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yojimbo's avatar
yojimbo
Copper Contributor
Jun 20, 2025

QUICK way to create a link to a file in a shared folder

I set up a folder in my OneDrive space to be sharable. I can see that all of the files in that folder are shared as well. which is good. However when I try to generate a URL link to one of those file...
files
NikolinoDE's avatar
NikolinoDE
Gold Contributor
Jun 21, 2025

OneDrive does not currently default to inherited folder sharing settings when generating a link for a file, even if the file is already inside a shared folder. This behavior applies to both Windows and macOS (as in your screenshot).

 

The “Default Link Settings” Workaround Works In:

Only in OneDrive Web Interface (Not Supported In OneDrive Desktop Sync App)

URL: https://onedrive.live.com

If you:

  1. Open OneDrive in your browser (Edge/Chrome)
  2. Click Settings→ Options or OneDrive Settings
  3. Find “Link sharing settings” (sometimes under "Sharing" or "More settings")
  4. Set:
  • Who can access: (e.g. Anyone, People in your org, Specific People)
  • Permission: (View or Edit)

These will then apply automatically when you click "Share" → "Copy Link" from the web interface.

 

Hope this helps you

  • yojimbo's avatar
    yojimbo
    Copper Contributor
    Jun 22, 2025

    Thank you, Nikolino. This sounded like a great solution. Unfortunately I could not find "OneDrive Settings" or "Link sharing" settings anywhere. I went to Settings->Options and found nothing there. (I was using Chrome.) If you think of anything else, do let me know. - JH

     

    • NikolinoDE's avatar
      NikolinoDE
      Gold Contributor
      Jun 25, 2025

      OneDrive on macOS via Finder (desktop app) does not honor inherited folder permissions when generating links to files, and it does not offer a way to change the default link settings in the app itself.

      Here is a Quick Method (Web Interface Workaround) you can try:

      Use the OneDrive Web Interface to set default link behavior — these defaults only apply in the web UI.

      How to Set It:

       1. Go to: https://onedrive.live.com

       2. Click the Gear Icon → OneDrive Settings

       3. Look for "Link sharing" under:

      • “Sharing”
      • Or “More settings”

      4. Set:

      • Who can access: e.g., "Anyone with the link"
      • Permission: "View" (or "Edit" if desired)

      These settings will now be the default when you click Share → Copy Link in the web interface. No more popups or extra steps — just a clean, ready-to-copy link.

       

      Platform

      Default Link Behavior Setting?

      Supports Fast Link Copy?

       

      Web

      Yes

      Yes

       

      macOS Finder App

      No

      No

      My Mac knowledge is limited, but I hope I could help 🙂.

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