Share via

Permission mismatch in personal OneDrive file sharing links

SF Marc 0 Reputation points
2026-03-11T18:12:36.3166667+00:00

Hello-

We use family/personal O365. I created a shared folder with some people via a link, with limited permissions to only them.

I now created a Excel document in that folder. When I click on "Manage Permissions" of the file in the folder view, it shows that it inherits the same permission as the folder- "People you specify can edit". However, when I am in the file, and click "Manage Permissions" it shows a link that shows that "Anyone with link can edit."

This seems like a security issue, and bug, that the permissions / share links are different depending on where you access that. Screenshots are attached (the dark mode is from the Directory, the light mode is when looking at permissions in the file.) Any thoughts on this?

EDIT: Even weirder, if I copy/paste the link from the file share dialog, and the top level folder where is resides, it is identical! 😵‍💫

Issue- File permission in Directory

Issue- File Permission in File

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows
0 comments No comments
{count} votes

1 answer

Sort by: Most helpful
  1. Kai-H 12,610 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-03-12T06:57:16.37+00:00

    Hi, SF Marc

    Sorry for this unwanted experience that you're having. This looks more like OneDrive showing the same access path differently in different surfaces, not solid proof that the file was suddenly made public, especially since both dialogs are giving you the same URL. Microsoft also notes that Manage access can show links and direct/inherited access differently depending on the sharing method and account context.

    Here are some suggestions you can try:

    Open the file from OneDrive on the web, go to the Details pane > Manage access, and check the Links tab there first. That view is the clearest place to review what links actually exist for the item and remove any link you do not want.

    If you see any link you do not trust, delete it and recreate the share as a fresh “Specific people” link. You cannot convert an existing sharing link from one permission type to another, you need to remove it and make a new one.

    If this keeps happening, share the file directly instead of relying on the folder’s inherited link. In forum discussions, people who wanted more predictable behavior often ended up using a separate file-level share because OneDrive permissions are very link-based.

    If the label still says “Anyone” after recreating the link, I’d treat that as a UI inconsistency and report it, but only after confirming there is just one active link in Manage access. Microsoft’s own docs focus on deleting unwanted links there, which is the safest reset.

    Hope this helps. Feel free to get back if you need further assistance.


    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment."    

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 


Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.