In short
To share passwords securely, use a password manager rather than email, chat or spreadsheets: shared vaults or folders for teams, one-time links for people outside the organisation, and time limits where offered. Keeper, 1Password, NordPass and LastPass all include sharing; NordPass Business admins can set link expiry, view limits and recipient checks.
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Why email, chat and spreadsheets are risky
A password sent by email or chat stays in inboxes, phones and backups long after it was needed. A spreadsheet of logins can be copied, forwarded or left open on a shared drive, and you cannot tell who has seen it. LastPass's Teams page puts the starting point plainly: "Stop storing passwords in shared spreadsheets or docs" (LastPass (opens in a new tab)).
Sharing through a password manager fixes three problems at once:
- One copy, encrypted: the login stays in the vault, encrypted, instead of being copied into messages
- Access you can take back: remove someone from a shared folder and the login disappears from their vault
- Updates in one place: change a shared password once and everyone with access gets the new one
Cyber Essentials (opens in a new tab) v3.3 asks organisations to provide "usable secure storage for passwords" (NCSC/IASME (opens in a new tab)); shared vaults are how that storage works for logins more than one person needs.
Sharing inside your team
Each password manager organises team sharing a little differently. As each vendor describes it:
| Password manager | How teams share | Permissions |
|---|---|---|
| 1Password | Shared vaults (1Password (opens in a new tab)); 1Password Business adds role-based vault sharing and permissions | "Everyone with access to a vault can view, print, and copy the items in it"; permission to edit and manage the vault is set per person. 1Password Business can also withhold "View and Copy Passwords" |
| Keeper | Share single records or shared folders; Keeper Business adds shared team folders (Keeper (opens in a new tab)) | Can Edit, Can Share, Can Edit & Share, View Only, Transfer Ownership; Time-Limited Access removes access automatically at a set time |
| NordPass | Secure sharing on Teams; Shared Folders on Business and Enterprise; Shared Subfolders and the Sharing Hub on Enterprise | "custom access permissions and set time limits"; in Shared Folders, "When a password changes, it updates automatically for everyone with access" (NordPass (opens in a new tab)) |
| LastPass | Shared folders on Teams, Business and Business Max (LastPass (opens in a new tab)) | When sharing an item you can choose whether to "Allow Recipient to View Password" |
A simple structure works for most organisations: one shared folder or vault per team (Finance, Marketing, Operations), one for logins everyone needs, and personal vaults for everything else. Keep the number of people with edit or manage rights small.
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Sharing with people outside the organisation
Contractors, accountants and agencies sometimes need a login too. Some password managers can send a secure, expiring link to someone who does not use the same product:
| Password manager | External sharing | Controls |
|---|---|---|
| 1Password | You can share "copies of passwords and other items you've saved in 1Password with anyone, even if they don't use 1Password" through a unique link (1Password (opens in a new tab)) | Choose when the link expires and whether it works for anyone with the link or only specific email addresses; business accounts can allow a whole domain. Changes are not shared until you share the item again |
| Keeper | One-Time Share: "time-limited secure sharing of a record to anyone without requiring them to create a Keeper account" (Keeper (opens in a new tab)) | Expiry from 1 hour to 180 days; the link is device-locked to the first device that opens it; bidirectional sharing can let the recipient edit fields and upload files |
| NordPass | Share via link for single items, on Windows, macOS and Linux, once an Owner or Admin enables it (NordPass (opens in a new tab)) | Owners set a maximum expiry (1 hour to 30 days), a maximum view limit (up to 100 or unlimited) and can require recipients to verify with an emailed code |
LastPass shares items and folders with other LastPass users; for ongoing outside access, give the contractor their own seat.
NordPass asks the administrator to confirm "Yes, I Understand the Risk" before turning link sharing on, which is a fair reminder: an external link is only as safe as the inbox it is sent to. Use short expiry times, and give contractors their own accounts where they need ongoing access.
Can someone use a password without seeing it?
Often people want staff to log in to an account without being able to read or copy the password. Some products offer this, with limits that the vendors explain themselves:
- 1Password Business: without the View and Copy Passwords permission, "passwords will be concealed from them in the 1Password apps". 1Password labels this a client-enforced permission and says it is best used "as simple safeguards for people you already trust" (1Password (opens in a new tab))
- LastPass: LastPass Support explains that with Allow Recipient to View Password turned off, the password is hidden in the vault but "When the shared password is hidden in the vault and autofill is used on a website that has a 'view password' option, users can check the password by selecting the option" (LastPass (opens in a new tab))
The practical lesson: hiding passwords is a useful nudge, not a guarantee. Share a unique, generated password for each shared account, so a password someone sees cannot be used anywhere else, and where an app supports single sign-on, give people their own sign-in instead of a shared one.
Is a business password manager the right fit for you?
We will check it against your systems and requirements and recommend the right option.
When someone leaves
Leavers are where shared passwords cause the most trouble. A short checklist:
- Remove the person from every shared folder or vault, or suspend their account; with user provisioning, disabling them in your identity provider can do this for you
- Transfer their work items to a colleague: Keeper offers vault transfer and NordPass offers Item Transfer on all business plans
- Change the passwords of shared accounts they could see, starting with finance, email and admin accounts
- Revoke any one-time or external share links they created: 1Password keeps a sharing history and Keeper lists active and expired shares
- Check the activity log or report for recent exports or unusual access
Our business password policy template includes a leavers clause you can adapt.
How we help set up sharing
Getting the sharing structure right at the start saves a lot of tidying later. We can:
- Help you choose between Keeper, 1Password, NordPass and LastPass based on how your teams share and who needs access from outside
- Design the folder or vault structure and permissions for each team, and set sharing policies such as whether external links are allowed
- Connect single sign-on and user provisioning so joiners and leavers are handled through your identity platform
- Help you move shared spreadsheets and browser-saved logins into the right folders
- Supply the licences; they can be billed monthly, with the plan and terms confirmed at quote
Contact us for free advice or a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Can I share a password without the other person seeing it?
Partly. 1Password Business can withhold the View and Copy Passwords permission, and LastPass lets you untick Allow Recipient to View Password, so the password is hidden in the app. Both vendors explain that a determined user may still find it, for example through a website's own show-password option, so share a unique password for each shared account.
Who can see shared items?
Only the people and groups you share them with, at the permission level you choose. Zero-knowledge providers cannot read shared items themselves: sharing works by encrypting the item for each recipient, and LastPass, for example, says shared data "has been encrypted using their public key".
Is it safe to share a password by text or email?
It is better avoided. Messages are copied to phones, servers and backups, and you cannot take them back. If you must share with someone outside your password manager, use an expiring one-time link from 1Password, Keeper or NordPass instead.
Can I share with someone who does not use a password manager?
Yes, with some products. 1Password and Keeper can both send a secure link to anyone, and NordPass business plans can enable share via link. The recipient opens the item in a browser until the link expires (Keeper (opens in a new tab)).
What happens to a shared password when I change it?
In a shared folder or vault, everyone with access gets the new password straight away. A one-time link is different: 1Password notes that changes are not shared until you share the item again.
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More password manager guides
KeeperKeeper Security's business plans and add-ons, and how we can quote and set up Keeper for your business.