Permission & Access Issues

Why Random Guest Names Appear in Shared OneDrive Documents & How to Fix It

WPS Content Manager Oct 1, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to know why unknown or temporary names appear when people view their shared OneDrive or SharePoint documents, and how to prevent anonymous guests from accessing them.

Why Do Random Guest Names Appear in Shared OneDrive Documents?

Product: OneDrive and SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Sharing a document via a link and monitoring the active viewers or editors list.
Observed behavior: Random names consisting of fruits, animals, or unknown users (e.g., Avocado Guest, Martha Guest) unexpectedly appear in the active viewers list of the shared document.

Before you start

Ensure you have the necessary owner or editor permissions for the affected OneDrive or SharePoint document so you can successfully modify its sharing settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Restrict Access by Changing Link Permissions

Revoke anonymous access by deleting the current open link and generating a new one restricted to specific people.

When a file is shared using an 'Anyone with the link' URL, the system does not require users to sign in. To distinguish between multiple anonymous users, Microsoft automatically assigns temporary pseudonyms (like animal or fruit names). To resolve this, you must force users to sign in by changing the link type.

Open Manage Access

Locate your document in OneDrive or SharePoint, click the 'More options' (three dots) icon next to the file name, and select 'Manage access'.

Remove the Anonymous Link

Under the 'Links Giving Access' section, find the sharing link labeled 'Anyone with the link can view/edit' and click the trash can or remove icon to delete it permanently.

Create a New Restricted Link

Click on the 'Share' button again and click the settings gear icon to open the Link Settings panel.

Select Specific People

Choose the 'Specific people' option, check whether you want to allow editing privileges, and click 'Apply'.

Invite Authorized Users

Enter the email addresses of your intended recipients and send the new secure invitation. They will now be required to sign in with their Microsoft account, eliminating random guest names.

Restrict Access by Changing Link Permissions

Immediate Effect: As soon as you delete the old 'Anyone with the link' URL, any anonymous guests currently viewing or editing your document will instantly lose access.

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1. Open WPS Office: Launch the WPS Office suite and open the document you wish to share securely.
2. Click Share: Navigate to the top right corner of the workspace and click the 'Share' button.
3. Set Permissions: Select 'Specific People' to strictly control who can view or edit your document without generating anonymous links.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are these random guest names a sign that my account was hacked?

No. It simply means someone accessed your document using an anonymous sharing link. It is standard behavior for OneDrive and SharePoint to assign these placeholder names when recipients do not sign in.

Why did a random guest appear even when I sent the file directly to an email address?

If the document's link settings were previously set to 'Anyone with the link', forwarding that link or accessing it without logging into the associated Microsoft account will still trigger an anonymous guest name.

Can I find out the real identity of an anonymous guest?

Because the user did not sign into a Microsoft account, their identity is untraceable. You can only see the temporary placeholder name generated by the Microsoft system.

Document & File Issues