Guides / SharePoint 'access denied' after someone shared a link

Last reviewed 5 Oct 2026

SharePoint 'access denied' after someone shared a link

SharePoint or OneDrive link says access denied? Link types, wrong accounts, guest sign-in, and the admin settings that block sharing.

Someone sends a link. The recipient clicks it and gets You need permission to access this item, Access denied, or That account doesn't have access. The sharer insists they shared it. They are both right: the link exists, and it does not include the account the recipient is using.

Is it SharePoint?

Ask the sharer to open the file from the same link. If they can, the service is fine. A real SharePoint and OneDrive incident breaks access for owners too, and usually shows on Service health in the admin centre.

Know the four link types

• Anyone with the link — no sign-in needed. Often turned off by the organisation.
• People in your organisation — works only for accounts in the same tenant. External people always get access denied.
• People with existing access — grants nothing new. It only helps people who already had permission.
• Specific people — tied to the email addresses entered. Forwarding the link does not pass on access.

Most access-denied tickets are a "Specific people" link opened by someone not on the list, or by the right person signed in with the wrong account.

Recipient steps

1. Check which account you are signed in with. The error page normally shows it. A personal Microsoft account, a different work account or an old tenant are the usual suspects.
2. Private window. Open the link in an InPrivate or Incognito window and sign in with the exact email address the link was sent to.
3. Verification code. External recipients without a Microsoft account may be offered a one-time code by email. Check spam for it; it expires quickly.
4. Request access. Use the Request access button on the error page. It goes to the site owners or whoever the site is set to notify.
5. Ask for the right link. If the sharer used "People in your organisation" and you are external, they need to share again with "Specific people" and your address.

Sharer steps

• Open Manage access on the file to see who actually has permission and which links exist.
• Share again with the recipient's exact address, not a distribution list they may not be in.
• If the file was moved to a different site, old links can stop working. Share it again from its new location.
• Links can expire. Your organisation may set "Anyone" links to expire after a number of days.

Admin-level checks

• Organisation sharing level. In the SharePoint admin centre, Policies → Sharing sets the most permissive option for the tenant. A site can never be more open than this.
• Site sharing level. Under Active sites, each site has its own external sharing setting. A site set to "Only people in your organisation" will refuse guests even if the tenant allows them.
• Domain allow and block lists. Sharing can be limited to, or blocked for, specific domains, in SharePoint and in Entra external collaboration settings.
• Guest accounts. In the Entra admin centre, check whether the guest exists, whether they accepted the invitation, and which email they redeemed it with.
• Conditional Access and sensitivity labels. A policy requiring compliant devices, or a label that blocks external sharing, will deny access regardless of the link. The sign-in log shows which policy applied.
• Broken inheritance. Unique permissions on a folder can hide items from people who have access to the site.

When to escalate

Escalate to Microsoft only when site owners also lose access, many sites fail at once, or Service health shows an incident. Escalate internally to whoever owns sharing policy when the settings block something the business needs; that is a governance decision. Do not switch the tenant to "Anyone" links to fix one ticket.

Related status pages

• SharePoint and OneDrive
• Microsoft Entra ID
• Microsoft 365

Related guides

• OneDrive not syncing or 'sync paused': how to fix it
• Microsoft 365 sign-in loop or 'More information required'
• Why a site works for everyone else but not me

FAQ

Why do I get access denied on a SharePoint link someone shared with me?

Usually the link only works for specific people or people in their organisation, or you are signed in with a different account from the one it was shared with. Open the link in a private window and sign in with the exact email address it was sent to.

Can I forward a SharePoint sharing link to someone else?

It depends on the link type. 'Specific people' links only work for the people named. 'People in your organisation' links only work inside the same company. Ask the owner to share it with the new person directly.

Why can't external guests open our SharePoint site?

The site's external sharing setting, the tenant sharing level, a domain block list, or Conditional Access may be stopping them. A site can never be more open than the organisation-wide setting.

Is SharePoint down if a link says access denied?

Almost never. If the person who shared the file can open it, SharePoint is working. Check the official Microsoft 365 status page only if owners are locked out too.