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How to enable co-authoring in SharePoint Online

Written by Jack Mitchell in Microsoft,SharePoint,SharePoint Guides Last Updated July 27, 2023

Co-Authoring is a  feature in SharePoint Online (and is also available in OneDrive) that allows multiple users to edit and collaborate on documents in real time. Documents within a SharePoint Online document library are enabled with co-authoring by default. This means that when multiple users edit one document, whether it’s on Word, Excel or PowerPoint, the changes made by each user will be reflected to everyone else who is using the document at that time. This function of SharePoint enhances collaboration and improves the experience of using SharePoint. In this blog post, I will be illustrating how the co-authoring feature works in SharePoint Online.

It is important to note here that co-authoring works on Office Online and in locally installed applications with modern Office documents (.docx (Word), .pptx (PowerPoint), and .xlsx (Excel).). In addition to this, all co-authors must have edit permissions and must be connected online.

How to enable co-authoring in SharePoint Online

In short, you don’t need to enable it. Co-authoring is a default feature of SharePoint that is always enabled. The feature allows you and your co workers to simultaneously work on files such as 

  • Word
  • Excel
  • PowerPoint
  • OneNote

To co-author with others, you need:    

  • A shared storage area such as OneDrive, or in this case, SharePoint.
  • Apps that support co-authoring. Word and PowerPoint support co-authoring on all devices and versions that are more recent than Office 2010 support. The Excel mobile apps and the latest version of Excel for Microsoft 365 also support co-authoring.
  • A co-authoring friendly document, as co-authoring is only supported on modern file formats such as .docx (Word), .pptx (PowerPoint), and .xlsx (Excel).
  • Edit permissions for co-authors in order to access and edit the documents.

How does co-authoring work? 

Word

Word documents are one of the most commonly used files that co workers use to co-author. When two or more users are editing a Word document at the same time, they can view who is currently working on the document as well as see the changes that are being made to the document as they are happening. 

When using Word Online, the notification will appear at the top right hand corner of the page near the ‘Share’ button when another author has made an edit at the same time. 

Excel

The co-authoring feature for Excel works for thel desktop app as well as Excel Online. When edits are being made to an Excel spreadsheet, the cells that the changes are being made to are highlighted and the name of the user making the changes also appears next to the cell.

In order to enable co-authoring for the Excel desktop app, it is important to ensure that you are using the latest version of the Office suite. Prior to the August 2017 update, when trying to co-author and edit a document in the Excel app, the second user would receive a notification message saying that the file is locked for editing and is only available to view as a read only copy.

PowerPoint

Similarly to Word, PowerPoint also shows who is currently working on the document as well as displaying the changes that are being made to the document as they are happening. 

When using PowerPoint, the notification will appear at the top right hand corner of the page near the ‘Share’ button when another author has made an edit at the same time. 

OneNote

OneNote can also be used for co-authoring as it uses a similar notification process when two or more authors are editing the same page, and is available on both browser editing as well as the desktop application.

The notification on OneNote will appear at the top right hand corner of the page near the ‘Share’ button when another author has made an edit at the same time. 

Co-authoring and versioning

One concern that SharePoint users may have with co-authoring is the process in which versioning works to ensure that the changes being made to a file can be traced back. When two or more people are editing a file at the same time, the file is saved every minute or so to ensure that all the changes are being fully processed and updated. Whichever user is the last to make changes at the time that the file is saved, their name is the one that is registered in the version history. 

How co-authoring can be beneficial to an organisation

The co-authoring capabilities offered by SharePoint make it possible for multiple users to work on a document without interfering with each other’s changes. The file or document they are working on is accessible at any time from anywhere and using any device. The results of co-authoring are often of a higher quality than a single individual can achieve. Co-authoring comes with a range of benefits in terms of the quality and quantity of work but also in terms of reducing time. It plays a great role in promoting collaboration and social interaction between work colleagues.

After reading about Sharepoint’s co-authoring feature, here are other useful blog posts to help you learn more about SharePoint and its features:

This blog post looks at how team sites and communication sites differ in SharePoint and how to decide which one to use.

Since the document library is a vital part of Sharepoint, this blog post looks at the process of creating a new document library with an easy to follow tutorial.

In order to avoid unintentional edits, this blog post demonstrates how to adjust the file settings for libraries, folders and individual documents in your SharePoint site. 

Thank you for reading. If you have any further questions about co-authoring in Sharepoint, feel free to leave a comment below and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. 

How to automatically CC or BCC yourself in Outlook 365

Written by Saajid Gangat in Microsoft,Outlook,Outlook Guides Last Updated July 28, 2023

An automatic CC or BCC on Outlook can help you remain informed with information. You can automate the process so that your emails are automatically CCed or BCCed if you use Outlook.

Here is the method on how to automatically CC or BCC yourself in Outlook for Web:

  • Firstly, open Office 365.
  • Now click on the app launcher.
  • From there, select “Admin.”
  • From the list of Admin centers, select “Exchange.”
  • Choose “Mail flow” followed by “Rules.”
  • Now choose “Add a rule.”
  • Click on “Create a new rule.”
  • Now input a name.
  • Under “Apply this rule if,” make sure the option is set as “The recipient.”
  • In the box next, make sure it’s set as “is this person.”
  • Choose your name and then click on “Save.”
  • Under “Do the following,” choose “Add recipient.”
  • Ensure the box next to it is set to “to the Bcc box.”
  • Select your name and then click on “Save.”
  • Now click on “Next.”
  • Make sure Rule mode is set to “Enforce.”
  • Click on “Next” again.
  • Finally, click on “Finish.”

Please note you will need global admin or Exchange admin permissions to set up the rule above, or assistance from an admin at your organization.

We’ve also created a video to help you set up an auto CC or BCC rule. You can watch it here:

The above method is the most effective way of automatically applying CC or BCC to yourself. By setting a new rule, you can quickly build a message loop that automatically refers emails back to you. However, it might clog your inbox if you select all the users from a company or organization. Therefore, ensure that the inbox won’t be flooded with unnecessary mail when you select all users.

An in-depth guide on how to automatically CC or BCC yourself in Outlook for Web

The in-depth guide includes points that will allow you to understand how to CC or BCC yourself. Read through as I provide steps along with screenshots to help you CC or BCC yourself.

  • Firstly, open Office 365.
  • Now click on the app launcher.
  • From there, select “Admin.”
  • From the list of Admin centers, select “Exchange.”
  • Choose “Mail flow” followed by “Rules.”
  • Now choose “Add a rule.”
  • Click on “Create a new rule.”
  • Now input a name.
  • Under “Apply this rule if,” make sure the option is set as “The recipient.”
  • In the box next, make sure it’s set as “is this person.”
  • Choose your name and then click on “Save.”
  • Under “Do the following,” choose “Add recipient.”
  • Ensure the box next to it is set to “to the Bcc box.”
  • Select your name and then click on “Save.”
  • Now click on “Next.”
  • Make sure Rule mode is set to “Enforce.”
  • Click on “Next” again.
  • Finally, click on “Finish.”

Please note that you will need admin permissions enabled to access the Admin center and allow transport rules to be created. Contact global admin members to give you the necessary permissions to use the steps above.

Why may you want to automatically CC or Bcc yourself in Outlook for web

One reason is that Outlook for desktops is not available for everyone. You can set transport rules to set up an auto CC or BCC in the desktop client; however, those rules cannot be replicated on the web client. Also, you cannot have desktop rules enforced on the web version of Outlook. Therefore to have the auto CC function enabled, you need to use the steps above.

The advantages of using automatic CC or BCC

An automatic CC or BCC to yourself is beneficial and can increase your productivity to suit your requirements. It also ensures that your inbox is filtered according to your preferences. An organized inbox is crucial for helping you attain an organized environment.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading our blog on how to automatically CC or BCC yourself in Outlook for Web. I have provided a list of steps to help apply an automatic CC or BCC to yourself within the program. You can use any of the methods, even if you are a desktop user of Outlook. Comment below if you require further assistance, and we will address them.

Customize document library view in SharePoint Online

Written by Jack Mitchell in Microsoft,SharePoint,SharePoint Guides Last Updated July 28, 2023

There may be a number of scenarios you find yourself in where having a different display or view of your document library in SharePoint Online would be so much more convenient that the default view. For example, if you want to view your document library as tiles so you can see the file extension icons and the created-by fields just by looking at the document library, or you might even want to create a completely new view. In this blog post, we will explore how to change and customize your document view in SharePoint Online.

How to change your document library view:

  1. Go to the site where your document library is
  2. Select the document library you want to make changes to
  3. From the right hand side of the command bar, select ‘All Documents’
  4. From The drop down list, click on the view that you’d like to choose (list, compact list, tiles)

How to customize your document library view:

  1. Go to the site where your document library is
  2. Select the document library you want to make changes to
  3. From the right hand side of the command bar, select ‘All Documents’
  4. From the drop down list, select ‘Create new view’
  5. Under ‘view name’ enter the name for your new view.
  6. Under ‘show as’ select the type of view you want to create (list, calendar, gallery)
  7. If you select calendar view, enter a start and end date on the calendar
  8. If you want to change the how the title of the items appear on the calendar, click on ‘more options’
  9. Then click in the title box and select a title from the drop down list
  10. Once all your options are entered and selected, click on ‘Create’

Why customize your document library view?

As briefly mentioned above, there are many situations you may be in where changing or customizing your document library view in SharePoint Online can prove to be helpful. It allows you to display your items and documents in a way that makes sense for you and your needs. Customizing your document library means you can adjust and rearrange the order of your files and documents or group items to create a view that is more organised, resulting in easier access and efficiency. Once you have created your new customized view, a link to the custom view will appear in the view menu at the top right corner of the document library page where you created the view.

Step by step process of changing your document library view:

  1. Go to the site where your document library is

For the purpose of this demonstration, I will go to my ‘Blog Demo’ site.

  1. Select the document library you want to make changes to

Since my files are stored in the ‘Documents’, this is the document library I will be selecting.

  1. Then select ‘All Documents’

The ‘All Documents’ option can be found on the right hand side of the command bar.

  1. From The drop down list, click on the view that you’d like to choose

 The document library view options include list, compact list, and tiles.

Here is what each document view option looks likes 

Document library view optionDisplay
List
Compact list
Tiles

Step by step process of customizing your document library view: 

  1. Go to the site where your document library is

For the purpose of this demonstration, I will go to my ‘Blog Demo’ site.

  1. Select the document library you want to make changes to

Since my files are stored in the ‘Documents’, this is the document library I will be selecting.

  1. Then select ‘All Documents’

The ‘All Documents’ option can be found on the right hand side of the command bar.

  1. From The drop down list, select ‘Create new view’
  1. Under ‘view name’ enter the name for your new view.

For the purpose of this tutorial, I have called this view ‘Calendar’ as I will be selecting the calendar view in the next step.

  1. Under ‘show as’ select the type of view you want to create

The options include list, calendar, and gallery.

  1. If you select calendar view, enter a start and end date on the calendar
  1. If you want to change the how the title of the items appear on the calendar, click on ‘more options’
  1. Then click in the title box and select a title from the drop down list

For example, I selected the title ‘Tags’ from the drop down list.

  1. Once all your options are entered and selected, click on ‘Create’

Thanks for reading! We hope this blog post has been helpful. If you have any further questions, feel free to leave a comment and we’ll be more than happy to help.

Shared SharePoint files not showing in file explorer: how to fix

Written by Jack Mitchell in Microsoft,SharePoint,SharePoint Guides Last Updated July 26, 2023

Sharepoint is a great collaboration tool for storing and sharing files with co-workers. It makes the process of sharing files much more efficient and ensures security when sharing with both internal and external users. But what happens if your shared files don’t appear in Sharepoint file explorer? It may even be that the files are appearing in the web view of Sharepoint, but seem to be hidden from the desktop view. This seems to be a commonly experienced issue with Sharepoint, which is most likely due to your Sharepoint files needing to be synced. 

User (dleung29) – on the Microsoft forum – explains “I have a user trying to copy over files into the Sharepoint drive, they are copying over but when trying to access via File Explorer, the folder says it’s empty. But in the web view of Sharepoint, the files are there. (Some files don’t copy over also). I understand that Sharepoint/Windows have a file path/filename character limitations but some files they have already sync’d have longer filepath/names.”

Here is a step by step blog post that will walk you through each step of how to fix this issue.

Syncing Sharepoint files:

  1. Go to Office.com and sign in using your Microsoft credentials.
  2. From the panel on the left hand side, click on ‘Sharepoint.’
  3. From the left hand side, select the site where your files are stored.
  4. Then select the folder where your files are stored.
  5. From the panel at the top, click ‘Sync.’
  • Get SharePoint from $6.00 per month with Microsoft 365 Business Basic.

Although the steps to fix this issue are simple, it is important to note that there may be other reasons why your shared files are not appearing in Sharepoint file explorer. There are a number of restrictions and limitations that apply to file names and file types when syncing with Sharepoint. Before trying to sync your Sharepoint files, make sure your files do not fall under the following limitations.

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Sharepoint restrictions and limitations for sharing files in Microsoft 365:

Restrictions:

  1. Invaid characters in file names such as “ * : < > ? / \ |
  2. Invalid file or folder names. For example, .lock, CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM0 – COM9, LPT0 – LPT9, _vti_, desktop.ini, or any file name starting with ~$
  3. Invalid or blocked file types. For security reasons, a number of file names and extensions can’t be uploaded since they are executable, used by SharePoint Server, or used by Windows itself.
  4. You may receive error messages when sharing files on Sharepoint due to:
  • Passing the 50,000 item limit that can be shared within a folder and any sub-folders
  • Sharing to an address that is not associated with a Microsoft account.

Limitations:

  1. File size limit: 250GB
  2. File name and path lengths. The entire coded file path cannot contain more that 400 characters for Sharepoint in Microsoft 365.
  3. Thumbnails and previews. Thumbnails cannot be generated for images that are larger than 100 MB and PDF previews cannot be generated for files larger than 100MB 
  4. Syncing too many items. Although Sharepoint can store 30 million documents per library, performance issues may be experienced if you have over 300,000 items across all the libraries you are syncing.
  5. macOS specific restrictions. Case sensitive formatted disk volume is not supported.

If you have ensured that your shared files do not fall under these restrictions and limitations, but the shared files are still not showing up in Sharepoint file explorer, it may be because your files need to be synced in order for users to be able to access them. To find out how to sync your Sharepoint files, follow this step by step demonstration on how to sync Sharepoint files.

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Step by step process on syncing Sharepoint files so they appear in file explorer: 

  1. Go to Office.com and sign in using your Microsoft credentials

For the purpose of this tutorial, I will be singing into Microsoft using an example account.

  1. From the panel on the left hand side, click on ‘SharePoint’

From the side panel, click on the sharepoint logo to view your sites.

  1. From the left hand side, select the site where your files are stored 

For this tutorial, I will be selecting the ‘Blog Demo’ site on my SharePoint system.

  1. Then select the folder where your files are stored

I have selected the ‘Documents’ folder as an example.

  1. From the panel at the top, click on ‘Sync.’

Your files will now start syncing.

Once the files on your Sharepoint system are all synced up, they should appear in the Sharepoint file explorer and will be accessible to all users, as well as being able to share them with external users if needed. 

Now that your shared Sharepoint files are synced, here are more blog posts about sharing files on Sharepoint: 

This blog post discusses the possibility of using Sharepoint without subscribing to M365 and lists some possible alternative systems.

Here we look at organisation setting of OneDrive and how to change these settings in order to share files with external users

This step by step guide explains how to edit permissions to be able to transfer files between colleagues or members within a group or organisation 

One of the biggest issues people tend to face when using Sharepoint is not being able to share files with people outside of their organisation. This blog posts highlights how to fix your external sharing permissions. 

Thank you for reading! We hope this blog post helped to solve your Sharepoint issues. If you have any further questions, feel free to leave a comment and we’ll be happy to help.

How to create a new document library in SharePoint Online

Written by Jack Mitchell in Microsoft,SharePoint,SharePoint Guides Last Updated July 25, 2023

Sharepoint is a great content management system, which is a secure place to store and share documents, files and folders etc. In this blog post, I will display a step by step guide on how to create a new document library in sharepoint online.

Steps to create a new document library:

  1. Go to Office.com and sign in using your Microsoft credentials 
  2. From the panel on the left hand side, click on ‘SharePoint’
  3. Go to the site where you would like to create a new library
  4. On the menu bar, click on ‘New’ and then click on ‘Document library’
  5. Enter a name for the new library
  6. Click on ‘Create’

By creating a document library in Sharepoint, you can easily and securely store files where you and your co-workers can find them, work on them together and access them at any time, from any device. This makes it a great way to store files related to a specific client or project as all relevant members of the team can easily access the documents they need. 

Although the default site in Sharepoint automatically creates a document library when you create a new site, creating additional libraries in a site can be useful, particularly if you need to restrict access to certain files. Each document library displays a list of the files within the libraries, as well as key information about who created or modified the file last. This information can be used to organise files and make them easier to find. 

Why create a document library?

Creating a document library allows you to: 

  • Control who has access to a library, folder or individual file
  • Track activity on the file such as when it was last modified, and receive a notification when something has changed
  • Add, edit and delete a file, folder or link from a document library, as well as co-author and download documents. 
  • Share files and folders with others
  • Add a link in a document library to something that is stored outside the library such as a file located in a different library or even a link to an external page.
  • Highlight a file or folder within a document library so you and others can get them quickly. 

Step by step process to creating a new document library

  1. Go to Office.com and sign in using your Microsoft credentials 

For the purpose of this tutorial, I will be singing into Microsoft using an example account.

  1. From the panel on the left hand side, click on ‘SharePoint’

From the side panel, click on the sharepoint logo to view your sites.

  1. Go to the site where you would like to create a new library

Here is an example of a site where I will be demonstrating how to create a new document library.

  1. On the menu bar, click on ‘New’ and then click on ‘Document library’

Click ‘New’, then from the drop-down list, select ‘Document library’.

  1. Enter a name for the library

In the highlighted box, enter a relevant name for the new document library.

  1. Click on ‘Create’

After adding the name of the new library, click the ‘Create’.

You have now created a new document library on Sharepoint Online, where you can upload files, folders and links.

After creating a document library, you can find out more about:

This blog post highlights all the steps needed to allow users to view items in a browser without giving them the ability to download any files, documents or folders.

Here, we demonstrate the simplest method to add users to a site but restrict the folders they have access to.

This is a step by step method on how to remove the ‘modified by’ column when using sharepoint, to further secure your files when sharing your sharepoint with external users.

This tutorial explains a secure method on how to give users access to a specific folder in sharepoint without granting them access to the entire site. 

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below and we’ll be happy to help. 

OneDrive external sharing not working: How to fix

Written by Saajid Gangat in Microsoft,OneDrive,OneDrive Guides Last Updated January 18, 2023

One of the greatest assets the cloud and digital storage industries have is the capacity to govern external sharing, which is one of the key values of cloud collaboration platforms. Most external sharing for firms that rely on file servers must be done over email, which is challenging to control, especially on a large scale.

To resolve the issue you may need to visit the share setting page located within the admin centre settings panel. Here you will be able to edit sharing preferences and grand external members of OneDrive with the files.

Step by step process: How to enable external sharing for OneDrive

  • Click the app launcher settings which illustrates as nine dots in the top left corner of the M365 dashboard
  • Once this stage is complete you can then click admin to enter the admin center
  • Once the user has accessed the admin portal, you can then access the SharePoint admin center. Initially they will be shown pinned options to access different functionalities within the Microsoft 365 network. However to access the full list of functions you need to click Show all to bring up the list of admin centers
  • Once the user has clicked show all, they can open the SharePoint admin center
  • In the SharePoint admin center, you can set the global permissions related to sharing. You will find the sharing policies in the SharePoint Admin Centre under Policies > Sharing.
  • Move the OneDrive slider to Most permissible to enable external sharing of OneDrive files and folders

These initial steps will allow you to edit the sharing permissions and ensure they are set so you will be able to share content with external users. With the correct share, permissions enabled users can share content with external members of a group.

However, issues may involve the data not being able to transfer to external users via OneDrive or cloud storage due to setting changes or admin preferences restricting the file transfer to only internal users. Below is a list of problems users may encounter if they are unable to transfer files with external users.

OneDrive External Sharing Setting Options

  • Sharing With Anonymous Users
    • Files and folders can be shared with any external user who receives the sharing link, whether authenticated or not. Although there are still options to limit what users who receive the link can do with the content being shared, this is by far the broadest and least secure setting for external sharing. It is vital to remember, though, that links can be passed around by individuals who receive them, and that the link and the actions enabled by it remain active until explicitly disabled. Sites cannot be shared via link with anonymous users.
  • Sharing Limited to External Users in Your Directory
    • External users can only access files, folders, and sites if they are already in your directory, have been imported from another Office 365 directory, or have accepted sharing invites and therefore been added to your directory. Allowing sharing only with external users who already exist in your organization’s directory is quite valuable for many admins, as it allows them to easily verify the security and intent of individuals with whom content is shared.
  • No External Sharing
    • Individuals with accounts in your organization’s OneDrive, SharePoint Online, or Office 365 subscription can only access files, folders, and sites.
  • Sharing With All Authenticated Users
    • Any external user who has a Microsoft account or is a member of another Office 365/OneDrive/SharePoint Online subscription through school or work can access files, folders, and webpages. While these users will not be required to log into that account in order to view the shared content, they will be sent a one-time authentication code that they must enter in order to view it.

In most businesses, users and administrators will come across a scenario that appears to initiate  each of these settings at some point. However, people in charge of external sharing protocols must understand when each is suitable and do their best to impose the right limits in each circumstance.

There are 2 main types of links present when sharing content using OneDrive

  • Shareable Links:
    • These are the broadest options. Anyone, internal or external, can open the link.
  • Direct Links:
    • When these links are created, users must specify the emails to which the link is going. As such, anyone who is not specifically invited to the document being shared will not be able to use the link

Additional sharing criteria can be addressed in addition to the aforementioned options. It’s possible, for example, to prevent all users from specific domains from sharing, even if they’re in your directory, such as a rival. It’s possible, for example, to prevent all users from specific domains from sharing, even if they’re in your directory, such as a rival. It’s also possible to prevent external users (who aren’t anonymous) from sharing items that have been shared with them, as well as set expiration dates on the links shared with them, so they don’t have access to your content.

How To Enable External Sharing for OneDrive

  • When you login to Office 365, Click the M365 365 App launcher in the left corner which illustrates as nine dots in the top left corner of the 365 dashboard.
  • Once this stage is complete, you can then click admin to enter the admin center
  •  Once the user has accessed the admin portal, they can then have access to the SharePoint admin center. Initially they will be shown pinned options to access different functionalities within the SharePoint network. However, to access the full list of functions you need to click Show all to access the SharePoint admin center.
  • Once you’ve clicked show all, click SharePoint to open up the SharePoint admin center
  • In the SharePoint admin center you can set the global permissions related to sharing. You will find the sharing policies in the SharePoint Admin Centre under Policies > Sharing.
  • These sliders will help the users to change the permission settings directly on the panel. Here they can operate the sliders and modify their permission roles and share it with more people if necessary. The labelling is from most permissive at the top where anyone can see the link to the least permissive which is set to the users which require the data sharing feature to be set to the most specific users within the content.
  • The final aspect to update the share feature is to save the changes which will then allow the users to effectively secure the new changes. Once the setting has been updated the users will be able to share the content over to anyone who requires its assistance.

Note – Users may be required to wait 10-15 minutes for the changes to fully update before they have the ability to share the content.