Manage External Users in SharePoint

Owned by Dan Jakubiak
Last updated: Mar 11, 2024
4 min read

UConn SharePoint sites can have external members. An “external user” is anyone who is not using an “@uconn.edu” email address; this includes UConn Health Center (UCHC) and UConn Foundation.

The external user needs a Microsoft account in order to edit files or add their own to the SharePoint site. Microsoft accounts can be created and used for free until the user needs more cloud storage. Your data as a UConn user does not count against an external user’s storage quota.

Adding external users

  1. Navigate to s.uconn.edu/sharepoint and click on your SharePoint site.

  2. Click the Settings gear icon in the upper right. It may take a moment for this icon to load.

  3. Click Site Permissions.

  4. Click Advanced permissions settings.

  5. Click on the group in which you would like to add users.

    1. Owners can make administrative changes to the site and add/remove users.

    2. Members can add, edit, and delete files.

    3. Visitors can only read/view files.

  6. Click on New and then Add Users.

  7. Type out the email addresses of those you would like to add to your SharePoint site.

  8. Click Share when you are done.

  9. You may close this popup window now.

Alternate: Add Users by having them Request Access

If you would instead like your users to request access to your SharePoint site, you can follow these instructions.

  1. Navigate to s.uconn.edu/sharepoint and click on your SharePoint site.

  2. Highlight the URL in your browser in order to copy your site URL. Copy up to the end of the name of your site between the two slashes, as shown below.

  3. Copy this link and send it to your users.

  4. When they clink on the link, they will be brought to a UConn log in screen. They must type in their email address that is associated with their Microsoft account.

  5. Once they sign in, they will have the opportunity to type a message before they click on Request Access.

  6. Note that they cannot request access to a subset of the data on the site, they must request access to the entire site.

  7. You will receive an email notifying you of their request.

    1. If they should have access to the entire site, you may grant it from this email

    2. If they should only have access to a subset of the site’s data, please view this guide: Users Request Access to SharePoint Folder.

  8. Once you have granted them access, you are done.

Remove existing external members

Removing members is a very similar process to adding them; you must visit the Group in Outlook.

  1. Navigate to s.uconn.edu/sharepoint and click on your SharePoint site.

  2. Click the Settings gear icon in the upper right. It may take a moment for this icon to load.

  3. Click Site Permissions.

  4. Click Advanced permissions settings.

  5. Click on the group in which you would like to remove users.

  6. Check the check boxes of the users you would like to remove.

  7. Click on Actions and then Remove Users from Group.

  8. Click Ok in the popup window.

Help guide to send to External Users

Join SharePoint as an External User

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