SharePoint Internal Sharing for Team Collaboration

SharePoint makes it easy to share files and folders with colleagues at Dartmouth, but sharing the right way keeps your content organized, secure, and easy to manage. This article covers how to share within Dartmouth and best practices to follow when you do.

Before You Share

  • Share a folder instead of individual files whenever possible. This keeps permissions simpler to track and manage over time.
  • When sharing with a team or department rather than one or two people, share with a Microsoft 365 group or security group instead of adding individuals one by one.
  • Choose the link type that matches your intent. People already with Access or People You Choose are the recommended options. Avoid sharing with greater Dartmouth, People in Dartmouth College with the link, and rarely is Anyone appropriate.
  • Only give edit access to people who need it. Default to Can view when someone only needs to read a file.

How to Share a File or Folder

  1. Go to the SharePoint library where the file or folder is stored.
  2. Select the circle icon on the item you want to share (left side in List view, top right corner in Tiles view).
  3. Select Share at the top of the page.
  4. Choose to share with specific people or by copying a link.

Share With Specific People

Use this option to send an email invitation and keep track of exactly who has access. You can remove access for individuals later if needed.

  1. Type the name, group, or email address of each recipient in the Name, group or email field.
  2. Select the pencil icon next to the field to set their permission: Can edit, Can view, or Can't download.
  3. Add an optional message.
  4. Select Send.

Share Using Copy Link

Use this option when sharing with a larger group, such as posting a link in Teams or an email distribution list.

  1. Select the Link settings gear next to Copy Link.
  2. Choose People already with Access or People You Choose for internal sharing.
    1. Typically the Anyone at Dartmouth is not an appropriate option
  3. Under More settings, set the permission level and, if appropriate, an expiration date.
  4. Select Apply, then Copy link.
  5. Paste the link into an email, Teams message, or post.

Permission Levels

  • Can edit: Lets someone change, rename, move, or delete the file or folder, and share it with others.
  • Can review: Available for Word documents only. Lets someone comment and suggest edits without changing the file directly.
  • Can view: Lets someone view or download the file without making changes.
  • Can't download: Prevents downloading while still allowing viewing.

Keeping Shared Content Organized and Secure

  • Avoid breaking permission inheritance on individual files or subfolders unless there is a clear business need. Shared folder-level permissions are easier to manage than many one-off exceptions.
  • Periodically review who has access to shared files and folders and remove access that is no longer needed.
  • Set an expiration date on links shared for a specific project or time-limited purpose.
  • When in doubt about whether content should be shared, check with your department's data steward or IT before sharing broadly.

External Resources

See Related Articles to the right for more information.

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