Quick answer
Select the file, click Share, then click the settings line at the top of the box (it usually reads "Anyone with the link"). Change it to Specific people, switch Can edit to Can view if they only need to read it, add the email addresses, and send. That's a link that's tied to named people, not one anyone can forward around.
BEFORE YOU START
Know what each choice actually does.
Every OneDrive share is really two decisions: who can open it and what they can do with it. "Specific people" ties access to named accounts, so only those people (after signing in) can open the file. "Anyone with the link" makes a link that works for anybody who has it — handy, but it can be forwarded on and used without a login. Separately, Can edit lets people change the file, while Can view is read-only. On business accounts you can also add an expiry date, a password, and block downloading. Pick the least access that still lets the person do their job.
HOW TO SHARE AND SET PERMISSIONS
Work through these in order.
- Open the Share boxIn OneDrive on the web (or in File Explorer — see below), right-click the file and choose Share, or select it and click Share on the toolbar. A small panel opens with a box for names and a settings line at the top.
- Choose specific people, not "Anyone with the link"Click the settings line at the top of the panel (often "Anyone with the link can edit"). Under Who would you like this link to work for, pick Specific people. Now the link only works for the addresses you enter — the safest default for anything work-related.
- Set Can edit or Can viewOn the same settings screen, use the pencil or the drop-down to switch between Can edit and Can view. If someone only needs to read a document or reference a spreadsheet, choose Can view so they can't accidentally change it.
- Add an expiry date or a password (business accounts)With a Microsoft 365 business or Family/Personal subscription you can set an expiry date so the link stops working after that day, and a password the person must enter to open the file. Great for one-off shares with outside contacts — send the password separately, not in the same email.
- Block download if it's view-onlyWhen you've set a link to Can view (and it's not an Office file being edited online), a Block download option appears. Turn it on so people can read the file in the browser but can't save their own copy. This option is only available on work or school accounts.
- Enter the recipients and sendType the email addresses, add a short message if you like, and click Send — OneDrive emails them the link. Or click Copy link to paste it into a chat or your own email. The permissions you just set travel with the link either way.
- See and stop who it's shared withTo check later, open the file and choose Manage access (or the "Shared" indicator). You'll see every person and link with access. From there you can change someone to view-only, remove a person, or click Remove link to kill a link entirely — access ends the moment you do.
Sharing from File Explorer vs the web. If OneDrive is syncing to your PC, you can right-click a file in File Explorer and choose Share to get the same panel without opening a browser — the permission options are identical. The web version at onedrive.com gives you the fullest view of who has access and is the easiest place to audit and revoke sharing. A word of caution: it's easy to over-share. A link set to "Anyone can edit" that ends up in a forwarded email can quietly expose client data, so default to specific people and review your shared files now and then.
