How to Share a OneDrive for Business Folder with an External Vendor
Question details
The user needs to share a specific OneDrive for Business folder with an external vendor and grant them editing permissions without providing access to the rest of the company's internal files.
- Product
- OneDrive for Business
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Collaborating securely with an external vendor by giving them access to a specific folder within Microsoft 365.
- Observed behavior
- The user aims to provide restricted external folder access, which requires specific sharing configurations at both the user and administrator levels.
Ensure that your Microsoft 365 administrator has enabled external sharing for your organization before attempting to share folders with users outside your company.
Share the Folder and Grant Editing Permissions
Share a specific folder directly from your OneDrive for Business interface and define the exact permissions for the external vendor.
As long as your organization allows external sharing, you can share individual folders securely without exposing your entire OneDrive directory.
Log in to your Microsoft 365 account in your web browser and navigate to the OneDrive application.
Locate the specific folder you want to share with the external vendor. Hover over it and click the 'Share' icon that appears next to the folder name.
In the sharing dialog box, click on the link setting (usually 'Anyone with the link' or 'People in your organization') and change it to 'Specific people'. Check the box for 'Allow editing' and click 'Apply'.
Type the external vendor's email address into the recipient field, add an optional message, and click 'Send' to dispatch the secure sharing invitation.
Enable External Sharing in Microsoft 365 (Admin Only)
Administrators must first configure the global organization policies to allow external sharing for SharePoint and OneDrive.
Collaborate Easily with WPS Office Cloud
If you are looking for an easier way to collaborate and manage documents, WPS Office offers a seamless alternative. With built-in WPS Cloud storage, sharing files with external partners is intuitive and secure, while maintaining full compatibility with Microsoft Office formats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the option to share with people outside my organization grayed out?
This happens when your Microsoft 365 administrator has disabled external sharing for your organization. You must contact your IT support team to have external sharing enabled in the SharePoint admin center.
Will sharing a single folder give the vendor access to my entire OneDrive?
No. When you use the 'Specific people' option to share a specific folder, the external vendor is only granted access to that exact folder and the files within it. Your other folders and company directories remain completely secure.
Can external vendors edit the files if they do not have a Microsoft account?
Yes. Depending on your organization's guest sharing settings, external vendors can receive a secure, one-time verification code via email that allows them to access and edit the shared folder without needing to create a dedicated Microsoft account.
