File Sharing Problems

How to Share OneDrive Folders with a Group or Sharing Link

Camila Milosovich Oct 12, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to understand the most effective methods for sharing OneDrive folders with groups, maintaining permission inheritance, and managing sharing links.

How to Share OneDrive Folders with a Group or Sharing Link

Product: Microsoft OneDrive
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Sharing cloud folders securely with teams while ensuring access permissions are easily manageable and accurately inherited.
Observed behavior: Folder access control behaves differently depending on whether it is shared via a security group, the Grant Access feature, or unique sharing links, affecting how permissions are managed and revoked.

Before you start

Ensure you have owner or full-control permissions for the OneDrive folder you intend to share, and verify that your organization's IT policies allow external or group-based sharing.

Solution 1Recommended

Use a Mail-Enabled Security Group for Dynamic Access Management

This is the recommended approach for team sharing, as it allows access to be automatically granted or revoked based on group membership.

By utilizing a mail-enabled security group, administrators can centralize permission management. When an employee leaves a department, simply removing them from the group instantly revokes their access to the shared folder.

Select the Folder

Navigate to your OneDrive directory, right-click the folder you want to share, and select 'Manage Access'.

Grant Access to the Group

Click the '+' icon next to 'Direct Access' or select 'Grant Access'. Search for your organization's mail-enabled security group.

Assign Permissions

Choose the appropriate permission level (e.g., 'Can edit' or 'Can view') and click 'Grant' to apply the settings.

Best Practice: Managing folder access through group membership significantly reduces administrative overhead compared to managing individual user permissions.

Solution 2

Use 'Grant Access' to Maintain Inherited Permissions

Ideal for situations where you want the folder and its contents to strictly follow the permission structure of its parent directory without creating unique item-level links.

Solution 3

Review and Remove Specific Sharing Links

Use this method to audit existing permissions and revoke access for specific individuals or expired links.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happens when a user is removed from the mail-enabled security group?

When a user is removed from the security group, they automatically and immediately lose access to any OneDrive folders that were shared with that specific group. This makes security groups highly effective for managing departmental access.

Why is 'Grant Access' preferred over creating a sharing link?

'Grant Access' adds users directly to the item's permissions list, maintaining the folder's natural inheritance structure. Sharing links, on the other hand, create unique item-level permissions that can complicate access auditing and management over time.

Can I set an expiration date for my shared OneDrive folder links?

Yes. When you choose to share a folder using a link, you can click on the link settings (gear icon) before copying it. From there, you can set an expiration date and even assign a password to ensure the link automatically expires when no longer needed.

Document & File Issues