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TimMiller's avatar
TimMiller
Copper Contributor
Apr 15, 2021

Organizing links shared to you, and URL access in Teams

Hello! This is a best practices question:

 

My org is a recent convert to Microsoft 365.  Therefore, we are seeing WAY more content in the form of shared links rather than duplicated originals.  Of course we are coaching them to do that, so that originals are only held in one proper location.

This is generating a lot of questions about the best methods for organizing content that has been shared with you.  In our organization, we have focused on:  OneDrive (personal content), Teams (group content), and Intranet (SharePoint - Company content).  Many times a user receives a file via shared link that they needed repeated access to for weeks or months.  It doesn't always make sense to create a short term Team where the owner keeps the original, etc.

They could save as internet favorites or keep the emails where the shortcuts arrive.  That's what we've done for years but quantity has increased so much, and those methods just don't lend to good organization.  They also don't fit with the methods we are teaching (above) for content storage.

It seems like the answer to this is to create links / shortcuts.  Of course in OneDrive you can create links either via local file explorer (shortcuts) or web interface.  Same with SharePoint.  

But not Teams.  In a Team file section, it does not provide "Link" when you click new.  You can Open in SharePoint and do it there or create the shortcut in file explorer if you have the library synced, and then you see it in teams, but in my testing the link I click on from Teams states "Hmm... looks like this file doesn't have a preview we can show" (I assume that is because they are .URL rather than .XLSX, etc.), and the user has to download instead.  They are just downloading a link, so that works.  Click the link from their download folder and it opens the desired file via web, but it's less than a smooth experience.

 

My question here is about best practice primarily.  Are their more typical methods of organizing "shared with me" content that I'm just not seeing for example?     Possibly the teams challenge with storage of these links is a secondary question.  Seems like this is the path Microsoft has provided and that it's just incomplete with respect to our ability to quickly access a shared link from within Teams.

 

Much appreciate any feedback!

    • JoeL44's avatar
      JoeL44
      Copper Contributor

      Nice description of issue.  I also have the same question/issue and would like to see if there is a solution for this in teams.

    • TimMiller's avatar
      TimMiller
      Copper Contributor

      Jeannette_c Unfortunately no resolution.  We have simply lived with the way it is and do not store many links into document libraries that are primarily accessed via Teams.  

      • Sebastien_P's avatar
        Sebastien_P
        Copper Contributor

        TimMiller 

         

        You can use Lists in SharePoint. It will be easier to managed on a company scale.

        If you want to share link and make them reusable for specific team in Teams you can use the app Quicklinks

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