How to Show External Sharing Details in a SharePoint Library Column
Question details
Users want to display a list of external users who have access to shared files or folders directly within a SharePoint library column.
- Product
- SharePoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Tracking file permissions and auditing external document sharing within a SharePoint document library.
- Observed behavior
- The built-in 'Shared With' and 'Shared With Details' columns in SharePoint only display internal users. They fail to list external guest users who have access to the shared files.
Ensure you have Site Owner or Full Control permissions in your SharePoint environment to access detailed permissions reports and audit logs.
Enable Built-In Sharing Columns for Internal Users
Use this method to display the built-in sharing columns in your library, keeping in mind they will only populate internal user data.
SharePoint hides the 'Shared With' columns by default until a file is explicitly shared. While this will not show external users, it is the necessary first step to view internal sharing details in your library view.
Select any file or folder in your SharePoint document library and share it with at least one internal user in your organization.
Click on the 'All Documents' view dropdown menu (or your current view name) in the top right corner of the library and select 'Edit current view'.
Scroll down the list of available columns, check the boxes next to 'Shared With' and 'Shared With Details', and click 'OK' to save the view.
Use Permissions Reports and Audit Data for External Users
Since SharePoint lacks a native library column for external users, you must rely on site-level reporting tools to track external sharing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't the 'Shared With' column show external users in SharePoint?
SharePoint's native 'Shared With' and 'Shared With Details' columns are programmed to query your organization's internal Active Directory. They do not index or retrieve external guest user accounts, even if those accounts have been granted access to the file.
Can I create a custom column to automatically show external sharing details?
You cannot achieve this using standard calculated columns. Automatically displaying external users in a custom column typically requires building a Power Automate flow that triggers on sharing events to populate a text column, or utilizing custom SharePoint Framework (SPFx) development.
How do I instantly check if a specific SharePoint file is shared externally?
Select the file in the document library, open the details pane by clicking the 'i' icon in the upper right, and click 'Manage Access'. This panel clearly displays all active sharing links and external guests with current access to the document.
Are external sharing events recorded anywhere for administrators?
Yes. Microsoft 365 administrators can use the Unified Audit Log in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal to search for sharing invitations and access events. This log records exactly when a file was shared, by whom, and the external email address it was sent to.
