This document explains how to share documents with external users, also known as Guests.

1. 1
Contents
Overview ...........................................................................................................................................2
What’s a Guest?.................................................................................................................................3
What’s a MicrosoftAccount?..............................................................................................................4
How to share a document with a Guest ...............................................................................................5
How does the Guest open the document? ...........................................................................................8
If the Guest already has a Microsoft account....................................................................................8
If the Guest doesn’t have a Microsoft account................................................................................10

2. 2
Overview
This document explains how to share a document from SharePoint with people outside of your
Organization, also known as a Guests. It’s a step by step guide that shows two scenarios:
1. Sharing with a guest that already has a Microsoft account.
2. Sharing with someone who doesn’t have a Microsoft account and needs to create one.
In the nextsections, we’ll define what’smeantby GuestandMicrosoftaccount.

3. 3
What’s a Guest?
In Office 365 a Guest is a person who’s not a member of your organization. They don’t login to your
organizations services to get their email or documents.
A Guest might be working in a partner organization or service provider. You might want to share a
document with them, so they can read and review it. Or they might be someone contributing to some
work you’re doing, and you want them to work on the document with you.
Eitherway,a Guestis someone that cannaturally see yourdocument. Youneedtogive themaccessand
send them a link to it.
SharingadocumentwithaGuesthasbenefitsoverattachingittoanemail. Emailinganattachmentmeans
you nowhave more than one versionof the document. Anychangesmade to the versionwill somehow
have to be merged together with other versions later.
Sharingallows youto keepa single versionof the document, thatcan be viewedandupdatedbyanyone
who has access. And if it’s updated, everyone you’ve already shared with will see the updates.

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What’s a Microsoft Account?
A Microsoftaccount isausername andpassword providedby aMicrosoftserviceonthe internet. Itcould
be one created by services like outlook.com, xbox.com or hotmail.com.
It could alsobe an account hostedinOffice 365, whichis alsoknownas an Organizational Account. But
essentially, it’s just another account provided by Microsoft.
When you share a document with someone outside of your organization, that person must have a
Microsoft account, and sign in with the username and password to view or edit the document.
AccountsprovidedbyothercompanieslikeApplesiCloud,orGooglesGmail,won’tworkwithOffice 365.
If the personbeingsharedwithdoesn’thave aMicrosoftaccount,they’ll have tocreate one. This
documentexplainshowtoshare andwhat the personbeingsharedwith mustdoto use the document.

5. 5
How to share a document with a Guest
Thissection showsyouhowto share a documentwithsomeone outside of Office365 organization when
theyalreadyhave a Microsoftaccount.
To share the document,youwill create a‘SendLink’andemail ittothe Guest. Whentheyclickon it,
theywill signin,and getaccess to the document.
You highlightthe
documentyouwantto
share.
Choose the Share button.
The Send Link dialogbox
dropsdown.
The you dropthe menu
downwhere itsays Only
People inYour
Organization withthe
linkcan viewand edit.

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From the new menu
choose SpecificPeople.
Where itsays Enter a
name or email address
type the email addressof
the personthat youwant
to share with.
Whenyoupressenter,
the email addresswill be
addedto the listof
recipients.
Addmore Guestsby
typingan email address
where itsays Add
another.
If you don’twantthe
Guestto able to edityour
document,uncheck
AllowEditing.
Thenchoose Apply.
You’re nowreadyto send
the linkto yourGuest.
Choose Sendto email the
link.

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You’ll see confirmation
that the link hasbeen
sent.

8. 8
How does the Guest open the document?
Thissection shows youwhatthe Guest seeswhentheyreceive the linktothe document,andwhatthey
mustdo to openit.
The firstpart describes whattheyneedtodoif theyhave a Microsoftaccount. The secondpart
describeswhattheydowhentheydon’thave aMicrosoft account.
If the Guest already has a Microsoft account.
So nowlet’sswitchtothe
Guest.
In thisexample,they’re
signedintooutlook.com.
Theyreceive anemail
fromnoreply.
Whentheyopenthe
email,they’ll see who
sentit anda linktoopen
the document.
In thisexample,the link
to the documentis Sales
Invoice March.

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Whentheyclickon the
link, the firstthingthey
mustdo is signin.
A describedhere, they
musthave a Microsoft
account or an
Organizational accountto
getaccess to the file.
Theyshould choose
MicrosoftAccount.
In thisexample,because
theyalreadysignedinto
outlook.comtheywillbe
signedintoOffice 365
and be takenstraightto
the documentwhere they
can viewandeditit.

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If the Guest doesn’t have a Microsoft account
In thisexample, you, the
Guesthas a Gmail
account and doesn’thave
a Microsoft account.
You’re signedintoGmail
and receive anemail
fromnoreply.
Thisemail hasa linkto
the documentSales
Invoice March init.
Clickingonthe linkopens
a newpage that asks
whetheryou’dlike to sign
inwitha Microsoft
account or an
Organizational account.
If you don’thave eitherof
those,youcan create one
by choosingthe Create a
Microsoftaccount… link.

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All youmustdo here is
type inan email address
and a password.
You shoulduse the email
addressandpasswordof
the Gmail account that
youalreadyhave.
Eventhough you are
creatinga Microsoft
account youcan use your
existingemail address.
To make sure that you
ownthe email address
youentered,Microsoft
sendsyoua code to that
address.
You needto go back to
your email accountand
getthe code.
In thisexample,usinga
Gmail account, the code
issentin an email from
the Microsoftaccount
teamto the Gmail email
address.
Copythe securitycode.

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Paste inthe code and
choose Next.
You will be takenthrough
to the document.