Generate a Link to Items in my OneDrive

UConn faculty, staff, and students can share files from OneDrive with UConn and non-UConn recipients by sending them a link. Follow this guide when you need to post a link to your items, rather than sending them directly to recipients.

There are many ways to share files uploaded or saved in OneDrive. For a comprehensive overview on how to share a file, view the article Sharing Files or Folders on OneDrive. It describes the process of sharing files from File Explorer, from the Microsoft 365 website, as an attachment, or with another Office 365 application, like Word or Excel. This article focuses on the process and permissions for sending a direct link.

Windows

1. Once you have logged into your computer and are looking at your desktop, open File Explorer by clicking the icon, using the keyboard shortcut (Windows Key + E), or searching for it in the Start menu.

   Open

   

   1. Navigate to the file or folder you would like to keep local.

2. Click on OneDrive - University of Connecticut in the left-hand menu. This will show you all of your backed up files.

3. Navigate to the file/folder that you would like to share.

4. Right-click on the item and choose OneDrive then Copy link.

   Open

   

5. Continue at the Generate Link section below the MacOS information.

MacOS

1. Open Finder by clicking on the icon or by pressing Command + Spacebar on your keyboard and searching for Finder.

2. Click on OneDrive in the left column.

3. Find the folder/file that you would like to share and right-click on it.

4. Choose the OneDrive Share option.

5. Continue below.

Generate Link

1. In the Copy link section of the popup window, click on the text below “Copy link” to open the sharing settings.

   1. Anyone with the link will create a public link that anyone can click on and use

      1. Use a password if the files are in any way sensitive.

      2. You may also set the link to expire on a certain day. This will only stop the sharing and will not effect the file(s). Only you will be able to access the file(s) after this date.

   2. People in University of Connecticut with the link is similar to the previous option, however the recipients will need to sign into their UConn Microsoft365 account to access the file(s).

   3. People with existing access can be thought of sending a reminder/notification to the recipients since they already have access.

2. Next, look at the Other settings portion:

   1. Can edit allows those who click on the link the ability to edit the file(s)

   2. Can view allows those who click on the link only view access; they cannot edit the file(s)

3. Then you will see Block download as a final option. When sharing files online, always remember that restricting downloads isn’t always a foolproof security tool.
   For example, if you share a word document, even with view-only access, a user may simply highlight all of the text and copy-paste it into their own document. The user hasn’t downloaded a file from you, but they have obtained its information.

Extra: Using the website to generate a link to items in my OneDrive

1. Navigate to https://uconn-my.sharepoint.com/ and sign in with your UConn email address and NetID password.

2. Click on My Files in the left-hand menu

3. Find the item (file or folder) that you would like to share.

4. Right click on the item(s) and choose Copy link

5. Now follow the instructions above!