Microsoft Loop is a Microsoft 365 app for working on shared content in three forms: components that stay in sync wherever you paste them, pages that act as flexible canvases, and workspaces that group everything for a project. You sign in at loop.cloud.microsoft with a personal or work account, and components also work inside Teams, Outlook, OneNote and Whiteboard.
Here's the catch. Loop is quick to start and slower to govern. As of October 2026 it doesn't support sharing with guests or external users, its files count against your organisation's SharePoint storage, and switching it off takes two separate admin tools, because Cloud Policy alone doesn't control what happens in Teams.
Components, pages and workspaces in plain words
| Loop element | What you get | Where you meet it |
|---|---|---|
| Component | A portable piece such as a list, table or notes that stays in sync wherever it's shared | Teams, Outlook, OneNote, Whiteboard and the Loop app |
| Page | A flexible canvas | The Loop app |
| Workspace | A shared space that groups everything for a project | The Loop app |
The component is the clever bit. Paste a task list into a Teams chat and an Outlook email, and anyone editing it in either place changes the same list. There's a mobile app too, and templates for workspaces so you're not starting from a blank page.
If you're working out where Loop fits next to the other apps in your plan, my roundup of Microsoft 365 tools for small business productivity puts it in context.
No guests, so plan around clients
Microsoft lists it as a known issue: Loop currently doesn't support external sharing for guests or external users. For a small business that's the biggest practical limit. If your project includes a client, a freelancer on their own account or a partner agency, they can't open your Loop workspace.
So I'd use Loop for work that stays inside your team, such as meeting notes, internal checklists and planning, and keep anything a client needs to see somewhere you can share with outsiders.
Why Loop won't save, and the fix
The error to look out for reads: We couldn't save the Loop workspace and pages you've created. Microsoft gives the causes for each account type.
- A work or school account needs an Exchange Online mailbox linked to the account, and it can't be a shared mailbox.
- The same account needs at least read access to your organisation's SharePoint Online root site.
- A personal account needs to sign in to outlook.com once.
If someone in your team only has a shared mailbox, or your SharePoint permissions are locked down tightly, that's where to look first.
Where Loop files live, and the storage it uses
Loop components are powered by .loop files, and earlier releases created .fluid files instead. They're stored in OneDrive, SharePoint or SharePoint Embedded, and the storage counts against your organisation's SharePoint quota. If your SharePoint storage is already tight, every busy workspace adds to it. For a refresher on how that storage is organised, here's how to use SharePoint.
The two admin switches that control Loop
This is the part most admins miss. You need both Cloud Policy and SharePoint PowerShell to control Loop, because Cloud Policy alone doesn't control the Teams experiences.
| To control | Use |
|---|---|
| Loop workspaces, including Teams channel workspaces | Cloud Policy: Create Loop workspaces in Loop |
| Components in Outlook, OneNote, Whiteboard and New Calendar | Cloud Policy: Create and view Loop files in Microsoft apps that support Loop |
| Components in Teams chats and channels | SharePoint PowerShell: Set-SPOTenant -IsLoopEnabled |
| Collaborative meeting notes in Teams | SharePoint PowerShell: Set-SPOTenant -IsCollabMeetingNotesFluidEnabled |
Cloud Policy settings can also be scoped to specific people by assigning the policy to a Microsoft 365 group, and security or dynamic groups work too. That makes a pilot easy: give Loop to one team first and see how they use it.
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Trying Loop in your own team
- Go to loop.cloud.microsoft and sign in with your work account.
- Create a workspace and pick a template.
- Drop a component into a Teams chat or an Outlook email and edit it from the other app to see the sync.
- If it won't save, check the person has an Exchange Online mailbox that isn't shared, and read access to the SharePoint root site.
- If you're the admin, decide on both the Cloud Policy settings and the SharePoint PowerShell settings before you roll it out wider.
My verdict on Microsoft Loop
I'd use Loop for internal work where several people keep editing the same list or notes, because a component that updates in Teams and Outlook at once beats copying a table between emails. I'd skip it for anything involving clients or freelancers on their own accounts, since guests can't be added. And if you run the admin side, set both switches deliberately rather than finding out later that Teams ignored your Cloud Policy.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Microsoft Loop used for?
It's for shared, live content. Loop has components that stay in sync wherever they're shared, pages that act as canvases, and workspaces that group a project.
Can I share Microsoft Loop with people outside my organisation?
Not as of October 2026. Microsoft lists it as a known issue that Loop doesn't support external sharing for guests or external users.
Where are Microsoft Loop files stored?
In OneDrive, SharePoint or SharePoint Embedded as .loop files, and the storage counts against your organisation's SharePoint quota.
Why can't I save my Loop workspace?
A work account needs an Exchange Online mailbox that isn't a shared mailbox, and read access to the SharePoint Online root site. A personal account needs to sign in to outlook.com once.
How do I turn off Microsoft Loop?
Use both Cloud Policy and SharePoint PowerShell. Cloud Policy alone doesn't control Loop in Teams.
Which apps support Microsoft Loop components?
Teams, Outlook, OneNote and Whiteboard, as well as the Loop app itself at loop.cloud.microsoft.
Can I turn on Loop for just one team?
Yes. Assign the Cloud Policy settings to a Microsoft 365 group, or a security or dynamic group, to scope them to specific people.
