External sharing in SharePoint refers to the process of sharing files, folders, sites, or documents stored in SharePoint Online with individuals outside your organization. These could be partners, vendors, clients, or other stakeholders who do not have a license to your Microsoft 365 subscription.
Managing External File Sharing
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to manage external file sharing settings for SharePoint sites:
1. Access SharePoint Admin Center
As an admin, navigate to the SharePoint admin center. From there, open “Policies” on the left-hand side and then click on “Sharing”.
2. Select Appropriate Sharing Level
You will be presented with several options that determine how much your users can share. The options range from allowing sharing with anyone (even those without a Microsoft account), to only allowing sharing with existing users in your organization.
- Anyone: Allows users to share files and folders using links that allow anyone to access the document.
- New and Existing: Allows sharing only with external users who already have a guest account in your organization directory.
- Existing Guests: Allows users to share only with the external users who already have an access to your SharePoint Online.
- Only People in your Organization: Disallows all forms of external sharing.
3. Manage Link Expiration and Permissions
Under the same sharing tab, you can specify how long access links last before they must be renewed. You can also specify whether users can grant view-only access, or if they can provide editing permissions as well.
4. Limit Sharing by Domain
You might want to restrict sharing with certain domains either to prevent data leaks or to comply with company policy. Under ‘More external sharing settings’, you can list the domains you wish to exclude or only share with.
5. Save Changes
After setting your preferences, remember to save the changes.
Example:
In a scenario where a firm works with a few freelancers (who have Microsoft accounts) but doesn’t want its employees to share files indiscriminately with anyone, the admin can choose the ‘New and existing’ option under the sharing tab.
Comparison of Sharing Permissions
| Permission Level | Description |
|---|---|
| Anyone | Most relaxed, allows sharing with anyone, no account required. |
| New and Existing | Allows sharing with users who already have Microsoft accounts. |
| Existing Guests | Allows sharing only with users with pre-existing access. |
| Only People in your Organization | Strictest level, prohibits all kind of external sharing. |
Admins preparing for the MS-700 Managing Microsoft Teams exam should be comfortable controlling the external sharing settings to adequately secure the organization’s data while also providing necessary access to those who need it. By mastering this, admins can enhance their Teams’ collaborative capacities and keep company data safe.
Practice Test
True/False: You can manage external sharing settings for SharePoint from the SharePoint Admin Center.
- True
Answer: True.
Explanation: The SharePoint Admin Center provides comprehensive tools to manage the external file sharing settings for SharePoint sites.
What is the first step to control external sharing on a SharePoint Online Site?
- A. Create an external sharing policy
- B. Enable external sharing in the Microsoft 365 admin center
- C. Disable anonymous links
- D. Enable sharing violations
Answer: B. Enable external sharing in the Microsoft 365 admin center
Explanation: Before controlling external sharing on SharePoint, external sharing must first be enabled in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
True/False: Anyone link allows anyone with the link to access without needing to sign in.
- True
Answer: True.
Explanation: The Anyone link in SharePoint provides public access to files and doesn’t require sign-in.
In SharePoint, what does the term ‘guest’ refer to?
- A. Anonymous users
- B. External users who are invited into your SharePoint sites
- C. All users outside your organization
- D. All users with view-only access
Answer: B. External users who are invited into your SharePoint sites.
Explanation: In SharePoint, the term ‘guest’ specifically refers to external users that you have invited to access your sites.
True/False: Once set, the external sharing settings in SharePoint cannot be changed.
- False
Answer: False.
Explanation: External sharing settings in SharePoint can be changed or adjusted at any time to align with the user’s requirements or organization’s policies.
Which of these is not true about “Direct Access” in SharePoint online?
- A. It requires the recipient to sign in
- B. It requires authentication before accessing the file
- C. Users can share the link with others
- D. It offers better security
Answer: C. Users can share the link with others
Explanation: Direct access links in SharePoint can only be used by the intended recipient and cannot be shared with others.
Which sharing option in SharePoint gives the most access?
- A. Direct access
- B. Specific people
- C. People with existing access
- D. Anyone with the link
Answer: D. Anyone with the link
Explanation: The “Anyone with the link” option creates a link that can be used by anyone.
True/False: You can restrict sharing by domain in SharePoint.
- True
Answer: True.
Explanation: SharePoint allows you to restrict sharing by setting up a list of allowed or blocked domains.
What is the role of the feature “Allow External Sharing Only for Specific Security Groups” in SharePoint?
- A. It allows only certain groups to have external sharing permission
- B. It restricts all external sharing
- C. It allows external sharing for everyone
- D. None of the above
Answer: A. It allows only certain groups to have external sharing permission
Explanation: This feature provides the ability to limit external sharing to specific security groups.
True/False: An admin can create a custom external sharing policy and apply it to several sites.
- True
Answer: True.
Explanation: An admin can create a custom external sharing policy in the SharePoint admin center and apply it to as many sites as they want for better management and control.
Interview Questions
What is SharePoint in the context of Microsoft Teams?
SharePoint is a web-based collaborative platform integrated with Microsoft Office. It is primarily sold as a document management and storage system, but the product is highly configurable and usage varies substantially among organizations. In the context of Microsoft Teams, SharePoint is used to store files shared within conversations.
How can you manage external sharing settings for SharePoint sites in Microsoft Teams?
To manage external sharing settings for SharePoint sites in Teams, you can use the SharePoint admin center. Select “policies”, then “sharing”, and update the SharePoint external sharing settings that allow or block sharing to people outside your organization.
Can you set external sharing settings at the individual site level in SharePoint?
Yes, SharePoint allows you to set external sharing settings at the individual site level which overrides the organization-wide settings.
What is the highest level of access that can be granted to an external user in SharePoint?
The maximum level of access that an external user can have is “Edit”. This access level allows users to view, download, collaborate, and share documents and files.
What are the different modes for SharePoint external sharing?
The different modes for SharePoint external sharing include: anyone (public), new and existing guests (those with a business or consumer email), existing guests only (those already in your organization’s directory), and only people in your company.
Can you stop sharing a file or folder in SharePoint?
Yes, you can stop sharing a file or folder in SharePoint. Select the file, choose the “i” to see details, and you can manage the access from there.
What are the steps to enable or disable SharePoint external sharing using PowerShell?
To enable or disable SharePoint external sharing via PowerShell, you need to install and connect to SharePoint Online Management Shell, then use the Set-SPOSite cmdlet to configure the -SharingCapability parameter.
What is the effect of turning off sharing for a SharePoint site?
Turning off sharing for a SharePoint site means that individuals can only access the site if they have been explicitly added as members.
Can external users upload files to a SharePoint site without a Microsoft account?
External users can only upload files to a SharePoint site without a Microsoft account if the site’s sharing settings are set to ‘Anyone’.
What is SharePoint Online Management Shell?
SharePoint Online Management Shell is a tool that contains a Windows PowerShell Module to manage your SharePoint Online subscription in Office 365.
How can I remove an external user’s access to a shared file in SharePoint?
You can remove an external user’s access to a shared file in SharePoint by selecting the file, going to manage access, and then removing the permissions for the external user.
Why might a SharePoint site owner choose to restrict external sharing?
SharePoint site owners may choose to restrict external sharing to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access or to comply with regulatory requirements.
Can you change external sharing settings for multiple sites at once in SharePoint?
Yes, using the SharePoint Online Management Shell, you can use a script to change the external sharing settings for multiple sites at once.
What kind of access do external users have in SharePoint with ‘view’ permissions?
External users with ‘view’ permissions can read files and download documents, but they can’t make edits, deletions, or uploads.
What happens if an external user tries to access a SharePoint site with restricted access?
If an external user tries to access a SharePoint site with restricted access, they will see an error message and will not be able to view or edit any content on the site.
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