly view and edit the document in real-time through their browser or the WPS desktop app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't external users see the Sync button in the shared SharePoint folder?
The Sync button may be hidden if the external user is not properly authenticated as a guest via Microsoft Entra B2B, or if the B2B Sync feature has not been enabled in your organization's tenant settings by an administrator.
Do external users need a Microsoft account to collaborate on OneDrive and SharePoint?
Yes, typically external users need a Microsoft account, or their organization must use Microsoft Entra (Azure AD). However, administrators can also configure one-time passcodes for external users who do not have a Microsoft account, allowing them to authenticate securely.
Can external users edit shared project files directly in their local desktop applications?
Yes. Once B2B Sync is successfully configured and the external user clicks 'Sync' to link the shared folder to their local device via the OneDrive sync app, they can open, edit, and save files directly using their local desktop applications like Microsoft Office or Autodesk.
