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Who Have You Shared Your OneDrive Files With?

30 September, 2026

Sharing files and folders is part of everyday work at KAUST. But after a few months of projects, meetings and collaborations, it can be surprisingly difficult to remember exactly what you have shared and with whom.

OneDrive gives you two useful ways to check: a quick look when you want to review a particular file or folder, and a sharing report when you want the bigger picture.

Just checking a file or folder?

The quick check takes 2 steps. If you want to review sharing across your OneDrive, the full report takes 5 steps.

Quick check: see what you have shared

Use this when you want to check a particular file or folder without generating a report.

Step 1 of 2

See what you have shared

Open OneDrive in Microsoft 365, select Shared, then choose By you. This shows files and folders you have shared from your OneDrive.

OneDrive Shared section with the By you tab selected.
Shared > By you gives you a quick view of content you have shared.
Step 2 of 2

Check who has access

Open Manage Access for the file or folder you want to review. OneDrive separates access into People, Groups and Links.

Manage Access showing people who can access a OneDrive folder.
People
Individuals who have access.
Manage Access showing groups that can access a OneDrive folder.
Groups
Groups that have access.
Manage Access showing sharing links for a OneDrive folder.
Links
Sharing links that provide access.

Depending on how you originally shared the content, you might see access for specific people, groups, people at KAUST, or other sharing options. This is also where you can remove access or delete a sharing link that is no longer needed.

Want the bigger picture? Run a sharing report

If you have hundreds or thousands of files in OneDrive, checking them individually is not practical. OneDrive can generate a report showing how content across your OneDrive is being shared.

5 steps
Step 1 of 5

Open OneDrive settings

Select the Settings icon in OneDrive, then choose OneDrive settings.

OneDrive Settings panel with OneDrive settings highlighted.
Step 2 of 5

Run the sharing report

Select More Settings, then select Run sharing report.

OneDrive More Settings page with Run sharing report highlighted.
Step 3 of 5

Choose where to save it

Choose where you want OneDrive to save the report. You can use an existing folder. If you expect to run the report again later, you can also create a dedicated folder such as Sharing Report. Creating a new folder is optional.

OneDrive location picker for choosing where to save a sharing report.
Choose a location
Select where the report should be saved.
Creating a new folder for a OneDrive sharing report.
Optional: create a folder
Choose New > Folder if you want one.
Naming a folder Sharing Report in OneDrive.
Give it a name
For example, Sharing Report.
Step 4 of 5

Let OneDrive generate the report

Select the folder and save the report. OneDrive will begin generating it. Depending on how much content you have, this may take a little while. You do not need to keep the page open.

OneDrive message showing that a sharing report is currently being generated.
OneDrive lets you know that the report is being generated.
Completed OneDrive sharing report saved in a Sharing Reports folder.
When it is ready, the report appears in the folder you selected.
Step 5 of 5

Open the report in Excel

Open the report in Excel to review how content in your OneDrive is being shared.

OneDrive sharing report open in Excel, showing sharing and permission columns.
The report includes files and folders, permissions, people and groups with access, and sharing-link information.

Useful columns to look at

  • Resource Path - the file or folder being shared.
  • Item Type - whether it is a folder, document, image or another type of file.
  • Permission - the level of access granted.
  • User Name / User Email - who has access.
  • User or Group Type - whether access belongs to an individual, group or another account type.
  • Link Type - how a sharing link provides access.

The Link Type column can be particularly useful. For example, you may see entries such as Specific People or Anyone, depending on how you have shared your content. You can use Excel's filters to narrow the report down and investigate particular types of access instead of working through every row.

What should I look for?

There is nothing wrong with sharing files. OneDrive is designed for collaboration, including working with colleagues and, where appropriate, people outside KAUST.

Does this person, group or link still need access?

You might find a folder that is still correctly shared with your team, a document that an external collaborator still needs, or an old sharing link from a project that finished months ago.

If the access is still needed, leave it alone. If it is not, return to the file or folder in OneDrive, open Manage Access, and remove the person, group or sharing link you no longer need.

You do not need to turn this into a weekly ritual. An occasional review is simply a useful bit of digital housekeeping, particularly after finishing a project or collaboration.