Estimated Time to Fix: 4 minutes

Summary

When an external company shares a secure SharePoint document with you, you often have to enter a verification code to prove your identity. Sometimes, a bug occurs where entering the code loops you back to the login screen forever. This article explains how to break that loop.

Symptoms

• You click a link to a shared SharePoint or OneDrive file.
• You enter your email address and click "Send Code".
• You type in the 8-digit verification code you received in your email.
• Instead of showing the document, the page refreshes and asks for your email address again.

Before You Start

• You must have the original email invitation containing the link to the document.

Instructions

1. Open the Link in an Incognito / InPrivate Window

The most common cause of the MFA loop is that your browser is confused between your own company's Microsoft 365 login and the external company's login.

1. Open your web browser (Chrome, Edge, or Safari).
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + N (Chrome) or Ctrl + Shift + N (Edge) to open a private browsing window. On a Mac, use Command + Shift + N.
3. Go back to your email, right-click the link to the shared document, and select Copy link.
4. Paste the link into the private browsing window and press Enter.
5. Enter your email and the new verification code. Because the private window has no conflicting cookies, it usually works on the first try.
6. If the document opens in the private window, the loop is coming from the sign-in data saved in your normal browser. Continue to Step 2 to clear it so you do not need a private window every time.
7. If the private window returns you to the email prompt after you enter the code, the sign-in data is not the cause. Skip to Step 3.

2. Clear Your Browser's "Microsoft" Cookies

If you don't want to use an Incognito window every time, you need to clear the corrupted cookies from your browser.

1. In Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, click the padlock icon (or the settings icon) in the address bar next to the URL.
2. Select Cookies and site data > Manage on-device site data (this phrasing varies slightly by browser).
3. Click the trash can icon next to any cookies labeled microsoft.com, sharepoint.com, or live.com.
4. Close all tabs, reopen your browser, and click the document link again.
5. If the page still asks for your email address after you enter the code, the link is tied to a different address than the one you are typing. Continue to Step 3.

3. Have the Sender Re-Share as "Specific People"

If the private window does not work, the link itself may be corrupted or securely locked to a different email alias.

1. Contact the person who shared the document with you.
2. Ask them to completely delete the old sharing link.
3. Have them create a brand new link, ensuring they select Specific people in the sharing settings, and type your exact email address.
4. If the new link loops in exactly the same way, a sharing policy is blocking the guest sign-in rather than your browser. Raise a ticket giving the sender's company name, the exact email address the link was sent to, and the point in the sign-in where the page resets.

Troubleshooting

DANGER

Do not forward a secure SharePoint link to a colleague. Secure links are tied directly to the email address they were sent to. If your colleague tries to open your link, it will often trigger this exact MFA loop.

Symptom / Error	Potential Cause	Solution
"You need permission to access this site"	Wrong email alias	You are logged in as john.doe@ but the link was sent to jdoe@. Use an Incognito window to force the correct login.
Code never arrives in your email	Spam filter	Check your Junk Mail folder. If it's not there, your company's firewall may be blocking external Microsoft notifications.

Related Articles

• How to Clear Browser Cache and Cookies
• How to Troubleshoot SharePoint Access Denied and Permission Errors
• How to Work with External Guests in Microsoft Teams

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