How can I create a shared folder in OneDrive?

How can I add a shared folder in OneDrive?

How can I sync OneDrive shared folders to my local computer?

 Restoring lost data is just a matter of a few clicks

Try SysCloud out with a FREE trial and discover how much faster, easier, and more flexible backups could be - for everyone in your organization. 

Start enjoying faster and easier backups, today

Try SysCloud's Backup Solution

Following best practices for OneDrive shared folders ensures efficient collaboration and data security. 

• Set clear permissions and access levels to control who can view, edit, or share files. 

• Regularly review shared folders and access permissions to prevent unauthorized access. 

• SysCloud provides automated backup and recovery for OneDrive, ensuring all shared folder data is securely backed up and easily recoverable, protecting against accidental deletions and data loss.

Have you ever used OneDrive shared folder and files?

In the past 10 years, more than 115 million customers – including 85% of the Fortune 500 companies – have stored and shared data using OneDrive.

So, what exactly is OneDrive shared folder, and how to create and share them with your team?

OneDrive is a cloud service offered by Microsoft, which allows you to create, store, and protect your files; share them with others, and access them from anywhere on all your devices – laptop, mobile, PC, etc.

OneDrive shared folder contains files and sub-folders that are shared with you. These files and folders are mainly shared with different users in the organization for collaboration purposes.

When you use OneDrive linked to an account provided by your company or school, it’s referred to as OneDrive for Business. In this article, we are discussing only OneDrive for Business.

For more information on OneDrive for Business, click here.

Follow these steps to create a shared folder in OneDrive:

Step 1: Click on the File Explorer icon on your system.

Step 2: Right-click on the folder you want to share and select the “Give access to” option.

Step 3: Select the “Specific people…” option.

Step 4: Click on the drop-down menu and select the user you want to share the file with.

Step 5: Click on the “Add” option to add the user.

Step 6: By default, the added user is given access to read the OneDrive shared folder or file. You can give them edit access or remove their access completely by selecting the option as given below.

Step 7: Click on “Share” button to share the file or folder with the recipient.

You can also share files and folders from your online OneDrive application. Here’s how to do it.

Adding a shared folder to your own OneDrive makes it easier to edit and work with the folder and its content. 

Note: Shared folders added to your OneDrive do not use any of your OneDrive storage space. They only count against the folder owner’s storage space.

Here is how you can add a shared folder to your OneDrive:

Step 1: Login to your Microsoft 365 account and click on ‘OneDrive’.

Step 3: Locate the folder that you want to add and click on ‘Add shortcut to OneDrive’.

1. You can’t add multiple shared folders to your OneDrive at a time.

2. You can only add shared folders to your OneDrive and not shared files.

The ‘Shared with me’ section shows you files that others have shared with you. When a user shares one of his file/folders with you, it automatically appears in the ‘Shared with me’ list.

Here’s how you can see files or folders shared with you:

Step 1: Log in to your Office 365 account. 

Step 3: In the navigation panel, click on ‘Shared’ > ‘Shared with you’ to view files that are shared with you.

Step 4: You can use either the ‘Sort’ option or filter option to easily find the file that is shared with you.

Note:  Any items shared with you for which the permission was set to ‘Anyone’ with the link can view and edit won’t appear in your ‘Shared with me’ view, even if the person entered your email address when they shared the item.

Yes, you can move shared files in OneDrive. When you move files between shared folders, it loses its existing permissions and acquires the permission of the folder to which it is moved to. For example, if a file in a shared folder is moved to an unshared folder, it means that the file is not shared with anyone else.

It is also important to note that you can only move shared files and not move shared folders on OneDrive.com. If you sync OneDrive to your computer, any shared folder you move is copied to the destination location and then removed from your OneDrive. It is still available in your Shared list.

If you don’t want to access a file or a folder that is shared with you, you can remove them from the shared folder. Only the owner of the shared file/folder has the permission to delete it. 

Note: Removing an item from your shared list doesn’t take away your permissions from the item. You can always access the file again using its link.

Step 1: Log in to your Office 365 account.

Step 2: Click on ‘OneDrive’ > ‘Shared’.

Step 3: Select the file that you want to remove.

Step 4: Click on ‘Remove from shared list’.

The file also gets removed from your shared folder if the owner of the file either deletes the file or revokes your permission.

Follow these steps to sync OneDrive shared folder to your local computer:

Step 1: Click on the Cloud icon on your desktop.

Step 2: Click on the “Sign in” button.

Step 3: Enter your login credentials in the dialog box and click on the “Sign in” button.

Step 4: After entering the credentials, click on the “Next” button.

Step 5: Click on the arrow at the bottom right-hand corner of the window till you finish the launch.

Step 6: Click on the “Open my OneDrive folder” button

Step 7: You will find all your files to be synced with the local system

The downside to this feature is that if you delete a file or folder by mistake, it will be deleted from your local storage too. Once deleted from the recycle bin, the folder or file would be lost forever!

Follow these steps to share OneDrive files:

Step 1: Log in to your Office 365 account using your credentials.

Step 2: Once you log in, click on the “OneDrive” application under the Apps section

Step 3: You will see a list of files and folders in your OneDrive. Select the required file or folder that you want to share and click on on the “share” icon at the top left-hand side of the window.

Note: You can only share one file or folder at a time. If you want to share multiple files or folders, you have to repeat this step as many times as required.

Step 4: Enter the email address of the recipient and click on the “Send” button.

Step 5: Alternatively, you can also use the link to the file or folder in OneDrive to share it. Click on the ellipsis option next to the file or folder name and select the “Copy link” option.

Step 6: You will get a shareable link to the OneDrive file or folder. Click on the “Copy” option to share it.

Step 7: You can also limit the access when you share. Click on the tab as shown below.

Step 8: From this list, you can select who can access the OneDrive shared folder or file with its link. You can also choose whether you want to give permission to edit the content, by checking or unchecking the “Allow editing” option.

Step 9: Click on the “Apply” button to confirm the changes.

Follow these steps to stop sharing a document on OneDrive:

Step 2: Click on the “Shared” option in the left pane of the OneDrive application.

Step 3: Go to the “Shared by you” section.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Step 4: Select the shared file or folder and click on the “Manage Access” option.

Step 5: To stop sharing the file entirely, click “Stop sharing”.

Step 6: To stop sharing with specific people, expand the list under a specific people link and click the “X” to remove someone.

How can I give direct access to shared files and folders in OneDrive?

As the name suggests, ‘Direct Access’ option gives users direct access to your shared files or folder. To give direct access permission:

Step 1: Login to your Microsoft 365 account.

Step 3: Click on the three dots next to the file that you want to share. Select the option, ‘Manage access’.

Step 4: Click on the ‘+’ icon next to the Direct access section.

Step 5: Enter the name or email id of the user(s) with whom you want to share the file.

Step 6: You can also decide on the level of access that you want to give to these users.

Step 7: Once done, click on ‘Grant access’.

Data is the most important asset for any organization. Hence, it is important to keep your critical business data safe.

Actionable insights, best practices and tips for IT admins to protect SaaS data.

Explore SaaS 
data protection center

Get expert insights on SaaS data and security

A Definitive Guide to Using OneDrive Shared Folder and Files

I acknowledge cookies need to be deleted from my browser to remove tracking.

Ensure complete tracking removal by deleting cookies from your browser. Click here to learn how.

These cookies are set through our site by a range of third-party social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. These cookies are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies, you may not be able to use or see the social media sharing tools.

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. The cookies may be set by us or third-party providers in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous.

This website uses cookies. We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyze our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services.Learn more about how we process personal data in our  Privacy Policy.

These cookies are set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you disable these cookies, you will experience fewer or no targeted advertising. You may still see advertisements.

What Is Google Vault? How Is It Different from Backup?

12 Reasons Why You Need Google Workspace Backup

How to Back up Google Drive: A Complete Guide

How to Backup Your Gmail Emails: A Step-By-Step Guide

An Admin’s Guide to SharePoint Online Backup

10 Critical Reasons to Backup Microsoft 365 Data Immediately!

How to Backup OneDrive for Business: A Complete Guide for Admins

How to Backup Outlook Emails: A Complete Guide (with screenshots)

Top 5 Ways to Back up Outlook Emails

Microsoft Teams Recovery Wizard

Gmail Recovery Wizard

Google Classroom Recovery Wizard

Google Sites Recovery Wizard

OneDrive Recovery Wizard

SharePoint Recovery Wizard

How to Prevent Cyberbullying in Schools: Strategies, Tips, & Best Practices

Mental Health in Schools – The Ultimate Guide for School Administrators

How to Recover Deleted Emails from Gmail for Business

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from Google Drive for Business

How to Recover Deleted Gmail Account – A Complete Guide

How to Recover Deleted SharePoint Files in Microsoft Office 365?

How to Recover Deleted Outlook Emails in Microsoft 365?

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from OneDrive for Business

SaaS Backup Buying Guide

How to Transfer Your Google Drive Files to Another Account

Shared Drive for the Confused – Google Drive vs. Shared (Team) Drives

A Complete Guide to Google Organizational Units

How to Use Google Takeout for Business: A Complete Guide

How to Delete a Google and Gmail Account

How to Import MBOX into Gmail: A Step-By-Step Guide

Demystifying Google Drive Document Sharing

Google Vault: The Ultimate Guide for IT Administrators (Updated)

Google G Suite Primary Domain Change Migration Guide

A Complete Guide to Azure AD Administrative Units

Why do IT Admins Prefer SysCloud for SaaS Backup?

FERPA Compliance: A Complete Guide for Educational Institutions

Ransomware Recovery Guide: How to Recover from a Ransomware Attack

Gmail Security Settings: Strengthen Gmail Security against Phishing and Ransomware

5 Microsoft 365 Admin Center Outlook Settings to Stop Phishing Attacks

Insider Threats : A Guide to Your Cloud Apps Security

The State of G Suite Third-Party App Security – 2018 Report

14 Types of Phishing Attacks That IT Administrators Should Watch For

16 Top Brands That Scammers Target for Brand Impersonation Attack

How to Prevent a Phishing Attack? 17 Easy Hacks for Administrators

Google Drive Security : 3 Ways to Guarantee Safety

How Compliance to PCI Can Be Achieved in Google G Suite

SOX Compliance in Google Apps

Top 3 Critical Security Mistakes When Configuring a Google Apps Domain

Do you know how to use OneDrive shared folder and files or create shared folders? Did you know you can sync OneDrive with your laptop? Read on to know more!

An in-depth guide on how to use OneDrive shared folders and files.

A Definitive Guide to Using OneDrive Shared Folder and Files

What Is OneDrive shared folder?

How can I create a shared folder in OneDrive?

How can I add a shared folder in OneDrive?

How can I find a shared folder in OneDrive?

Can I move files and folders in OneDrive?

How can I remove a file from the shared folder?

How can I sync OneDrive shared folders to my local computer?

How can I share Onedrive files and folders?

How can I unshare a document in Onedrive?

Why should I backup my OneDrive data?

How can I backup my OneDrive data?

Frequently asked questions on OneDrive

1. What to do if my OneDrive files are not syncing?

2. Are OneDrive files stored locally?

3. How do I remove/uninstall OneDrive for Business?

4. Can anyone see my OneDrive files?

5. How do I upload files to OneDrive?

6. How to restore deleted files and folders on OneDrive?