Someone needs to get at a folder, or a client needs a file that is too big to email. Sharing in Microsoft 365 is easy, which is the problem - the quickest option is usually the least safe one. Here is the short version of how to do it properly without needing to understand permissions.

Sharing with a colleague

For anything more than a one-off, ask us to add the person to the group or Team that owns the folder rather than sharing the folder with them directly. It takes us a minute, they get everything they should have in one go, and when they change roles or leave there is one place to change. Folders shared one at a time become invisible over the years and are the main reason people still have access to things they should not.

For a genuine one-off, share it yourself:

1. Find the folder or file in SharePoint, Teams or OneDrive on the web.
2. Click the three dots next to it and choose Share.
3. Click the line at the top of the box that describes who the link works for, and choose People you choose or People in your organisation. Avoid Anyone with the link, which works for anybody who is forwarded it.
4. Decide whether they need to edit. If they only need to read it, untick Allow editing. This is the single most useful thing on this screen.
5. Type their name, add a short note so they know what it is, and click Send.

Sharing outside the business

Clients, accountants, bookkeepers, insurers and lawyers all need files from time to time. Do it like this:

1. Choose Share, then set the link to People you choose and type their email address. The link will then only work for the person who can prove they own that mailbox.
2. Untick Allow editing unless they genuinely need to change the document.
3. Click the gear or settings icon in the share box and set an expiry date. Two weeks is plenty for most things. An expiring link cannot come back to bite you in three years.
4. Share the smallest thing that does the job. One file, or one folder made for the purpose - never the top-level folder that happens to contain it.
5. Never share a folder that contains staff records, payroll, contracts or anything with personal information in it without checking with us first. There is almost always a tidier way.

Checking and removing access

Click the three dots next to the file or folder and choose Manage access. You will see the people and the links that currently work. Click the X or the dropdown next to any entry to remove it. Do this whenever a project finishes or someone leaves a supplier, and once a year on anything sensitive.

The one thing people get caught by

Sharing a folder shares everything inside it, including files added to it later. If you share 2026 Jobs with a subcontractor in March, they can see whatever anyone drops into it in September as well. If you only want them to see part of it, ask us to make a separate folder rather than sharing the parent.

If you are not sure

Ask before you share, not after. Working out who should see what is a two-minute conversation, and it is a lot faster than unpicking a link that went to the wrong person. If a link has already gone somewhere it should not have, tell us straight away - we can switch the link off, see whether it was opened, and tidy up.

Still stuck?

Log a ticket at portal.yougrowit.com.au or email support@yougrowit.com.au. If it is stopping you working right now, call 03 9028 4358.

Support hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm Melbourne time, excluding Victorian public holidays.