Permission & Access Issues

How to Restrict OneDrive Folder Sharing While Allowing Editing

Camila Milosovich Oct 9, 2026 868 views

Question details

A folder owner wants to grant edit access to an employee for sensitive files but prevent that employee from sharing the folder with additional people.

How to Restrict OneDrive Folder Sharing While Allowing Editing

Product: Microsoft OneDrive
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Collaborating on sensitive documents where specific employees need to edit files, but strict access control is required to prevent unauthorized distribution.
Observed behavior: Standard OneDrive sharing options, including the "People you choose" link, allow users with edit permissions to reshare the folder or files with others.

Before you start

Verify whether you are using a personal OneDrive account or a Microsoft 365 business/school account, as preventing editors from sharing usually requires administrative access or SharePoint settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Contact Your Microsoft 365 Administrator

This is the primary method for enterprise or educational environments, as organizational sharing policies must be configured at the admin level.

In standard OneDrive, users with edit permissions natively possess the ability to share files. The 'People you choose' option does not override this behavior for editors.

To restrict this, a Microsoft 365 administrator must enforce organizational sharing policies or configure SharePoint-based permission levels that separate editing rights from sharing rights.

Identify your IT Administrator

Locate the contact information for your organization's Microsoft 365 IT administrator or help desk.

Request Policy Modification

Ask the administrator to adjust the organizational sharing settings or set up a secure SharePoint document library where the 'Allow access requests' and 'Members can share' options are disabled.

Contact Your Microsoft 365 Administrator

Administrator Requirement: If you do not have permission-management access as an admin, you cannot enforce this restriction yourself within a standard business OneDrive account.

Solution 2

Use SharePoint Advanced Permissions (For Site Owners)

Use this solution if your OneDrive files are part of a SharePoint site and you have Site Owner privileges.

Solution 3

Submit Feature Feedback to Microsoft

If you are using a personal OneDrive account, this specific permission separation is not currently available natively.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 'People you choose' link prevent users from resharing?

No. While the 'People you choose' option ensures only specific email addresses can access the original link, it does not prevent users who are granted edit access from creating new sharing links or sharing the folder with others, unless organizational policies restrict it.

Can I separate editing and sharing permissions on a personal OneDrive account?

Currently, personal OneDrive accounts do not offer the ability to separate editing and sharing permissions. Users with edit access generally have the ability to reshare files. Advanced permission controls are typically reserved for SharePoint and Microsoft 365 business accounts.

How do I completely stop sharing a OneDrive folder?

To stop sharing a folder, select the folder in OneDrive, click the 'Manage access' icon (or right-click and select Manage access), and then click 'Stop sharing'. You can also remove specific users or delete specific sharing links from this menu.

Document & File Issues