Microsoft 365’s New Sharing Experience is Rolling Out: What Law Firms Should Know
Microsoft is rolling out the next generation of file and folder sharing in Microsoft 365, a change designed to make link behavior more consistent across OneDrive, SharePoint, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Microsoft 365 experiences. The update, now expected to roll out through October 2026, introduces what Microsoft calls a “hero link”: a single primary sharing link that can be managed as the main access path for a file or folder.
For IT, security, records, IG, and risk teams, the question is not whether users will notice a new sharing dialog: the question is whether the firm’s Microsoft 365 configuration, site architecture, and user guidance are ready for a sharing model that makes link behavior more visible and easier to change. This rollout should be treated as a governance review point, not just a user interface update.
For end users, this may feel like a welcome usability improvement. File sharing in Microsoft 365 has historically been powerful, but sometimes confusing, especially when a document accumulates several links with different permissions. For law firms and legal organizations, however, the significance goes beyond convenience. Sharing is one of the most common collaboration actions in Microsoft 365, and it is also one of the easiest places for oversharing, external access, client confidentiality concerns, and permission sprawl to creep in.
What is Changing?
The new sharing experience gives users one consistent way to share and manage access, whether they copy a link, share directly by email, or use a browser URL. Instead of creating multiple new links each time access needs to be changed, the hero link can be updated after it has been shared. The settings behind that link determine who can access the item beyond people who have been directly added. For sensitive legal work, adding specific people directly may still be the clearest sharing method.
Why This Matters for Law Firms
Most firms already rely heavily on Microsoft 365 for internal collaboration, client-facing work, matter teams, administrative files, and business development materials. That makes even a small change to the sharing interface worth paying attention. A simpler experience can reduce user frustration, but it can also make sharing feel easier and more routine. If users are not clear on firm policy, they may still choose the wrong audience, permission level, or sharing method.
This is especially important in legal environments, where documents may contain privileged communications, protected client information, confidential business terms, litigation strategy, personnel information, or sensitive firm operations data. The issue is not whether the new Microsoft experience is inherently risky. The issue is whether the firm’s underlying governance model is clear enough to support easier sharing.
According to the Message Center update, the hero link is set by default to “Only people added to the file,” meaning the link itself does not grant access to anyone unless settings are changed. Users can broaden access to people in the organization or, where allowed by policy, to anyone with the link. That means firm-level configuration and site-level governance still matter.
What Firms Should Review Now
- Confirm tenant-level sharing defaults.
- Review SharePoint and OneDrive external sharing settings.
- Check anonymous link availability.
- Review allowed and blocked domains.
- Confirm default link type and default permission level.
- Review link expiration settings.
- Confirm file download restrictions where appropriate.
- Review guest access controls.
- Validate sensitivity label behavior.
- Confirm data loss prevention coverage.
- Review conditional access policies.
- Confirm audit logging expectations.
Use this inventory to compare current Microsoft 365 sharing settings against the firm’s policies for internal collaboration, client collaboration, external counsel, vendors, and administrative workspaces. The goal is to confirm that defaults, external access, link behavior, labels, data loss prevention, conditional access, and audit reporting are applied consistently where legal work is stored.
Next, identify the collaboration spaces where a broader link would create the most risk. Check matter sites, client extranets, document repositories, knowledge management libraries, HR folders, and finance workspaces: firm leadership should not all follow the same sharing pattern. For each category, define a simple rule of the road: which sharing methods are acceptable, who can approve external access, whether links should expire, whether downloads should be restricted, and how access should be reviewed over time. The goal is to move the conversation beyond “Can users share this?” to “What is the right way to share this content, with this audience, for this purpose?”
Support and training teams should also be ready. End users may ask why the sharing dialog looks different, what the hero link does, whether old links still work, and how to fix access issues. Existing sharing links are expected to continue working, but users may need help understanding how the new model relates to prior links and permissions.
A Practical Communication Plan for Your Firm
Firms do not need to overcomplicate the message. A short communication before or during rollout can help users understand what is changing without overwhelming them. For users, explain that Microsoft is updating the sharing experience, that the new hero link is intended to make access easier to manage, and that firm sharing policies still apply. Reinforce when users should share with specific named people, when broader internal links are acceptable, and when external sharing requires additional care.
A simple checklist may be the most effective tool:
- Choose the narrowest audience that will work
- Avoid broad links for client or matter-sensitive content
- Use view-only or block-download options when appropriate
- Contact IT or the help desk when sharing externally or when access behavior seems unclear.
For attorneys, administrative staff, and internal teams, practical guidance is far more useful than a technical explanation of link architecture. With Microsoft expected to deploy this experience to tenants in the coming days, firms should test it in their own environments, confirm that sharing behavior aligns with policy, and make sure support teams are ready to answer user questions.
Microsoft’s new sharing experience should make everyday collaboration more intuitive. But for law firms, ease of use should always be paired with clear governance and practical user education.
Additional information, including screenshots, can be found here:
Simple, Smart, and Secure: The next step in sharing files in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Community Hub
Microsoft Announcement:
AI at Work Roadmap | Microsoft 365
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