Share SharePoint Files outside of the University

Owned by Dan Jakubiak
Last updated: Aug 18, 2023
3 min read

Just like OneDrive files, SharePoint files can be shared with users who are not members of the university. There are two methods of sharing files with non “@uconn.edu” email addresses.

1) Send as Attachment

Faculty, Staff, and Students can send files from SharePoint as attachments to an email address. This method is similar to sending any other file with an email. This method creates a new file and sends it to the email recipient; changes the recipient makes will not be reflected in your copy of the file.

This method works with every SharePoint site.

Learn how:

2) External Sharing

Faculty, Staff, and Students may utilize “external sharing” to collaborate on files with users that do not have an “@uconn.edu” email address. Users must follow this method if they would like the recipients to upload files and/or collaborate in real-time in Microsoft 365 files (Word, Excel, etc). With this method, changes by the recipient will be reflected in the file in your SharePoint.

This method requires you to reach out to techsupport@uconn.edu and request that “external sharing" be enabled. This option can be turned on and off on a per-site basis. External sharing is required for UCHC and Foundation members.

Generating a universal link to the item

This link can be sent to specific people or posted on a page so that visitors may click on it. Be conscious of your choice or granting viewing privileges vs editing privileges. The option of adding a password is available.

  1. Find the item(s) you would like to share and right click on it. Click on Share.

    1. You may find the file/folder in File Explorer (Windows), Finder (macOS), or at s.uconn.edu/sharepoint.

    2. If you are using File Explorer, you may need to first click on OneDrive and then Share.

  2. Click on the settings gear in the top-right corner of the popup window.

  3. Choose the option Anyone.

    1. If you cannot click on Anyone please reach out to techsupport@uconn.edu to have ITS enable this option for you. It is disabled by default in SharePoint (not OneDrive).

  4. Next, look at the More settings portion, be very mindful of your choices here.

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

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

    3. MM/DD/YYYY: This field allows you to set an expiration date for this link. After this date, the link will not work for anyone.

    4. Set password: Since this link is accessible by anyone, you may want to add a password. Be sure to share this password with the intended recipients.

    5. If you have chosen Can view, you will see Block download as a final option. When sharing files online, always remember that restricting downloads isn’t 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. They may also take a screenshot of the shared file, or even use their phone to take a picture of the screen.

  5. Click Apply and you will be brought back to the Share window.

    1. You may now type non “@uconn.edu” addresses into the Add a name, group, or email field.

    2. Note the new text: “Anyone with the link can [edit]”.

  6. Click Send when ready.

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