How to Share a Document, Excel File, or Other File in Microsoft Office

This step-by-step guide will show you how to share your document (Word, Excel, or other Office files) with others using the Share button in Office. These instructions are designed for beginners, so you can follow along easily.

 

Step 1: Locate the Share Button

When your file is open in Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, look at the top-right corner of the screen. You will see a button labeled Share.

Uploaded Image (Thumbnail)Share Button Highlighted

 

Step 2: Choose Who to Share With

After clicking Share, a window will appear. Here you can type the name, group, or email address of the person you want to share with.

  • If your organization has groups (like “All Employees”), you may see that option by default.
  • You can also type in an individual email address.

Uploaded Image (Thumbnail)Share Options Window

 

Step 3: Send or Copy the Link

At the bottom of the sharing window, you have two options:

  • Send – This will immediately send an email to the person with the link.
  • Copy Link – This will copy a link that you can paste into an email, Teams chat, or anywhere else.

     

Step 4: More Sharing Options

If you click the three dots (…) in the top-right corner of the sharing window, you’ll see additional options:

  • Send link in Outlook – Opens a new Outlook email with the link already included.
  • Send a copy – Lets you send a separate copy of the file instead of a link.

Uploaded Image (Thumbnail)More Options Menu

 

Tips for Sharing

  • If you want people to edit the file, make sure the permissions allow editing.
  • If you only want people to view the file, you can change the link settings to “View Only.”
  • Using Copy Link is helpful if you want to share quickly in a chat or another program.

What Microsoft Says

Microsoft’s official help pages confirm these steps:
- Share your documents – Use the Share button, invite people by email, or copy a link. (Read more)
- Share and collaborate in Office – Pick who to share with, choose permissions (edit or view), then send. (Read more)

These guides from Microsoft use the same steps shown here, so you can trust that you’re doing it the right way.

✅ That’s it! You’ve now shared your file in Microsoft Office using the Share button.

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