How to Share a SharePoint Online Site [Share with External Users]

In this SharePoint online tutorial, we are going to learn how to share a SharePoint online site. I will show you how to share a SharePoint Online Communication site as well as a Team site with Internal users. Also, we will see, how to share a SharePoint online site with external users.

How to share a SharePoint Online Team or Communication site

Here, I have taken an example of a communication site, but it will work the same as a SharePoint team site.

Here, we are going to see how to share a SharePoint online Communication site. For example, this is the Communication site ‘Dell Jobs and Careers’ we are going to share with our organization members.

• Open your SharePoint Communication site, that you have created, and Navigate to this https://<your-domain>.sharepoint.com/sites/<site name>. For example https://tsinfotechnologies.sharepoint.com/sites/DellJobsandCareers.

• Open the Communication site on ‘Dell Jobs and Careers‘. This is our communication site.

• Now, click on the Share button which is located at the right corner top of the page.

• Then a dialog box pops up with the ‘Share site’ name showing the option ‘Add users, Microsoft 365 Groups, or security groups to give them access to the site’.
• Give a name of a person with whom you want to share the SharePoint site present in the organization.
• Then, select the level of access (i.e Full control, Edit, Read). For example, I have given permission to Read i.e user will have read access for example a user can view the list item and pages, also they can download these list items.
• Send mail, this is to inform the member that they have access to this SharePoint site.

• Click on Share and it will be shared with the particular selected person.

This is how we can share a SharePoint Communication site with Organization members.

How to share a SharePoint online Team site

Here, we are going to see how to share a SharePoint online Team site. For example, this is the Team site ‘Team project‘ we are going to share this with our organization members.

• To open a SharePoint Team site, which we have created, Navigate to this URL https://<tenant name>.sharepoint.com/sites/<site name>. For example https://tsinfotechnologies.sharepoint.com/sites/Teamproject then the ‘Team Project’ which we have created opened up.

• At the top right corner of the page, click on the Setting icon.

• After we click on the setting icon a dialog box pops up with options, select Site permissions as shown below

• On top of the Permissions dialog box, the option Add members is located -> expand Add members.
• Then two more option shows up Add members to the group from here we can add a member in which group (i.e in Site owner, Site members, Site visitors) we want.

• Now, when we select the Share site only a dialog box pops up with the Share site where we have to provide a name whom we have to add. For example, I have added Hemashree.
• Send email: This is to inform Hemshree that she has access to this SharePoint site.
• Click on Add button.

This is how we can share a SharePoint Team site with the same organization member.

How to share a SharePoint site with an External user

Here, we know how to share a SharePoint site with external users. To do that we need to do some changes :

• Enable External Sharing at the Tenant Level
• Enable External Sharing at the SharePoint Site Level

Note

To Enable External Sharing at the Tenant Level you must be a SharePoint Administrator or Global Administrator to change the sharing setting of a SharePoint site whereas Site owner is not allow to change the sharing setting.

Enable External Sharing at the Tenant Level

Let’s find out how to Enable External Sharing at the Tenant Level

• To open the SharePoint admin center, Navigate to this URL https://<tenant name>-admin.sharepoint.com. For example https://tsinfotechnologies-admin.sharepoint.com
• SharePoint admin center window opens up, then select Sharing located under Policies.

• Sharing window opens up in the SharePoint admin center with several options as listed below:
  • External sharing: Here it asked with whom you want to share the content, for example, I have selected Anyone as shown below:
    • Anyone: Here anyone can access the shared item who has the link without any authentication.
    • New and existing guests: In this, they need to sign in with Microsoft account through the invitation link.
    • Existing guests: Here, users can access the site who is already registered in the Organization.
    • Only people in your organization: Here sharing is done with an internal user of an organization.
  • When More external sharing settings expand it asked to allow different permission as listed below, which I have selected with my preferences.

• File and folder links: In this, I have selected the option with whom and how they can access the SharePoint site.

• Other settings: Here I have selected all three options, if you want can unselect which option you want.
• Now click on the Save button to save the changes.

This is how we can Enable External Sharing at the tenant level.

Enable External Sharing at the SharePoint Site Level

Let’s find out how to enable external sharing at the SharePoint site level.

• To open the SharePoint admin center, Navigate to this URL https://<tenant name>-admin.sharepoint.com. For example https://tsinfotechnologies-admin.sharepoint.com
• Now, click on Sites to gets expand and select Active sites.
• Select a site from Active sites. For example, I have selected a site ‘Event Calender’.
• Then, click on Sharing icon as shown below.

• After we click on Sharing a dialog box pops up with some options listed below.
• External sharing: Here we have to select with whom we want to share the Site content. For example, I have selected the option Anyone as shown below:
  • Anyone: Here anyone can access the shared item who has the link without any authentication.
  • New and existing guests: In this, they need to sign in with Microsoft account through the invitation link.
  • Existing guests: Here, users can access the site who is already registered in the Organization.
  • Only people in your organization: Here sharing is done with an internal user of an organization.

• Advanced settings for external sharing: Here, I have not selected the option as I don’t want to share through a domain.
• Expiration of guest access, here you choose the option as listed below if you want you can change it.
• Default sharing link type, here we have to choose the type of link where users share files and folders on this site. As you can see I have selected Anyone with the link, if you want you select the other option.

• Advanced settings for Anyone links: The link will get expired within 30 days as you can see.
• Default link permission: This link permission is provided to the user to View or Edit the SharePoint site. Now, click on the Save button.

This is how we can Enable External Sharing at the Site level.

In this way, we can share a SharePoint site with external users in SharePoint Online.

Conclusion

In this SharePoint Online tutorial, we learn how to share a SharePoint Communication site as well as a Team site and how to share a SharePoint site with external users. Also, we learn how to enable external sharing at the tenant level and site level in SharePoint Online.

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