SharePoint Knowledge Base

SharePoint is all about sharing and collaborating, it's right there in the name, SharePoint, and it's something that as SharePoint consultants, we take seriously. What's the point of having an amazing list if no one can find it? So what's a good way to quickly and easily share a library with someone? Copying the URL can sometimes be messy and cause security issues, but luckily SharePoint has a neat feature built right into the ribbon of a list to easily email it to someone. You click on the button it opens up an email and you send it and then whoever gets it can click on the link and get right to work. Pretty easy right? That's how it should be.

How to Email a Library Link:

• Start Internet Explorer and type the URL for your organization's SharePoint server. The Start page will open.
• Navigate to the library in which you are interested. The library page will open.
• In the ribbon click the Library tab. The Library ribbon will open.

   

  Figure 1: The Library Ribbon

• Click the Email a Link button. An Outlook message window will appear.

   

  Figure 2: The Outlook Message Window with the Library Link

Note: If Microsoft Outlook is not your default email program, you will see a Compose Email window that contains a link to the document in the body of the email.

• In the To field, type email address(es).
• In the Subject field, enter a subject.
• In the body of the email message, add a message.
• Click Send. The message will be sent.

How to Open a SharePoint Link:

• In Outlook, navigate to the Inbox.
• In the Inbox pane, double-click the message. The message window will appear.
• In the Share ribbon, click the Connect to this Document Library button. A confirmation dialog box will open.
• Click Yes. The library will appear in the folders pane of Outlook.

Note: You may need to click the Send/Receive button in order to sync the documents with their latest version in SharePoint. For more information on working with library filed in Outlook, see the task "Edit Library App Files in Outlook."

Figure 3: The Connected Library in Outlook

How to Hide Offline Copies from Outlook:

When you connect to a SharePoint library app, you get the whole contents of the library. There may be instances where you won't need a copy of every document or file in the library. Here's how to remove offline copies from Outlook. Note that this does not remove the original copy of the document from the SharePoint server.

• In Outlook, navigate to the Mail column.
• Click the document library folder. The contents of the document library will appear in the library's pane.
• In the library pane right click a document. The context menu will appear.

   

  Figure 4: The Context Menu in the Library Pane

• Select Remove Offline Copy. The document will now appear in the Available for Download section of the library pane.

Note: There may be other additional documents in the Available for Download section since the last time you connected to the library.

Figure 5: The Library Pane in Outlook

If Outlook is where you work then you might consider checking out this other post about Clever Ways to Blend Outlook and SharePoint.

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