External Collaboration & Guest Sharing

What's Changing

In Google Workspace, sharing a file with someone outside Blue Ant Media was simple — you clicked Share, typed their email, and they got a link. There were no extra steps or restrictions.

In Microsoft 365, external sharing is more structured. You can still share files with anyone, but Microsoft adds layers of control — guest accounts, link types, and expiry options — so the company can track who has access to what.

Think of it this way:

• Google = open front door (anyone with the link walks in)
• Microsoft = front door with a guest book (visitors sign in, and you decide how long they can stay)

What Stays the Same

• You can still share files with anyone — partners, agencies, freelancers, talent reps
• Share via email — type their email address and they get a link
• View or Edit permissions — you choose what they can do
• Real-time collaboration — external people can co-edit documents with you
• Comments and suggestions — work the same way with external collaborators

Sharing Files from OneDrive

This is the most common way you'll share files with people outside Blue Ant Media.

Share with Specific People

1. Find the file in OneDrive
2. Right-click and select Share (or click the share icon)
3. Enter the external person's email address
4. Choose Can view or Can edit
5. Add an optional message
6. Click Send

The recipient gets an email with a link. If they have a Microsoft account, they sign in. If they don't, Microsoft sends them a one-time code to verify their identity.

Share a Link

Instead of sending directly, you can copy a link with specific settings:

Link Settings

When creating a share link, you can also set:

• Expiry date — the link stops working after a date you choose (great for time-limited reviews)
• Block download — recipients can view but not download the file
• Password — require a password to open the link

Tip: For anything sensitive — rough cuts, contracts, financials — use Specific people with an expiry date. For press kits or public brand assets, Anyone with the link is fine.

Sharing from SharePoint

SharePoint document libraries work the same way as OneDrive for sharing individual files. Right-click a file, click Share, and follow the same steps.

Site-Level Guest Access

For longer-term collaboration — say a production partner who needs ongoing access to a project folder — a site owner can add them as a guest to the SharePoint site. This gives them access to all files in that site without needing individual share links.

Note: Only site owners (usually your manager or IT) can add guests to a SharePoint site. If you need a partner to have ongoing access, ask your manager to set it up.

Guest Access in Teams

If you collaborate with external partners in Microsoft Teams, they can be added as guests to a Teams channel.

What Guests Can Do

• Join team channels and participate in conversations
• Share files within the channel
• Join meetings scheduled in the channel
• See channel posts and files

What Guests Cannot Do

• See other teams or channels they haven't been invited to
• Access the full Blue Ant address book
• Create new channels or teams
• See internal-only conversations in other channels

How It Works

1. A team owner adds the external person by email
2. The guest receives an invitation to join
3. They appear in the channel with a (Guest) label next to their name
4. Everyone in the channel can see who is internal and who is a guest

Tip: The (Guest) label is visible to everyone. Keep this in mind — don't share anything in a guest channel that's meant to be internal-only.

Common Blue Ant Scenarios

Here's how external collaboration works in practice for Blue Ant Media teams:

Sharing a Rough Cut with a Distributor

1. Upload the rough cut to your OneDrive or a SharePoint project folder
2. Click Share and enter the distributor's email
3. Set permission to Can view (they should watch, not edit)
4. Set an expiry date (e.g., 30 days)
5. The distributor gets an email, clicks the link, and watches the video in their browser

Collaborating on a Pitch Deck with an Agency

1. Create the deck in your team's SharePoint document library
2. Share with the agency contact using Can edit
3. Both of you can co-edit in real time, leave comments, and track changes
4. When the project wraps, remove their access from the Manage Access panel

Sending Review Files to Talent Reps

1. Select the files in OneDrive
2. Share using Specific people with Can view
3. Optionally set a password for extra security
4. The talent rep receives an email with a secure link

Security Best Practices

External sharing is powerful, but it's worth being thoughtful about it:

• Use "Specific people" for sensitive content — avoid "Anyone with the link" for contracts, rough cuts, or financials
• Set expiry dates — don't leave external access open indefinitely. Set a date and it automatically revokes
• Revoke access when done — after a project wraps, open the file's Manage access panel and remove external users
• Check who has access — right-click any file and select Manage access to see everyone who can view or edit it
• Be aware of guest labels in Teams — anything you post in a channel with guests is visible to those guests

Good habit: At the end of every project that involved external partners, take five minutes to review shared files and remove access that's no longer needed.

Migration Heads-Up

This is one of the most important things to know about external collaboration during the migration:

• Google Drive sharing permissions do not transfer. Any files you've shared with external partners in Google Drive will need to be re-shared in OneDrive or SharePoint after migration.
• Existing Google Drive share links will stop working once Google Workspace is turned off. External partners who rely on those links will lose access.
• Make a list now of files and folders you've shared externally. After the migration, re-share them using the OneDrive or SharePoint methods above.
• Tell your external partners that your sharing links will change. A quick email after migration with the new links goes a long way.

Quick Reference: Google Sharing vs Microsoft Sharing

Quick Reference Downloads

• File Sharing & Collaboration Guide

Need Help?

1. If you're not sure how to share a file externally, ask a colleague or check the steps above
2. If you need a guest added to a Teams channel or SharePoint site, ask your manager
3. Contact your regional IT support team (the Contact page lists the right email for your office)