File Sharing Problems

How to Fix SharePoint Sending Invitations to the Wrong Email Address

Elise Williams Sep 27, 2026 870 views

Question details

SharePoint sharing invitations are being sent to an incorrect email address despite the sender selecting the correct contact.

How to Fix SharePoint Sending Invitations to the Wrong Email Address

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: A user attempts to share a file or folder via SharePoint, but the system routes the email invitation to the wrong address.
Observed behavior: The invitation is delivered to an outdated or incorrect email address. This typically affects only a single user and is caused by stale guest data, cached user profiles, or outdated directory information.

Before you start

Verify whether the affected recipient is an internal organization user or an external guest, as the administrative troubleshooting steps differ significantly for each.

Solution 1Recommended

Clear Stale Profile Data for External Guest Users

Remove outdated guest accounts and profiles from the Microsoft 365 and SharePoint admin centers to reset the external user's email routing.

When an external user's email address changes or their previous guest account becomes corrupted, SharePoint may continue to route sharing links to the old, cached profile.

Remove from Microsoft 365

Log in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, remove the external user from any assigned Microsoft 365 groups, and completely delete their guest account from the directory.

Delete SharePoint User Profile

Open the SharePoint Admin Center. Navigate to 'More features' > 'User Profiles' > 'Manage User Profiles'. Search for the affected user and delete their profile.

Delete from Site Collection

Go to the specific SharePoint site URL where the sharing issue occurs and append '/_layouts/15/people.aspx?MembershipGroupId=0' to the end of the address. Select the user, click 'Actions', and choose 'Delete User from Site Collection'.

Reinvite the User

Clear your browser cache, then resend the sharing invitation using the 'People you choose' option. Ask the recipient to open the new sharing link in an incognito or private browser window.

Browser Cache Influence: Clearing the sender's browser cache ensures that browser autofill data isn't silently overriding the selected email address during the sharing process.

Solution 2

Reset Directory Data for Internal Users

Remove the internal user from the site information list and verify their active license to resolve internal directory conflicts.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does SharePoint autofill the wrong email address when sharing?

SharePoint relies heavily on cached user profiles and hidden site information lists. If a user previously had a different email address, alias, or old guest account, SharePoint may pull that stale data instead of fetching their current, active email address from the global directory.

Can I fix the wrong email issue in SharePoint without admin rights?

As an end-user, your troubleshooting options are limited. You can try clearing your browser cache, using an incognito window, or manually typing the full correct email address rather than clicking the autofill suggestion. However, fully resolving stale backend profiles requires a Microsoft 365 or SharePoint Administrator.

How long does it take for user profile deletions to sync in SharePoint?

After deleting a user profile from the SharePoint Admin Center or the Site User Information List, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours for the changes to fully synchronize across all Microsoft 365 services.

Why am I getting an 'Access Denied' error after fixing the email address?

The recipient might still be clicking on the old sharing link, or their browser is caching their previous unauthorized session. Ask them to clear their browser cache entirely or copy the new sharing link and open it in a private or incognito browsing window.

Document & File Issues