OneDrive Admin Checklist: external sharing links send users to request access for project closeout

When a project ends, you need to stop external users from accessing shared files. But external sharing links that should be disabled still send users to a request access page. This happens because the sharing link itself remains active even after you change permissions. This article explains how to audit and revoke external sharing links in OneDrive for Business to prevent project closeout access issues.

Why external sharing links still prompt request access after project closeout

When you share a file or folder in OneDrive with an external user, a sharing link is created. The link contains a unique token that grants access based on the permissions you set. Even if you later change the item’s sharing permissions or remove the external user from the Microsoft 365 group, the link token itself remains valid. The external user can still see the link, and when they click it, they are redirected to a request access page. This is because the link is still associated with the item, and the system prompts the user to request access rather than denying access outright. To fully close external access, you must delete the sharing link itself, not just change the permission level.

The request access page appears because OneDrive does not automatically revoke sharing links when you remove a user from a site or group. The link remains in the item’s sharing link collection. When the external user clicks the link, OneDrive checks the link token. If the token is still present but the user no longer has direct access, OneDrive shows the request access page instead of a simple access denied error. This behavior is by design to allow the user to request renewed access. For project closeout, you must proactively delete all external sharing links.

Step-by-step checklist to revoke external sharing links for project closeout

1. Identify all OneDrive sites used in the project
   In the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to Users > Active users. Filter by the project team members. Note the user principal names (UPNs) for each user who shared files externally. Alternatively, use the SharePoint admin center to list all OneDrive sites. Go to SharePoint admin center > Sites > Active sites. Filter by site type: OneDrive. Export the list to a CSV file for reference.
2. Check external sharing settings for each OneDrive site
   In the SharePoint admin center, select a OneDrive site. Click Settings > Sharing. Verify the external sharing level. For project closeout, set it to Only people in your organization or Anyone with link expiration to 0 days. This prevents new external links from being created. This setting does not revoke existing links.
3. View current external sharing links
   In the OneDrive admin center, go to Sharing > External sharing. You can see a list of recent external sharing activities. For a per-site view, use the SharePoint Online Management Shell. Connect to SharePoint Online: Connect-SPOService -Url https://tenant-admin.sharepoint.com. Then run Get-SPOSite -IncludePersonalSite $true | Where-Object {$_.Url -like "/personal/"} | Get-SPOSiteSharingPermissions to list all sharing links.
4. Remove external sharing links for each project file or folder
   Use the SharePoint Online Management Shell to remove links. First, identify the specific item URL. For example, if the shared file is at https://tenant-my.sharepoint.com/personal/user_tenant_com/Documents/ProjectX/report.docx, run: Get-SPOSiteSharingPermissions -Identity "https://tenant-my.sharepoint.com/personal/user_tenant_com/Documents/ProjectX/report.docx". Then remove each link: Remove-SPOSiteSharingPermission -Identity "https://tenant-my.sharepoint.com/personal/user_tenant_com/Documents/ProjectX/report.docx" -SharingLinkId . Repeat for all files and folders.
5. Bulk remove sharing links using PowerShell
   To remove all external sharing links from a user’s OneDrive, run: Get-SPOSite -IncludePersonalSite $true | Where-Object {$_.Url -like "/personal/user_tenant_com"} | Get-SPOSiteSharingPermissions | Remove-SPOSiteSharingPermission. Replace the URL filter with the specific user. This removes all sharing links for that user. Test on a single user first.
6. Verify link removal
   After removal, open a private browser window and paste the original sharing link. The page should show an access denied message, not a request access page. If the request access page still appears, the link was not removed. Repeat the removal steps for that specific link.
7. Document the closeout actions
   Create a spreadsheet with columns: User, OneDrive URL, File/Folder, Link ID, Removal Date, Verifier. Log every link removed. Store this document in a secure location for audit purposes.

Common issues when revoking external sharing links for project closeout

Request access page still appears after removing the link

If the request access page persists, the link might be cached by the browser or the link was not removed from the correct item. Clear the browser cache and test again. Also check if the link was shared at a folder level that contains the file. Remove the folder-level link as well. Use Get-SPOSiteSharingPermissions -Identity to check folder links.

Cannot remove a link because it was created by another user

Only the owner of the OneDrive site or a SharePoint admin can remove sharing links. If the link was created by a user who left the organization, you must use the SharePoint admin center or PowerShell with admin privileges. In the SharePoint admin center, go to More features > User profiles > Manage user profiles. Find the user and delete their OneDrive site. This removes all links but also deletes the user’s files. Alternatively, use PowerShell with the -SharingLinkId parameter to remove the link directly.

External user still has access through a Microsoft 365 group

If the external user was added to a Microsoft 365 group that has access to the OneDrive files, removing the sharing link alone does not revoke access. Remove the external user from the group. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to Groups > Active groups. Select the group. Click Members. Remove the external user. Then verify access.

Sharing link types and their closeout behavior

Item	Anyone link	Specific people link
Description	Link that anyone can use without signing in	Link that only specified external users can use after signing in
Request access page appears after removal	No — access denied immediately	Yes — user sees request access page because link token remains
Removal method	Delete link or set expiration in Sharing settings	Remove link via PowerShell or admin center
Impact on project closeout	Link must be deleted or expired	Link must be deleted; user may still see request access page if not removed

You can now audit and remove external sharing links for project closeout using the SharePoint admin center and PowerShell. Start with the checklist in this article to ensure no external user can request access after the project ends. For ongoing projects, set a link expiration policy in the OneDrive admin center under Sharing > External sharing > Link expiration to automatically expire links after a set number of days. This prevents forgotten links from causing closeout issues later. Always test link removal in a sandbox environment before running bulk operations.