How to Share a SharePoint File with View-Only Access
Most sharing should be view-only. Edit is the exception, not the default. This single habit prevents most accidental damage to shared files.
What it is
View-only sharing means the recipient can see the file’s contents but can’t change them. They can read, scroll, view formulas, but they can’t type, delete, or rearrange. This is what most sharing should look like, because most sharing isn’t actually about collaboration — it’s about visibility.
When someone needs to comment on a draft, give feedback, or review for sign-off, they don’t need edit access. View-only with comments enabled covers it. They can highlight text, add comments, and have a conversation without changing the underlying document.
The shift from default-edit to default-view is one of the most powerful sharing habits you can build. It removes the most common source of accidental damage to shared documents — somebody clicking in the wrong place, deleting a paragraph, or ‘fixing’ something that wasn’t broken.
When to use this
- Sharing a finished document for reading or reference.
- Distributing a draft for feedback (use comments instead of edit).
- Sending content to senior stakeholders who don’t need to modify it.
- Sharing externally where edit access would be inappropriate.
How to do it
- Select the file and click Share.
- Open Link settings.
- Choose Specific people or People in your organisation as appropriate.
- Set permission to Can view.
- Add recipients and send.
- If feedback is needed, ask reviewers to use comments rather than edits.
Best practices
- Default to view-only. Edit access is the exception — only grant it when active collaboration is happening.
- Combine view-only with comments enabled for review. Reviewers can have full input without changing content.
- Disable download for highly sensitive content. View-only in the browser, no offline copies.
- Be explicit in the email. ‘Read-only review — please add comments rather than edits’ sets expectations clearly.
Common mistakes
- Granting edit when view would do. Most ‘review’ tasks don’t need edit access. Use comments.
- Assuming view-only blocks downloading. It usually doesn’t — disable download separately if needed.
- Forgetting to remove view access after the work is done. Even view access should be cleaned up when no longer needed.
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Get the Sharing Handbook — $27 →FAQ
How do I share a SharePoint file as read-only?
When sharing, click Link settings, then change the permission dropdown from ‘Can edit’ to Can view. The recipient can open and read the file but can’t modify, comment, or save changes. Combine with Block download if you also want to prevent local copies.
What’s the difference between Can View and Can Review in SharePoint?
Can View is purely read-only — no comments, no suggestions, no changes. Can Review allows comments and tracked changes (suggestions the file owner can accept or reject) but blocks direct edits. Use Can Review for reviewers who need to leave feedback; use Can View for everyone who just needs to read.
Can someone with View-only access still print or screenshot a SharePoint file?
They can take screenshots — there’s no way to prevent that. They can also print the file unless you’ve blocked downloading. View-only prevents editing, not capturing. For genuinely confidential content, use sensitivity labels with restrictions, or hold the conversation about whether the file should be shared at all.
Can I make a SharePoint library View-only for some users?
Yes — at the library level (rather than file level). In Library Settings → Permissions, grant a user or group the ‘Read’ permission level for the library. Everyone else can have Edit or Contribute. The library itself filters what each user can do based on their permission level.