how to link folder in email

Hi Emily,

In the new Outlook, the option to insert links to files or folders on a shared network drive has changed significantly compared to the classic version. It is now primarily designed to accept web-based URLs, rather than direct paths to local or network resources.

As a result, when you try to insert a link to a network folder, Outlook treats it as a standard web link. This means it will typically open in a web browser, such as Microsoft Edge, instead of pointing directly to the file system. This can cause issues if the link is intended to reference a local or network location that a browser cannot interpret or access.

As workarounds, you can try the following options:

Option 1: Using prefix

If you try to paste a folder path (like \\server\share\folder) directly into the New Outlook link box, the app will automatically force an http:// in front of it, breaking the link. You can stop this by manually forcing the file protocol.  

1. Highlight the text in your email that you want to turn into a link.  
2. Press Ctrl + K (or go to Insert > Link) to open the web link window.  
3. In the URL/Address field, type file:// immediately followed by your folder path.  
   • Example for Network Drive: file://\\server\share\company_folder
   • Example for Local Drive: file:///C:/Users/Name/Documents/Folder
4. Click OK.  

Option 2: Using Word

Microsoft Word still retains the legacy desktop file browser. You can use it to build your link and drop it into Outlook.  

1. Open a blank document in Microsoft Word.
2. Go to Insert > Link (Word will still let you browse your PC and local network shares).
3. Select your folder, assign your display text, and create the link inside Word.
4. Highlight the newly created link in Word, Copy it (Ctrl + C), and Paste it (Ctrl + V) directly into your New Outlook email body

However, I believe this feature is important to your workflow, I highly recommend submitting a feedback directly from Outlook by navigating to: Outlook (new) · Community portal. This is the most effective way to ensure your voice reaches the product team and can be considered for future improvements.  

Once you've submitted your feedback, feel free to share the link here in the comments. I’ll be happy to upvote it to help bring more visibility.  

Note: As Microsoft Community moderators, please note that we are not involved in product design decisions and do not have direct access to the development roadmap, we want to assure you that your feedback has been acknowledged and is valued.  

In the meantime, if you see my replies bring helpful information, please kindly accept it as an answer and vote it up by your original account, which raised this question. Once marked, it will automatically pin to top. As other users will also search information in this community, your valuable vote up will definitely also help other users who have similar queries easily to find the correct channel and useful information more quickly.   

I hope this provides enough clarity and helps you stay inform with your current situation.

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.    

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