Permission & Access Issues

How to Prevent SharePoint Edit Links and Remove Existing Edit Access

Emma Brown Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs a way to prevent standard SharePoint users from generating Edit links and wants to revoke existing edit permissions so viewers cannot modify content via old links.

How to Prevent SharePoint Edit Links and Remove Existing Edit Access

Product: SharePoint Online
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing site permissions and link sharing settings to secure content and prevent unauthorized modifications.
Observed behavior: Users with standard sharing permissions can easily create and distribute edit links via 'Share' or 'Get a link', and there is no simple out-of-the-box setting to disable this globally without adjusting site owner privileges.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Owner or SharePoint Administrator privileges, as standard members do not have the required permissions to modify site-wide sharing settings or execute PowerShell scripts.

Solution 1Recommended

Restrict Sharing Permissions to Site Owners Only

Prevent users from creating new edit links by ensuring only designated site owners can share files and folders.

Since SharePoint does not have a single toggle to prevent just Edit links, the most effective native workaround is to restrict the sharing capability entirely to Site Owners. This ensures standard members cannot select 'Share' or 'Get a link' to accidentally grant edit access.

Access Site Permissions

Navigate to your SharePoint site, click the gear icon (Settings) in the top right corner, and select 'Site permissions'.

Open Advanced Settings

Click on 'Advanced permissions settings' or 'Change how members can share', depending on the specific layout of your SharePoint site.

Restrict Sharing Options

Under the Sharing settings, choose the option that allows 'Only site owners can share files, folders, and the site'. Save your changes to immediately revoke link-generating capabilities from standard members.

Restrict Sharing Permissions to Site Owners Only

Immediate Effect: Applying this setting takes effect immediately for all new sharing attempts, though it will not automatically delete links that have already been created.

Solution 2

Manually Remove Existing Edit Access from Items

If you only have a few files or folders with active edit links, you can manually delete them via the Manage Access panel.

Solution 3

Revoke Multiple Edit Links Using PowerShell

For sites with large numbers of items, use the SharePoint Online Management Shell to script the bulk removal of edit links.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I disable 'Get a link' entirely in SharePoint?

Yes, SharePoint Administrators can turn off sharing links at the tenant or site level from the SharePoint Admin Center by setting sharing capabilities to 'Only people in your organization' or 'No external sharing', which restricts how links can be generated.

Will removing an edit link delete the actual file?

No, removing a sharing link only revokes the access granted by that specific URL. The file itself remains safely stored and unchanged in your SharePoint document library.

How do I find all active sharing links on my SharePoint site?

Natively, you can run a site usage report or use the 'Manage Access' panel for individual files. For comprehensive auditing across an entire site, administrators typically use PowerShell scripts or third-party auditing tools.

Document & File Issues