How to Find All Sharing Links in the SharePoint Online

A sharing link in SharePoint Online allows users to grant access to files or folders without requiring to add someone directly to the SharePoint site. It simplifies collaboration by letting others view or edit content via a customizable link.

SharePoint Online supports four types of sharing links that offer different levels of access and security.

1. Anyone (Anonymous Link)

2. People in the organization (Company Link)

3. Only people with existing access

4. People you choose (Specific people link or Secure link)

By default, Microsoft 365 allows users to create 'Anyone' links in SharePoint Online. While this simplifies collaboration, it also increases the risk of oversharing, unauthorized access, and data leaks.

Open access can further lead to cyber threats and compliance concerns. As an admin, you can control default sharing link type and limit broad access. Here's how to manage file and folder sharing links in SharePoint Online to keep your data secure.

Manage file and folder sharing links in SharePoint Online admin center

• Log in to the SharePoint Online admin center and navigate to Sharing under Policies.
• Locate the "File and folder links" section to configure sharing links and control external sharing in SharePoint Online.

1. Link type for file and folder sharing in SharePoint and OneDrive

This setting defines the type of sharing link that will be created by default when a user shares a file or folder in SharePoint or OneDrive. You can choose from the following link types:

Recommendation: Set the default link type to "Only people in your organization" to prevent accidental external sharing and ensure files remain accessible only to internal users.

2. Default link permissions for sharing links

The link permission setting defines the level of access granted when a sharing link is used. This helps to prevent unintended modifications or deletions by recipients.

Recommendation: Set the default link permission to "View" to reduce the risk of data tampering, especially when links are shared unintentionally.

3. Default expiration and permissions for "Anyone" Links

Expiration settings for anyone link

When allowing anonymous sharing (Anyone links), it’s important to apply expiration and permission controls to maintain security.

Permission options for anyone links

You can manage link permissions of SharePoint files and folders under 'These links can give these permissions’.

Imagine your users are sharing a financial report containing quarterly earnings with external auditors. If someone downloads the file and accidentally forwards it or saves it on an unsecured personal device, it could lead to premature disclosure, compliance issues, or reputational damage.

To mitigate such risks, you can use the block download option to ensure that recipients are restricted to viewing the file in a secure browser session, without the ability to download, print, or sync it.

Restrict download access for shared files in SharePoint Online

• Open the SharePoint Online document library and select the desired file.
• Click More Actions and navigate to Share»Settings (⚙️).
• Choose the link type (e.g., "Anyone" or "People in this organization" or "Only people with existing access" or "People you choose").
• In More Settings, choose the "Can't Download" option.
• Click "Apply" and share to the desired group or users.

Set block download policy for SharePoint sites using PowerShell

Manual configuration is time-consuming and ineffective for large-scale control as it only allows setting download restrictions one file at a time. PowerShell solves this by allowing admins to quickly apply download restrictions at the site level and is better suited for wide enforcement.

Here's how to configure the block download policy for SPO sites using PowerShell.

Note: Replace <GroupID> with the appropriate value before running the command. To exclude multiple groups from the download policy, specify their group IDs as comma-separated values.

When an employee leaves the organization or changes roles, files they shared using links in SharePoint Online may still be accessible to others, especially external users. If those links remain active, it could lead to unintended access.

To prevent this, it is important for administrators to identify and review all sharing links created by that user. This helps locate any sensitive content still shared and allows the admin to remove or update access, thereby ensuring the organization's data remains protected.

Audit all sharing links created by a user in Microsoft Purview

• Log in to the Microsoft Purview portal and navigate to the Solutions»Audit page.
• Customize the Date and time range (UTC) for your audit.
• In the Activities - friendly names, search and select the following operations.

  Created a company shareable link, Created an anonymous link, Created secure link

• In the Users field, enter the specific user's UPN and click Search to find all links that the user has created.
• This report shows the sharing links created by the specific user, when they were created, along with the path of shared item, etc. However, it does not display the exact shared URL created by the user.

Manual methods are often slower and less effective for regular or large scale audits, especially during continuous monitoring. For tasks such as filtering results or working with large volumes of audit data, PowerShell is a better option as it simplifies the process and saves time using just a few commands.

Audit all sharing links created by a specific user using PowerShell

Run the below PowerShell cmdlet to audit all the sharing links created by the specific user.

Connect-ExchangeOnline
Search-UnifiedAuditLog -StartDate "<DD-MM-YYYY>" -EndDate "<DD-MM-YYYY>" -Operations "AnonymousLinkCreated", "CompanyLinkCreated", "SecureLinkCreated" -UserIds "<UPN>" -ResultSize 5000 | ForEach-Object {
    $d = $_.AuditData | ConvertFrom-Json
    $name = $d.SourceFileName ?? [System.IO.Path]::GetFileName($d.SourceRelativeUrl ?? $d.ObjectId) ?? "N/A"
    [PSCustomObject]@{
        Time       = $_.CreationDate
        SharedBy   = $_.UserIds
        SiteURL    = $d.SiteUrl
        FileName   = $name
        FileURL    = $d.SourceFileUrl ?? $d.ObjectId
    }
} | Format-Table -AutoSize

Replace <DD-MM-YYYY> in StartDate and EndDate , and <UPN> with the user's UPN you want to search.

Shared links are a convenient way to grant quick access to documents or folders, especially during active collaboration. However, if not managed properly, they can become a serious security and compliance concern over time.

Admins may need to remove or disable shared links when a project ends, a third-party engagement concludes, or an employee leaves the organization. Leaving these links active can pose security risks and lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Remove sharing links in SharePoint Online

Remove SharePoint Online shared link using PowerShell

After removing the sharing link from the desired file or folder, access is immediately revoked. Anyone trying to use the link will see an error message stating that they no longer have permission.

Admins should restrict users from creating "Anyone" links in SharePoint Online because these links allow anonymous access without user identity tracking. Disabling "Anyone" links protects sensitive data by allowing access only to specific or authenticated users.

Restrict users from creating "Anyone" links using SharePoint admin center

When the restriction is applied, all existing anonymous links in SharePoint Online will stop working and users will see an error if they try to access them.

The option for creating "Anyone" links will disappear from the sharing menu for all users. Therefore, users must now select a specific user or trusted external users for sharing. This ensures better control and security over shared content.

Restrict users from creating "Anyone" links using PowerShell