Microsoft is rolling out a major update to file and folder sharing in Microsoft 365, introducing a new “hero link” designed to make collaboration simpler, access management more flexible, and sharing less confusing.
For years, sharing a file in Microsoft 365 could involve more decisions than users expected. Should you copy a link? Should you send an email invitation? Should the recipient be allowed to edit? Does the existing link still work if permissions change?
Microsoft is now taking a different approach.
Beginning in late August 2026 and continuing through late October 2026, Microsoft is rolling out a new generation of the Microsoft 365 sharing experience worldwide. The change affects users of SharePoint, OneDrive, and Microsoft 365 file-sharing experiences, and its central feature is something Microsoft calls the hero link.
The idea is straightforward: instead of making users think about multiple sharing links, each file or folder will have one primary sharing link that becomes the central point for managing link-based access.
That could make everyday collaboration considerably easier, particularly for organizations where employees frequently share documents across teams, departments, or external organizations.
What Is the Microsoft 365 Hero Link?
The hero link is essentially a single primary sharing link associated with a file or folder.
Microsoft says the new experience is intended to create a consistent sharing process regardless of how a user initiates sharing. Whether someone copies a link, shares a file through email, or works with the browser URL, the new sharing experience is designed around this primary link.
The biggest advantage is that the link can be updated after it has already been shared.
That is an important change for organizations that regularly adjust access permissions.
Imagine an employee sends a document to several colleagues. Later, one of those colleagues reports that they cannot open it. Under the new model, the sender can potentially change the audience associated with the hero link rather than generating another URL and sending a second message.
In practical terms, Microsoft is trying to separate the concept of the link itself from the audience that is allowed to use it.
The URL can remain the same while its access settings change.
A Simpler Default: Only People Added to the File
Security is clearly an important part of Microsoft’s new approach.
By default, the hero link is configured for “Only people added to the file.” In this configuration, possessing the link by itself does not automatically provide access.
Users can still explicitly add people to a file or folder, and Microsoft says that direct sharing remains unchanged.
Depending on organizational policies, users may also be able to broaden the hero link’s audience to people within the organization or, where permitted, to anyone with the link.
This means organizations can maintain their existing governance policies while giving users a more streamlined interface for managing access.
The available permission choices can also include options such as viewing, editing, or viewing without downloading, depending on the permissions available in the environment.
Why This Matters for Businesses
At first glance, changing the sharing dialog might seem like a relatively minor Microsoft 365 interface update.
For organizations that share thousands or millions of files, however, small changes to sharing behavior can have a significant operational impact.
Employees often share documents under time pressure. A project manager may need to send a presentation to an executive team. A finance department may need to distribute a spreadsheet to a group of stakeholders. An IT team may share technical documentation with another department.
In each case, unnecessary decisions about link types can slow down collaboration.
The hero link attempts to simplify that process.
Instead of creating a new link every time access requirements change, users can update the existing hero link’s audience.
That could reduce duplicate links, confusing email threads, and situations where employees wonder which version of a shared URL they should use.
Existing Links Will Not Simply Disappear
One of the more important details for IT administrators is that Microsoft is not eliminating existing sharing links as part of this rollout.
Existing sharing links will continue to function and will appear under “Other links” within the sharing dialog.
That should help organizations transition without immediately breaking previously distributed URLs.
It also means users may temporarily see a combination of the new hero link and older sharing links while they become familiar with the updated experience.
For large organizations, this transition period may be particularly important when updating internal documentation and employee training materials.
How Access Permissions Will Work
The hero link does not operate in isolation.
Microsoft notes that effective access remains based on the most permissive combination of several permission sources. These can include direct permissions, inherited permissions, group-based permissions, and link-based permissions.
That distinction matters.
Changing the hero link does not necessarily remove access that someone already has through another mechanism.
For example, a user might have direct access to a file because they were explicitly added to it. Another employee might gain access through membership in a Microsoft 365 group. A third person could potentially access it through a link.
The effective permission is determined by the combination of these access paths.
For administrators and security teams, this means the hero link should be viewed as a new sharing control—not as a replacement for the broader Microsoft 365 permission model.
Microsoft 365 Administrators Get New Controls
Organizations will also have some control over the default audience assigned to hero links.
Administrators can configure the default audience at the SharePoint site collection or OneDrive level using the DefaultMainLinkScope parameter in SharePoint PowerShell.
Microsoft currently supports two relevant values:
- OnlyPeopleAdded, which is the default
- Organization
The setting determines the default audience but does not necessarily prevent users from broadening access when organizational policies allow them to do so.
There is currently no tenant-wide equivalent setting for the hero link audience.
This distinction is important for administrators managing large Microsoft 365 environments. A company may want different sharing defaults for different SharePoint sites or OneDrive environments, and site-level configuration can provide more targeted control.
Microsoft also says hero links start with view permissions by default.
What Happens to Link Expiration and Existing Sharing Settings?
Another important consideration is that administrators should not assume that every existing sharing-link configuration automatically controls the new hero link.
Microsoft says existing default sharing link settings and link expiration policies continue to apply to legacy links and do not govern hero links.
That makes it worth reviewing how an organization’s current sharing policies map to the new experience.
Security teams should especially pay attention to documentation that describes how employees should share externally, how long links should remain active, and when direct permissions should be used instead of broader link-based access.
When Is the New Experience Arriving?
Microsoft is planning a relatively broad rollout window.
The new sharing experience is scheduled to roll out from late August 2026 through late October 2026 for:
- Worldwide general availability
- GCC
- GCC High
- DoD
The rollout therefore has a fairly wide window rather than a single launch date.
Organizations should expect users to see the new sharing interface as the update reaches their Microsoft 365 environment.
Microsoft also says users will receive a tutorial experience the first time they open the new sharing dialog, which should help introduce the new model without requiring every employee to attend additional training.
Is There Any Action Required?
For most organizations, the answer is no.
Microsoft does not require administrators to complete a specific migration before the rollout.
However, “no action required” does not necessarily mean “no preparation recommended.”
Organizations should consider reviewing their internal documentation before the new experience reaches users.
If training materials currently tell employees to create specific types of sharing links, those instructions may need to be updated. IT teams may also want to explain the concept of the hero link to employees who frequently collaborate on documents.
For organizations with strict information-sharing policies, administrators should also evaluate site-level defaults and confirm that the configuration matches their preferred sharing behavior.
What Does This Mean for Everyday Microsoft 365 Users?
For the average employee, the biggest change may simply be that sharing feels more consistent.
Users will see one primary link for a file or folder instead of having to think as much about which sharing link they previously created.
More importantly, that link can be updated when access requirements change.
That could make a noticeable difference in everyday collaboration.
Instead of sending “Here is the new link” messages every time access changes, users may be able to modify the existing hero link and keep using the same URL.
For IT departments, the benefit could be even bigger. A simpler sharing model can make it easier to explain sharing policies, reduce user confusion, and provide a more predictable experience across SharePoint and OneDrive.
A Small Interface Change With Bigger Implications
Microsoft’s hero link may look like a modest change to the sharing dialog, but it reflects a broader direction for Microsoft 365: making collaboration easier while keeping access management centralized.
The key concept is simple: one primary link, flexible access settings, and fewer reasons to resend URLs.
For users, that means less friction.
For administrators, it means another sharing configuration to understand and potentially incorporate into governance policies.
And for organizations, it could ultimately mean fewer confusing link-management problems across everyday collaboration.
As the rollout begins in August 2026 and continues into October, businesses should watch for the new sharing experience, update internal guidance where necessary, and review their SharePoint and OneDrive defaults.
The hero link is not a complete redesign of Microsoft 365 permissions. Rather, it is a more streamlined way of bringing link-based sharing under one primary access point.
The result could be one of those updates that initially feels small but quickly becomes an everyday part of how people work with files in Microsoft 365.
