Request File
Common Use Cases
- Vendor document collection: gather insurance certificates, W-9s, and contracts from suppliers without giving them access to your site
- Recruiting: collect resumes and portfolios from candidates who have no account in your environment
- Client onboarding: request signed agreements and supporting paperwork from new clients in one organized folder
- Audit and compliance gathering: ask departments or external parties to submit evidence files to a single collection point
- Photo and media submissions: collect event photos or marketing assets from many contributors at once
- Accounting season: request receipts and statements from staff or clients instead of chasing email attachments
Benefits
- Upload only by design: requesters can add files but cannot view, edit, delete, or download anything in the folder
- Privacy between submitters: uploaders cannot see who else was asked or what others sent
- No account needed: anyone with the link can upload, with no Microsoft sign-in required
- Named submissions: every uploaded file gets a prefix identifying the uploader, so you can tell submissions apart
- Everything in one place: submissions land in the folder you chose instead of arriving as scattered email attachments
- Easy to end: deleting the request link stops further uploads instantly
Details
- Feature Category: File Management
How It Works
- Pick a folder: a file request targets a specific folder, and every submission lands there
- Describe the request: a short description tells recipients what files you are asking for, and it can be updated later
- Share the link: send the request link yourself or have email invitations with a personal message go out; anyone with the link can upload
- Uploads are labeled: each uploaded file carries a prefix identifying the uploader, and a second file with the same name automatically gets a number
- You are notified: the requester receives an email notification whenever someone uploads files to the folder
- Ending a request: deleting the request link stops uploads immediately; the deletion is permanent, though a new request can be created on the same folder
Limits and Nuances
- Upload only: recipients cannot view, edit, delete, or download anything in the folder
- Names are not verified: an uploader who is not signed in provides a first and last name that is for convenience only and is not a validated identity
- Signed-in uploads are recorded: when a recipient is signed in, their identity is captured as part of the upload
- Duplicate names get numbered: a second file with the same name automatically receives a number so nothing is overwritten
- Link deletion is final: once a request link is deleted it cannot be restored, although a fresh request can be created on the folder
- Availability varies: file requests are not offered in OneDrive for home use and in certain specialized Microsoft 365 environments
- Administrator enablement: file requests must be enabled for the organization, and they depend on sharing configuration that allows Anyone links with upload permission
Common Questions About File Requests in SharePoint
What is a file request in SharePoint and OneDrive?
A file request is an upload-only link tied to a folder you choose. Anyone with the link can send you files, but they cannot see the folder’s contents, edit or delete anything, or see who else has uploaded. Every submission lands in that one folder with a prefix identifying the uploader, which keeps collection projects organized.
Do people need a Microsoft account to upload files?
No. Anyone with the file request link can send files without OneDrive or any Microsoft sign-in. Uploaders who are not signed in are asked to provide a first and last name so you can tell submissions apart, while uploads from signed-in users carry their recorded identity automatically as part of the upload.
Can uploaders see files that other people submitted?
No. Recipients of a file request can only upload. They cannot see the contents of the folder, cannot tell who else received the request, and cannot view anyone else’s submissions. That privacy makes file requests well suited to collecting sensitive documents such as resumes, financial statements, or vendor paperwork.
Why don’t I see the Request files option?
File requests have to be enabled by an administrator, and they depend on the organization’s sharing configuration allowing Anyone links with upload permission on folders. The feature is also unavailable in OneDrive for home use and certain specialized environments. If the option is missing, the sharing configuration is the first thing to review.
How do I stop a file request?
Delete the request link and uploads stop immediately. Files already received stay safely in the folder. The deletion cannot be undone, so if you need to collect files in the same folder again later, you simply create a new file request and share the fresh link with your recipients.
How do file requests fit into a document management strategy?
File requests shine as the intake point of a process: submissions arrive in one folder, then get renamed, tagged, and routed into the proper libraries. Greg Zelfond, the SharePoint consultant behind LookBook 365, builds document management solutions entirely out of the box, where intake folders, metadata, and security all work together.