Summary
This article provides a step-by-step guide for sharing a Microsoft Teams folder with external users, covering the entire process from folder selection to customizing permissions. It also includes best practices for recipients to ensure a smooth and secure access experience.
Body
Steps for Sharing a Microsoft Teams Folder
This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to share a Microsoft Teams folder with an external user outside of the Colorado School of Mines organization. It also includes best practices to ensure a smooth and secure sharing experience.
Contents
- Access Teams via Web Browser
- Access Teams via Application
- Locate the Folder
- Share the Folder
- Customize and Send
- Experience from the Sender's Perspective
- Experience from the Recipient's Perspective
- Best Practices for Recipients
- Troubleshooting
- Open your web browser and navigate to Microsoft Teams.
- Log in with your Mines credentials.
![Microsoft Teams Login page.](https://helpcenter.mines.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=aecb4f1a-864f-4d0f-94bf-fb971919c7ae.jpg&beidInt=299)
- Open the Microsoft Teams app and select the specific team where your files are stored.
- Navigate to the folder you wish to share.
![Browse Teams for correct Team channel.](https://helpcenter.mines.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=65f8669f-ccf1-44b2-b1bc-86643a526d0c.jpg&beidInt=299)
- Hover over the folder to highlight it.
- While hovering over the folder, click on the Share button.
![Hover over the folder you wish to share.](https://helpcenter.mines.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=982cc8db-b249-442c-85f5-2aa6501e7f40.jpg&beidInt=299)
- In the sharing dialog box, click on the Link Settings (Gear Icon) button and then select People You Choose.
![Link settings icon.](https://helpcenter.mines.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=44000a28-6fba-455e-af73-9e419a166cbd.jpg&beidInt=299)
![Select People You Choose option.](https://helpcenter.mines.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=ba9d76b9-f624-473c-8ea0-a856515fb03d.jpg&beidInt=299)
- Set the permission level (More Settings) (e.g., Can edit or Can view).
![Share permissions.](https://helpcenter.mines.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=251e5b29-1071-457c-9575-6d08d5619000.jpg&beidInt=299)
- (Optional) Set an expiration date for when this content will no longer be available to the recipient.
![Expiration date option.](https://helpcenter.mines.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=4360da1f-d380-47bd-8cfa-e6773715c3b9.jpg&beidInt=299)
- Hit Apply to move on to the next step.
- Enter the email address of the external user(s) you want to share the folder with.
![External recipient email addresses.](https://helpcenter.mines.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=0d3ecc00-ce4e-4b13-a861-efd1d28123aa.jpg&beidInt=299)
- Add a personal message if desired, explaining why this content is being shared or any instructions you wish the recipient(s) to follow.
![Optional message.](https://helpcenter.mines.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=e84d2489-2387-4ded-af9c-452d0354cbf8.jpg&beidInt=299)
- Confirm that all link settings are correct.
- Click Send.
- Once you click Send, the recipient will receive an email invitation to access the shared folder.
- You can manage the shared folder by navigating to the People With Existing Access section in the Sharing dialog box to adjust permissions or stop sharing if necessary.
![Manage access to shared folder.](https://helpcenter.mines.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=ffb9c011-c418-4f66-b548-c4a9e9ee3439.jpg&beidInt=299)
Accepting the Share
- The recipient will receive an email invitation with a link to the shared folder.
![Email notification to recipient.](https://helpcenter.mines.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=ba458429-f7e3-497d-895f-71e67b8d02d3.jpg&beidInt=299)
- Before accepting the invitation, log out of any existing Microsoft accounts before opening shared folders:
![Sign out of Microsoft Office Products](https://helpcenter.mines.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=5581f03d-8fc9-4fc7-bea3-59976de2d1b8.png&beidInt=299)
- Right-click the "Open" button and select the option for "private browser" or "incognito tab"
![](https://helpcenter.mines.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=5c147b92-44ea-40bf-81ff-d8ca1e815e83.png&beidInt=299)
- Follow prompts to verify identity, use the same email address as the sender:
- Check your email for the verification code, copy that into the requested field. Select the checkbox "Keep me Signed In"
![](https://helpcenter.mines.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=6a10c4e0-b062-4505-bf84-c78f7a2c4fb6.png&beidInt=299)
- Return to each individual email to accept each invitation received.
- If you receive an error during this process, contact your on-campus collaborator, or submit an IT Service Request.
Before clicking the invitation link:
- Log Out of Open Microsoft Apps: Ensure you are logged out of any Microsoft apps or accounts before accepting the shared folder link.
- Use a Private Browser: Open the link in a private or incognito browser window to avoid conflicts with any logged-in accounts.
- Accept each invitation link: If you received multiple invitations by email, accept the invite to each folder (click the “open folder” button to accept each invite individually).
- Verify Permissions: if experiencing issues, folder owner should review the permissions to ensure they match the intended collaborators and access levels.
- If the recipient encounters access issues, they should clear their browser history or try a different browser.
- Ensure that the recipient’s email address was entered correctly and that they are using the appropriate Microsoft account.
- Ensure that the recipient is logged into the Microsoft Account that is tied to the email address in which the share invite was sent to.