You’re working in Microsoft 365, and you need to save a file. But do you put it in OneDrive, Teams, or SharePoint?

Let’s clear it up — with real tips you can use today, and a sneak peek at something new I’m working on just for you.

✅ OneDrive = For you

Think of it as your personal storage space in the cloud. Files are private by default, and it’s perfect for:

• Notes, drafts, or working files

• Documents not ready to be shared

• Your own project materials

⭐ Tip: If you delete something, don’t panic — the OneDrive Recycle Bin keeps files for 30 days (or longer, depending on your settings). You can restore anything with just a few clicks.

✅ Teams = For your group

When you upload a file in a Teams channel, it’s stored in a connected SharePoint library — and everyone in the Team has access. Teams is ideal for:

• Collaborative documents

• Meeting notes or shared agendas

• Day-to-day work with your department or project team

⭐ Tip: Open files from Teams...

Sharing Files in Teams and OneDrive

One of the most frequent ways I get engaged as a Collaboration Consultant is to help people better understand file sharing and how it works both internally and externally within Teams and OneDrive.

Sharing files internally in Teams is pretty easy. You click the paperclip icon in a chat, in a channel or in a meeting.

Sharing files externally can be a little more confusing.  If you have external access to people in Teams - you can sometimes use the above methods of chat, channels and meetings. However, sometimes your correspondence with external users isn't in Teams. Sometimes you want to share files with users externally but it doesn't make sense to use Teams.

Sharing files using OneDrive is SUPER easy and straight forward.

This is one of the tips I'd encourage you to watch the video. It's easier to understand and I'm able to explain it in more detail than typing it all out.

Sharing a file (files) with external users via OneDrive

1. From wit
...