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Hero Links

Hero links are Microsoft's new sharing experience for SharePoint and OneDrive, where each file or folder uses a single, reusable link that controls all access to it. In Syskit Point, this link is usually referred to as the main link.

Instead of creating a new link every time content is shared with a different person or audience, the same main link is reused whenever you copy a link, share by e-mail, or use the file URL. This removes the need to create, delete, and manage multiple links for the same file and makes sharing simpler to understand and manage.

Whether you click Copy Link, add access for new people, or send an e-mail, it is the same main link in the background.

In the SharePoint and OneDrive interface, there is no separate main link or hero link label. This is presented as the file or folder link settings.

Here are the key characteristics of how the hero/main link works:

  • By default, access is set to Only people added, which means only the people listed can access the file
  • Adding someone to the list of people gives them access through the same main link; in the background, access is granted directly on the file or folder
  • Changing the link setting to People in your org does not change the link or URL, but it changes who can access the file using it
  • Resetting the link deletes the current link and generates a new URL

In the classic sharing model, each time a user shared a file with a different audience, SharePoint often generated a new sharing link. Over time, a single file could accumulate many sharing links, each containing a different permission scope.

With main links, a single link per file replaces that and reduces the number of links pointing to the same file.

Existing sharing links and permissions continue to work. The experience for creating new classic-style sharing links is changing: it is less prominent and is available behind the three-dot menu.

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For more details on Microsoft's new sharing experience, take a look at the following article: The new sharing experience is coming to SharePoint Online: What admins need to know.

Syskit Point recognizes main links and surfaces them across its link-based reports and tasks, so you can tell them apart from classic sharing links and see how each file or folder is shared.

The following reports include a Hero link column, which identifies Microsoft's default per-item sharing link and distinguishes it from classic sharing links:

The following reports include a Hero Link Setting column, which shows the file or folder link setting, such as Only people added, People in your org, or Anyone:

The following site metrics are also affected by the new sharing model:

  • The Anonymous Links and Company-Wide Links metrics count files and folders that have the file or folder link setting set to Anyone or People in your org.

  • You can also see Anyone main links in the Anonymous Access Links report, even before they are used.

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Please note!

  • Since SharePoint does not allow deleting a hero/main link, you can only run the Restrict Sharing action on main links, which removes access for everyone except the people you shared the link with directly.
  • Restrict Sharing applies to organization-wide and Anyone main links and reverts their sharing so that only people who were already added keep access; it is available from the Sharing Links, Permissions Matrix, and User Access reports.
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