How to Lock a File in SharePoint Document Library?

SharePoint document library allows us to set the password while sharing files. As a result, we can secure our files. In this SharePoint Online tutorial, I will show you step-by-step instructions on how to lock a file in a SharePoint document library by password.

Locking a file or folder is possible, when we share a document library files or folders with external users. Even though we can set a password for SharePoint Online document library files or folders with internal users, it won’t work for internal users.

Also, if anyone wants to unlock a file, only that user can open a file and view it by entering the password.

Lock a File in a SharePoint Online Document Library

To lock a file within a SharePoint document library and share it with users, Follow the below-mentioned steps:

• Enable Sharing Settings to Anyone for the User Site
• Deactivate the Limited-access user permission lockdown mode
• Share a file by locking in a SharePoint Online document library

Enable Sharing Settings to Anyone at Site Level

In this section, I will show you how to enable sharing settings to Anyone at a site level through a SharePoint admin center.

By default, external sharing will be enabled for anyone at a SharePoint Tenant level.

• Open a SharePoint admin center, Expand Sites, and click on Active sites.

• Search and select a site for which we need to enable sharing settings to anyone.

• In the Settings tab, Choose Anyone in External file sharing and click on Save.

This is how to enable external sharing to anyone at a site level in a SharePoint Online document library.

How to Deactivate Limited-access User Permission in Lockdown Mode

Now, I will show you the next step i.e.: deactivating limited access user permissions lockdown mode in a SharePoint Online site.

When the Limited-access user permission lockdown mode is enabled, permissions for users in “limited access” permissions level (such as Anonymous Users) are reduced, preventing access to Application Pages.

• Open a SharePoint Online site, Select Site information under Settings, and Click on View all site settings.

• Select Site collection features under Site Collection Administration on the Settings page.

• Go to Limited-access user permission lockdown mode, Click on the Deactivate button.

• It will redirect to the next page to confirm deactivation; click on the Deactivate this feature.

This is how to deactivate the limited-access user permission lockdown mode under site collection administration.

Share a File by Locking in a SharePoint Online Document Library

Now, I will explain how to share a file with file locking in a SharePoint Online document library.

• Open a SharePoint Online document library; select a file you want to share bylock.

• Click on the Share option, that is present next to the selected item or else in the command bar.

• Then, a Share dialogue box will appear; click on Sharing settings.

• In Sharing settings, set a strong password for a file that needs to be shared with the users and Click on Apply.

• Then, it will again open a Share dialogue box, here I was giving an email id of external users.

• Whenever a user tries to open a SharePoint document library file, it will ask to Enter a password to unlock it, as shown below figure:

This is how to Share a file by locking it in a SharePoint Online document library.

Conclusion

Through this SharePoint tutorial, I have demonstrated how to lock a document library file in a SharePoint site. And also I have shown you the steps to lock a file within a SharePoint document library such as:

Steps:

• Enable Sharing Settings to Anyone for the User Site
• Deactivate Limited-access user permission lockdown mode
• Share a file by locking in a SharePoint Online document library

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