How to Review OneDrive Sharing Before a Client Handover

When a client relationship ends, you need to make sure all shared files and folders in OneDrive are properly reviewed before the handover. Leaving old sharing links active can expose sensitive data to unauthorized people after your account is deactivated. This article explains how to audit all sharing permissions on your OneDrive, revoke external access where needed, and transfer ownership to the client or another user. You will learn the exact steps to run a sharing report, remove unwanted links, and confirm that only the correct people retain access.

What Sharing Permissions Exist in OneDrive and Why Review Them

OneDrive supports three types of sharing links: Anyone links, People in your organization links, and Specific people links. Anyone links allow access without authentication, making them the highest risk during a handover. People in your organization links grant access to anyone inside your company, which may include users who should no longer see the client’s files. Specific people links limit access to named individuals, but those individuals may include former team members or external partners.

When you prepare for a client handover, you must identify every shared item in your OneDrive and decide whether to keep, modify, or revoke each link. The goal is to remove any link that the client does not explicitly approve and to ensure that only the client or their designated successor retains access. OneDrive does not have a single “revoke all” button for external sharing, so you must review each item individually or use the Microsoft 365 admin reports to get a complete list.

A thorough review also protects your organization from data leaks. If an Anyone link was created for a temporary purpose and forgotten, it could remain active indefinitely. Similarly, links shared with former employees or contractors should be revoked before you hand over the account. The process described below covers both the individual file review and the tenant-wide audit.

Steps to Review and Remove OneDrive Sharing Before a Client Handover

These steps assume you have at least read access to the OneDrive files you need to review. If you are an administrator, you can also use the Microsoft 365 admin center to audit other users’ OneDrive sharing. Follow each step in order.

1. Open OneDrive in your web browser
   Go to onedrive.com and sign in with your work or school account. Click My files in the left navigation pane to see all files and folders stored in your OneDrive.
2. Identify files and folders shared with external users
   Look for the Shared icon, which appears as a small person silhouette with a checkmark, next to any item that has sharing links. You can also sort by the Sharing column if your view shows it. Alternatively, click Shared in the left navigation to see a list of all items you have shared with others.
3. Open the Info pane for a shared item
   Select any file or folder that shows a shared icon. Click the Info icon, which looks like a lowercase “i” in a circle, in the top-right toolbar. The Info pane opens on the right side of the screen.
4. Click “Manage access” to see all permissions
   In the Info pane, under the Shared with section, click Manage access. A panel appears listing every person or group that has access to this item, along with the type of link used and the permission level (Can edit or Can view).
5. Remove unwanted sharing links
   For each entry you want to revoke, click the three dots (more actions) next to the person’s name or link type, then select Stop sharing. If the item has an Anyone link, click the dropdown arrow next to the link and choose Remove link. Repeat for every item that should no longer be shared.
6. Change permission levels if needed
   If the client should still have access but you want to downgrade from edit to view, click the three dots next to their name, select Change permission, and choose Can view. This prevents accidental edits during the transition period.
7. Use the Microsoft 365 admin center for a tenant-wide audit
   If you are a global admin or SharePoint admin, sign in to admin.microsoft.com. Go to Reports > Usage > OneDrive > Sharing. This report shows all shared OneDrive items across the tenant, including external sharing activity. Export the report to Excel and filter by your own OneDrive URL to see every shared item you need to review.
8. Transfer file ownership if required
   If the client needs to own the files after the handover, you can transfer ownership. In OneDrive web, select the files or folders you want to transfer. Click the Move to button and choose a location in the client’s OneDrive if they have one, or copy the files to a shared location. Ownership transfer within OneDrive is not a built-in feature; you must copy or move the content to the recipient’s library.

Common Mistakes and Limitations During a OneDrive Sharing Review

Mistake: Forgetting to check nested folder permissions

OneDrive allows sharing at the folder level, and subfolders inherit those permissions by default. If you review only the top-level folder, you might miss a subfolder that was shared separately with different users. To avoid this, expand each folder and check the Info pane for every subfolder that has a shared icon. You can also use the Microsoft 365 admin report to see all shared items regardless of folder depth.

Mistake: Assuming “Stop sharing” deletes the file

Stopping sharing only removes the link. It does not delete the file or move it to the Recycle Bin. The file remains in your OneDrive and is accessible to you and anyone with direct access (such as co-owners). If you need to remove the file entirely, you must delete it separately. After deletion, empty the Recycle Bin to permanently remove it.

Limitation: No bulk revoke for external sharing

OneDrive does not provide a single button to remove all external sharing links at once. You must remove each link manually or use PowerShell scripts to automate the process. For most business users, the manual method shown above is sufficient for a single account. If you manage many OneDrive accounts, consider using the SharePoint Online Management Shell with the Remove-SPOSiteSharingLink cmdlet.

Mistake: Not checking the Shared with Everyone group

If your organization uses Microsoft 365 Groups, files shared with the group are accessible to all group members. In the Info pane, look for entries labeled “Everyone except external users” or a specific group name. If the client should not have access to these, remove the group from the sharing list or move the files to a location that is not shared with the group.

OneDrive Sharing Link Types: Comparison for Handover Decisions

Item	Anyone link	Specific people link
Authentication required	No	Yes, each recipient must sign in with their Microsoft account or work account
External access risk	High – anyone with the link can access, including unintended users	Low – only named individuals can access
Recommended before handover	Always remove unless the client explicitly requires public access	Review each name and remove anyone not involved in the handover
Permission change possible	Yes, you can change from edit to view or remove the link	Yes, you can change permissions or stop sharing for specific people
Expiration setting	Can set an expiration date if created via SharePoint admin, but not in OneDrive UI	No expiration date available in the OneDrive UI

Use this table to decide which links to keep and which to revoke. For a clean handover, remove all Anyone links and review each Specific people link to confirm that only the client or their authorized successor remains.

You can now audit your OneDrive sharing permissions and remove any links that should not persist after the client handover. Start by checking the “Shared” list in OneDrive web, then use the Info pane to manage access for each item. For a complete audit, run the sharing report in the Microsoft 365 admin center and export it to Excel. As a final step, consider setting a reminder to re-check sharing permissions 30 days after the handover to catch any missed links.