Share a Word Document Link Without Over-Sharing

To share a Word document by link, save it online in OneDrive or SharePoint, open it in Word for the web, select Share, choose the audience and permissions, then copy the link or send an invitation. The important choice is whether anyone who gets the link can open the file or access is limited to people you name.

Create and copy a sharing link

The document must be stored online before Word can create a cloud sharing link. The recipient does not need to install the OneDrive app to open a browser link, though the sign-in requirements depend on the audience you choose.

1. Save the document to OneDrive or SharePoint. Word needs an online copy to create a cloud sharing link.
2. Open the stored document in Word for the web. This is the Word sharing workflow covered here.
3. Select Share. This opens the sharing controls.
4. Choose the audience. Select who should be able to open the link before you send it.
5. Set the permission. Choose the level of access that fits the task.
6. Select Copy link or send an invitation. Copy the link if you plan to share it in another message; use the invitation option to notify named recipients.

Choose who can open the link

Microsoft’s guidance on shareable OneDrive and SharePoint links distinguishes between links for anyone who has the URL and links restricted to specific people.

An Anyone link is convenient when recipients should not need to sign in, but it can be forwarded. The owner can revoke access granted through that link by deleting it. Choose Specific people when access should stay limited to named recipients; they must sign in as the specified user.

For an Anyone link that allows editing, Microsoft says the recipient can edit in a browser without signing in. Some features and use of the desktop program require a Microsoft account. Recipients do not need the OneDrive app installed for browser access.

Set view, review, or edit access

Word for the web may offer Can edit, Can review, Can view, or Can’t download. Which options appear depends on the account and document, and work or school administrators may restrict the available audiences or settings.

Choose view access for a read-only handoff, editing access when recipients need to change the document, or review access when they need to provide feedback and that option is available. Check the selected audience and permission before copying or sending the link: the audience controls who can get in, while the permission controls what they can do.

If a recipient cannot open the document

Check that the link’s audience includes that person and that the selected audience is permitted by the account’s organization. A Specific people link requires the recipient to authenticate as the named user. If the recipient is using an Anyone link, they can open it in a browser without signing in, provided the link grants the access they need.

A sharing link is not the same as a hyperlink

A sharing link gives recipients access to an online document under its sharing permissions. An ordinary hyperlink points to a web address or file; inserting one does not upload the target file or grant access to it. In Word, select text or a picture and choose Insert > Link to add a hyperlink. You can change its color or font style without removing the link, so blue text is not required for it to work. Microsoft explains how to create or edit a hyperlink in Word.