External sharing failed for documents that are required to be checked out

Question

We are using SharePoint online. I have the setting to require check out before a document could be edited on a document library. When I try to share this library with an external user it gives error.

Office 365 Sharing failed: The guest link couldn't be created. If your documents >are required to be checked out before editing, you won't be able to create guest >links for editing them.

Please note that external sharing was working for this library when the setting to require check out was turned off.

I want to keep the setting to require check out on, and I also want external user to have share with "can edit" rights. Please tell me if there is a solution or workaround for this situation. Please also share your thoughts why Microsoft have made these settings this way.

Answer 1

After whole day of desperately trying to make this work, I finally used a workaround to give the external user access. changed the option to "require check out before editing a document" to no, and then shared the folder, after sharing I switched back the option.

I kept trying to find a setting which would make this work but I was still getting error at the end of second day. Then on third day, I logged on and tried sharing and to my surprise it worked, even with "Require check out before edit option".

It seems like a bug which affected our tenancy for some time, because it didn't make any sense, and then it was resolved somehow.

Answer 2

You are getting this error becuase you did not select the Require Sign-in

If Checked out is required then you have to select the require sign-in then user will able to check out the document after that they can edit it.

Some sites are customized and may not display Require sign-in. If you need this option, contact your site administrator.

Share a document requiring sign in to your site