What is SharePoint Online Permissions- A Detailed Guide!

Ever wondered how SharePoint allows users to have different levels of access for editing and viewing content? If yes, then you are not alone, most of the SharePoint users are unfamiliar with SharePoint Online permissions and how they work. Don’t worry, in this guide, we are explaining all

SharePoint Online is a powerful platform for collaboration and content management. However, SharePoint leverages various permission levels to manage access rights for different users. Therefore, Understanding and managing permissions in SharePoint Online is crucial for maintaining data security and ensuring efficient workflows. Explore “What is SharePoint“.

This article provides detailed and precise in-depth knowledge about SharePoint Online permissions including its types, Concept, and best practices for effective management.

Introduction to SharePoint Online Permissions

Permissions in SharePoint Online help to control who can view, edit, and manage your site content. Therefore, proper management of permissions ensures that users have the appropriate level of access to resources while protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access.

Here are the Different Types of Permissions:

Site Permissions – This type of permission is used to control access throughout SharePoint sites. Site owners and administrators can set permissions at various levels, such as site collections, and subsites. You can also learn how to create a SharePoint site if you are willing to know about the SharePoint site.

Library and List Permissions – This type of permissions can be applied to specific libraries or lists within a site. This helps to manage who can view, edit, or manage items within these containers.

Item-Level Permissions – These can be applied to individual items, documents, or folders within a library or list. This type of permission allows for detailed control over specific content.

Folder-Level Permissions – Specific to folders within libraries or lists which allow you to set access controls for groups of items within a folder.

SharePoint Online Permission Levels

Permission levels in SharePoint Online help to determine the actions that users or groups can perform on sites, lists, libraries, and items. These levels are a collection of individual permissions that collectively define what users can do.

SharePoint comes with a set of default permission levels, but you can also create custom permission levels to meet specific needs.

Here are the default permission levels:

#1. Full Control – In this permission level, users have complete access to all site features and settings. This level is for site administrators. Mostly used by site owners.

#2. Design – This permission lets users create and customize lists, libraries, and pages. Users with this permission level can modify site designs and manage content.

#3. Edit – It allows users to create, edit, and delete items within lists and libraries but does not grant access to site settings or permissions management.

#4. Contribute – In this permission level users can add, edit, and delete items in lists and libraries but does not allow them to manage site settings or permissions.

#5. Read – It allows users to view items and pages but not modify them. Users with this permission level can access content but cannot make changes.

#6. Limited Access – This level of permission only provides minimum permissions to access specific items or documents without broader site access. It is used when users need access to particular content without granting them access to the entire site.

In this guide, we have talked about the default permission levels however you can also customize permission for SharePoint Online list and library.

Edit Vs Contribute Permission Level

Here is the comparison between the two most used permission levels in SharePoint Online.

Aspect	Edit Permission	Contribute Permission
Create Items	Yes	Yes
Edit Items	Yes	Yes, but only items they created or have permissions for
Delete Items	Yes	Yes, but only items they created or have permissions for
Manage List/Library	Yes, including settings, views, and columns	No
Manage Site Settings	No	No
Manage Permissions	No	No
Typical Users	Content managers, team leaders, or advanced contributors	General team members or collaborators

What is the Permissions Hierarchy?

SharePoint Permission

Permissions in SharePoint Online are generally inherited from parent sites or lists. This means subsites, lists, libraries, and items typically inherit permissions from their parent. However, breaking inheritance allows you to set unique permissions for specific items or areas.

Different Steps to View and Access SharePoint Online Permissions

Let’s explore the steps to access and manage permissions in SharePoint Online. Follow these steps to access permissions.

Site Level Permissions:

Go to the SharePoint site.
Click on the Settings icon (gear icon) in the upper right corner.
Select Site Permissions or Site Settings, then go to Site Permissions.

List or Library Level Permissions:

Navigate to the list or library.
Click Settings (gear icon) and select Library or List settings.
Under Permissions and Management, click on Permissions for this library or this list.

Access Item Level Permissions:

Go to the specific item or document.
Click on the item, select Details (or right-click and select Share).
Choose Manage Access or Advanced to access item-level permissions.

SharePoint Online Permissions Best Practices

To make permission management easier, SharePoint Online lets you build and manage groups. Permissions can be assigned collectively through groups, negating the necessity for individual management.
By combining SharePoint Online with Active Directory groups, larger enterprises may simplify permission administration and guarantee platform consistency.
Audit permissions regularly to monitor modifications and ensure company rules are followed. Reporting tools are available in SharePoint Online to support audits.
Create a permissions policy that describes the appropriate ways to assign, review, and remove access and how permissions should be maintained overall.
To improve security and user experience, SharePoint Online offers security-trimmed views that guarantee users only see content they are authorized to access.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Access Denied Errors – Sometimes users encounter access denied errors, verify their permissions, and ensure that inheritance has been correctly configured.
Permissions Not Reflecting Changes – It may take some time to reflect changes. Clear the browser cache or refresh the page if changes are not immediately visible.
Conflicting Permissions – Inherited permissions can sometimes conflict with unique permissions. Review and resolve conflicts by ensuring consistency in permission settings.

Conclusion

SharePoint is widely used for collaboration purposes therefore it is necessary to understand its permission feature. To conclude we have discussed SharePoint Online Permissions in detail and its concepts. However, we have also explained permission levels, best practices, and edit vs contribute permissions. Additionally, we have also mentioned the hierarchy of permissions, common issues, and troubleshooting steps.