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Word cannot open an anonymous link.
I can use the CSOM to generate an anonymous link, for example
string link = context.Web.CreateAnonymousLinkWithExpirationForDocument(documentUrl, ExternalSharingDocumentOption.Edit,DateTime.Now.AddHours(48));
will create a URL:
https://exampledomain.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/RM/EQfxCwDEyHZEpie0kni1HhoBGHJthvKfUmMd_bmyYRHgPg
If I start Word, and Click Open->Browse and paste this link in to the filename, it fails to open the document.
I can confirm it opens correctly in the browser: if I paste this link in the browser it opens in the online editor. I can click "Open in Desktop App" and it will open correctly in Word.
I can not open the link from Word, which is what I really need to do!
Can you please fix this bug or provide alternate means of doing this?
- This actually isn’t a bug. OneDrive / SharePoint just doesn’t support the use of office clients when using anonymous links. I believe the team is looking into adding this support at some point but you must use the office online web clients for anon links.
- This actually isn’t a bug. OneDrive / SharePoint just doesn’t support the use of office clients when using anonymous links. I believe the team is looking into adding this support at some point but you must use the office online web clients for anon links.
It's an undocumented, incomplete roll out of a feature. Someone stuffed up because literally 99.9% of users use the desktop apps. So why make a feature useful for 0.1% of users? Please fix Microsoft!!!
- StephenRice
Microsoft
Hi LukeSharepoint,
Chris is correct. The Office desktop apps don't currently support opening the anonymous/anyone links though this is certainly something we are looking at solving. I do want to note as well that once a signed in user has used the anonymous link, they are "redeemed" on it and should be able to open the document via the desktop apps. Hopefully that helps! Thanks!
Stephen RiceSenior Program Manager, OneDrive
