Data Protection Issues

How to Investigate an Unexpected SharePoint Sharing Invitation

Bushra Parveen Oct 10, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to find out how and why an unprompted SharePoint or OneDrive sharing invitation for a specific file was sent to numerous employees.

How to Investigate an Unexpected SharePoint Sharing Invitation

Product: SharePoint Online / OneDrive for Business
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: A file was distributed to approximately 200 recipients as individual email addresses, but the owner claims they did not manually initiate this sharing action.
Observed behavior: Multiple employees received file sharing invitations that appear to have been sent automatically or unexpectedly, without the file owner's direct involvement.

Before you start

To investigate sharing events in Microsoft 365, ensure you have an administrator account with access to the Microsoft Purview compliance portal and that audit logging is enabled for your organization.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Microsoft Purview Audit Logs to Identify the Sender

Since SharePoint and OneDrive do not share files automatically, you must review the Microsoft 365 audit logs to track down the exact user or system account that triggered the sharing action.

Every sharing action in SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business is logged. By searching the audit logs, administrators can pinpoint whether a human user, a compromised account, or an automated background process initiated the invitations.

Log in to Microsoft Purview

Navigate to the Microsoft Purview compliance portal using your Microsoft 365 global administrator or compliance administrator credentials.

Access the Audit Tool

In the left-hand navigation pane, scroll down and click on 'Audit' to open the audit log search interface.

Configure Search Parameters

Set the date and time range to cover when the unexpected invitations were sent. In the 'Activities' dropdown, search for and select 'Shared file, folder, or site' and 'Created sharing invitation'.

Run Search and Analyze

Click 'Search' and review the results. Look at the 'User' column to see which account initiated the action. Expand the record details to verify the file name and recipient list.

Escalate to Microsoft Support

If the activity shows a system account, an unrecognizable app ID, or if the log yields no clear result, open a support ticket through the Microsoft 365 admin center for deeper technical assistance.

Use Microsoft Purview Audit Logs to Identify the Sender

Audit Log Delay: It can take up to 30 minutes or sometimes up to 24 hours for events to appear in the Microsoft Purview audit logs after they occur.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can SharePoint or OneDrive share files automatically on their own?

No, SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business do not spontaneously share files. Actions are typically initiated by a user with permissions, an automated workflow (like Power Automate), or a third-party application integrated with Microsoft 365.

How do I stop sharing a file if it was sent by mistake?

Locate the file in your OneDrive or SharePoint library, click the three dots (More options) next to it, and select 'Manage Access'. From there, you can delete the sharing links or remove direct access for specific individuals.

What if my account was compromised and sent the invitations?

If you suspect a security breach, immediately reset your password, ensure Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is enabled, sign out of all active sessions via the Microsoft 365 admin center, and have your administrator review the account for malicious forwarding rules.

How long are audit logs retained in Microsoft Purview?

For organizations with standard Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 licenses, audit logs are typically retained for 180 days by default. However, this retention period can vary based on your specific subscription and customized retention policies.

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