How link types are handled
| Link type | Recovery behavior |
|---|---|
| Specific people | Supported, mapped recipients can receive direct destination permissions. A source expiration requires review because a permanent direct grant would change that control. |
| People in the organization | A new organization-scoped destination link can be created when enabled and supported by destination policy. |
| Anyone / anonymous | Disabled by default. Requires an explicit allowance and destination policy approval; possession of the link can permit access without a named recipient. |
| People with existing access | Does not itself grant access. Usually skipped while the underlying permissions are handled separately. |
| Unknown or unsupported link | Requires review rather than being silently replaced with a broader link. |
Use the standalone link recovery panel
- Open Restore and build or load the relevant completed restore dry-run plan.
- In Policy-aware sharing-link recovery, review the specific-people, organization, and anonymous-link options.
- Choose Build link recovery plan, then inspect ready, review, blocked, and skipped entries.
- Queue only the reviewed, eligible work using Queue ready link batch or the selected-row action.
- Wait for execution and verification, then choose Export link map to retain the source and destination information.
What happens to old links
A source-tenant URL continues to identify the source location; ShareRestore does not redirect old emails, bookmarks, or documents to a new tenant. Distribute newly created destination links from the exported map where needed.
A specific-people link converted to direct access may not have an equivalent new sharing-link URL. Verify the recipient's access to the destination item instead.
If a link is policy blocked
Inspect the exact error and the destination's tenant and site sharing policy. An expiration requirement, audience restriction, or disabled anonymous sharing needs a policy-compatible decision. Repeated execution cannot override Microsoft's restriction.