File Sharing Problems

How to Share OneDrive Excel Files Without Opening Individual Links

Nimra Malik Oct 8, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to grant organization-wide access to linked Excel workbooks without requiring users to manually open each OneDrive sharing link.

How to Share OneDrive Excel Files Without Opening Individual Links

Product: OneDrive for Business / Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Sharing multiple interlinked Excel workbooks across an organization using OneDrive for Business.
Observed behavior: Excel workbook references fail to update because users are forced to open each individual OneDrive sharing link before the file references can work.

Before you start

Ensure you have Microsoft 365 administrative or site owner permissions to create a SharePoint Document Library for your organization.

Solution 1Recommended

Store Workbooks in a SharePoint Document Library

By migrating your interlinked Excel files from individual OneDrive folders to a centralized SharePoint document library, users will automatically inherit access without needing to click individual sharing links.

OneDrive for Business is primarily designed for individual storage. When sharing interlinked Excel files, OneDrive requires users to authenticate each link.

SharePoint is designed for organizational collaboration. Storing linked workbooks here resolves reference issues instantly for all authorized users.

Create or Access a SharePoint Site

Log into your Microsoft 365 account and navigate to a SharePoint team site that your organization or target group can access.

Create a New Document Library

Click on 'New' from the SharePoint site homepage and select 'Document library'. Give the library a clear name, such as 'Shared Organization Workbooks'.

Upload the Excel Files

Move or upload all related and interlinked Excel workbooks from your OneDrive for Business into this new SharePoint document library.

Assign Organization-Wide Permissions

Click the 'Settings' gear icon, select 'Library settings', and adjust the permissions to grant access to 'Everyone except external users' or your specific organizational group.

Update Excel References

Open the master Excel workbook and ensure any external data links point to the new SharePoint file paths. Users can now access the referenced data without opening individual links.

Store Workbooks in a SharePoint Document Library

Seamless Access: Once permissions are set at the SharePoint library level, anyone in the organization can open the master workbook, and all background references will refresh automatically.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Seamless Team Collaboration

If you are tired of dealing with complex sharing links and broken file references, WPS Office provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative for your spreadsheet collaboration needs.

1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free WPS Office suite on your device.
2. Open Your Workbooks: Launch WPS Spreadsheets and open your existing .xlsx files directly; no format conversion is needed.
3. Collaborate via WPS Cloud: Upload your files to WPS Cloud and create a team folder to instantly grant access to your entire group without individual sharing links.

Completely free and lightweight Office suiteExcellent compatibility with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formats and formulasEasy team collaboration via WPS Cloud without complex link dependenciesFamiliar user interface enabling a seamless migration

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Excel workbook references break in OneDrive for Business?

When files are stored in individual OneDrive accounts, external workbook references often require the user to establish direct access by opening the specific sharing link first before the data can refresh.

Can I share a OneDrive folder instead of individual files to fix this?

Sharing an entire folder can grant access to its contents, but for reliable external data connections and organizational-wide sharing, Microsoft recommends using a SharePoint document library.

Does SharePoint require users to click sharing links first?

No. Once you assign the correct organization-wide permissions to a SharePoint document library, users automatically inherit access to all files within it, allowing Excel references to update automatically.

How do I check if my Excel links are broken?

In Excel, go to the 'Data' tab and click 'Edit Links' (or 'Workbook Links'). This will display all external references and their current status, allowing you to update paths to the new SharePoint location.

Document & File Issues