File Sharing Problems

How to Share Excel Links to Product Photos and Catalog Files

Nimra Malik Oct 13, 2026 871 views

Question details

The user needs to share an Excel workbook containing links to product photos and catalog files, but the customer cannot open the linked files because the hyperlinks point to local OneDrive synchronization paths.

How to Share Excel Links to Product Photos and Catalog Files

Product: Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Sharing an Excel product catalog or workbook that contains external links to image files and documents with a customer.
Observed behavior: When the customer clicks the links in the shared Excel file, the product photos and catalog files fail to open because the links reference a local folder path on the sender's computer instead of a publicly accessible URL.

Before you start

Ensure that all the product photos and catalog files you intend to link in your Excel workbook are fully uploaded to a cloud storage service like OneDrive or a shared network drive, and that you have permission to share them externally.

Solution 1Recommended

Replace Local OneDrive Paths with Shared Cloud URLs

Upload your linked files to a shared cloud folder and update the Excel hyperlinks to use public or shared web URLs instead of local drive paths.

Local OneDrive synchronization paths (like C:\Users\Name\OneDrive\...) only point to the files on your physical computer. For an external customer to access these files, you must generate a web-based sharing link and use that in your Excel workbook.

Upload files to a cloud folder

Open your web browser and navigate to OneDrive. Upload your Excel workbook along with all corresponding product photos and catalog files into a dedicated online folder.

Generate shared links

Right-click the uploaded photo or catalog file in OneDrive online, select 'Share', and choose 'Copy link'. Ensure the link permissions are set to allow the customer to view the file.

Update Excel hyperlinks

Open your Excel workbook, right-click the cell containing the broken link, and select 'Edit Hyperlink'. Paste the newly copied shared URL into the 'Address' field and click 'OK'.

Replace Local OneDrive Paths with Shared Cloud URLs

Access Permissions: Make sure the share links are set to 'Anyone with the link can view' if your customer does not have an account within your organization's network.

Solution 2

Use Network Paths for Internal Sharing

If the customer is on the same local network, you can use standard network paths (UNC paths) instead of local C: drive paths.

Efficient Spreadsheet Management

Easily Manage and Share Linked Spreadsheets with WPS Office

WPS Spreadsheet provides a robust and user-friendly interface for managing hyperlinks and sharing files. You can easily update local paths to cloud URLs, ensuring your shared product catalogs and photo links work seamlessly for your clients.

1. Open your workbook in WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office, click on 'Open', and select your product catalog spreadsheet.
2. Locate and edit the hyperlink: Right-click the cell that contains the product photo link and select 'Edit Hyperlink' from the context menu.
3. Update the link address: Paste the accessible cloud share URL into the 'Address' bar at the bottom of the dialog box and click 'OK' to save the changes.
4. Share the document securely: Use the built-in 'Share' button in the top right corner of WPS Office to generate a secure, accessible link to share the entire workbook with your customer.

Highly compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls) files and complex hyperlink structures.Easily insert, edit, and manage bulk hyperlinks for large product catalogs.Lightweight and free to use, featuring built-in secure cloud collaboration and sharing capabilities.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my Excel hyperlinks work for me but not for my customer?

Hyperlinks pointing to a local directory (like C:\Users\YourName\OneDrive) only work on the computer where that specific folder exists. To fix this, you must change the hyperlink to a web-accessible URL or a shared network path.

Can I share a whole folder of images linked to my Excel file at once?

Yes. You can upload the entire folder of product photos to a cloud storage service, share the folder link with your customer so they have access permissions, and then use the individual web links for each photo in your Excel workbook.

Is there a way to quickly find and replace local paths in an Excel workbook?

You can use the Find and Replace tool (Ctrl+H) in Excel to search for the local path prefix (e.g., C:\Users\) and replace it with the new network base URL, provided your hyperlinks are formula-based (using the HYPERLINK function). For embedded hyperlinks, you may need to update them manually or use a macro.

Document & File Issues