An introduction on sharing files in SharePoint.
In SharePoint you now have a repository you can use to share your key documents and policies across the organisation. Instead of sending an email attachment of a file to a colleague, or number of colleagues, it's now easier and more efficient to share a link to that document so your colleagues are all accessing the most up-to-date version of that file.
This avoids multiple copies of the same document being created and sent around, as there is only one version of the truth. What was quite common in the past was also to see files being renamed – "Final Version", "Final Version 1" or "Final Final Version" which can also be avoided due to the version control provided in SharePoint.
As long as if you have content editor permissions, you can collaborate with colleagues in real time, allowing you to see the changes as they happen. There is no set limit as to how many people can collaborate on a document at once.
Do you Share Or Copy a Link?
When it comes to your intranet, there are two variations of "sharing" and you will be able to see that once you select a file & click on the three dots > you can either select "Share" or "Copy Link".
Because the intranet has been configured with the correct permissions from the outset, the most popular option is to select "copy link". This is because, its more likely that the person you are sharing the document with already has permission to access that file.
"Share" can typically only be used by admins and is slightly different where instead of just sending a link to someone who can already see the document, "Share" is used to grant someone access to the file.
Which is why in this scenario for the intranet, where permissions are already correct - you will only really need to use the "copy link" functionality.