SharePoint & Teams Collaboration
What Is SharePoint and How Is It Different from OneDrive?
This guide explains what SharePoint is, why your organisation uses it for team collaboration, and how to tell the difference between files that should go in SharePoint versus OneDrive.
Time needed
5 minutes to read
Platform
Microsoft 365
Guide steps
3 clear sections
Before you begin
None — this is an overview guide.
Follow along
Step-by-step guide
Understand what SharePoint is
- Instruction 1: SharePoint is Microsoft 365's shared team file and content platform. Your organisation uses it to store documents, files, and information that multiple team members need to access.
- Instruction 2: When you use a Microsoft Teams channel to share files, those files are actually stored in a SharePoint library behind the scenes.
- Instruction 3: SharePoint is organised into Sites — each team, department, or project typically has its own SharePoint site with its own document libraries, lists, and pages.
Action map
Understand what SharePoint is
- 01
SharePoint is Microsoft 365's shared team file and content platform. Your organisation…
- 02
When you use a Microsoft Teams channel to share files, those files are actually stored…
- 03
SharePoint is organised into Sites — each team, department, or project typically has its…
Visual guide
Use this visual action map alongside the written instructions above.
Open SharePoint help & learning for What Is SharePoint and How Is It Different from OneDrive?Understand the difference from OneDrive
- Instruction 1: OneDrive is your personal storage. Files there are private to you unless you explicitly share them.
- Instruction 2: SharePoint is shared team storage. All members of a site or library have access to the files there, based on the permissions that have been set.
- Instruction 3: Rule of thumb: if only you need the file, put it in OneDrive. If the team needs it, put it in the relevant SharePoint library or Teams channel files tab.
- Instruction 4: Do not save shared project files to your own OneDrive — if you leave or are unavailable, the team cannot access them.
Access SharePoint
- Instruction 1: Go to portal.office.com and click the SharePoint tile.
- Instruction 2: You will see sites you follow or recently visited. Click a site name to open it.
- Instruction 3: Alternatively, click Files on the left of the Teams app — those files are in a SharePoint library for that channel.
- Instruction 4: Your IT team or site owner controls which SharePoint sites you have access to. If you need access to a site that does not appear, contact the helpdesk.
Quick fixes
Troubleshooting
I cannot find the SharePoint site I need
The site owner may not have given you access. Contact the helpdesk or the site owner and request to be added as a member.
Someone cannot access files I shared from SharePoint
Check the permission level on the file or library. They may need to be added as a member of the site or given access to the specific folder. See the 'Setting Permissions on a Folder or Site' guide.
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