Microsoft SharePoint is one of the most dynamic intranet platforms on the market, especially when used to power customizable solutions like hubley. SharePoint is poised to reshape digital workspaces and forever change how your team communicates.
You’ll need to leverage SharePoint permissions to get the most out of your intranet, ensuring your team members can access the documents and resources they need. In this guide, you’ll learn about the different SharePoint permission levels, how they work, and how to use them to create SharePoint Groups. Here’s everything you need to know.
What Are SharePoint Permissions?
SharePoint permissions are settings that control who can access, view, edit, or manage content within your document library. You can apply these rules to individual users or entire groups. For instance, your SharePoint site may have a set of permissions for the sales team and a separate set for the marketing team. Site permissions determine someone’s ability to:
- View documents
- Edit or delete files
- Add new content
- Access SharePoint online
- Configure site settings
Assigning appropriate SharePoint permissions allows site owners to protect their sensitive data and maintain compliance with organizational policies. As a business leader, you need to be using SharePoint permissions to promote data security and access control.
Levels of SharePoint Permissions
Effective permission management involves identifying the correct user permissions level for each group or team member. A user’s permission settings dictate their access level within the intranet environment. SharePoint has five unique permissions categories, which include the following:
Full Control
Full control represents the highest level of user access. Individuals with full control can manage site content, edit permissions for other users, and alter SharePoint security settings.
Only your most trusted administrators should be given full control. While having more than one SharePoint administrator is a good idea, you don’t want to give too many people complete control over what happens inside your intranet environment.
Edit
Site members with edit-level access can edit SharePoint documents, delete lists, and remove items or libraries from your intranet. While editing is considered advanced permission, it does not give these users the ability to adjust other parties’ permission settings. Individuals tasked with editing and maintaining your SharePoint lists, documents, and libraries require this level of access.
Contribute
Most of your department leaders will need this level of access. They can publish content at the site level and add data to an active directory. However, they cannot delete any lists, content, or libraries. For instance, a department head with contribute-level access could add a new employee’s business contact details to the team site.
Read
Most of your employees will only have read permission. They can view all of the major web parts on your intranet, access documents, and leverage available resources. However, they cannot make any changes or updates.
Limited Access
Site visitors and third-party vendors needing information such as employee directories may be granted limited access to your intranet. This level allows them to view specific content without revealing the entire site structure.
When providing limited access, you’ll have to grant permissions to each area of the hub site that you want the user to access. Consider creating custom permission levels for specific roles or vendors to save time. That way, you can automatically apply the preset permission rules to any new vendors that you onboard.
How to Use SharePoint Permissions
Using SharePoint permissions involves a few simple steps, which are as follows:
- Assigning Permissions: Allocate permissions based on roles and responsibilities within your organization
- Grouping Users: Organize team members into groups
- Setting Unique Permissions: Customize permissions for sensitive documents or restricted content
- Monitoring Permissions: Regularly audit permissions and make adjustments as necessary
For example, if someone changes departments or roles, you’ll need to manage access within SharePoint so that they can view the appropriate resources required for their new position.
SharePoint Permissions Best Practices
Managing a complex permission structure can be daunting, especially if you are new to SharePoint. You can mitigate security risks and create an engaging intranet environment by adhering to the following SharePoint permissions best practices.
Use Groups Instead of Individuals
Don’t manage permissions at the individual level. This approach would require you to access each user’s account and set permission rules based on their job title and responsibilities. You’ll have to start from step one for every single employee, which could take hours or even days.
Instead, create groups within SharePoint and assign preset permissions based on each role’s responsibilities. For example, you could set up customer service, marketing, and sales groups. Then, you’d assign permissions to each one before placing all department members within the group. You’ve just assigned permissions to an entire department or team.
Follow the Principle of Least Privilege
The principle of least privilege is a data security concept that gives users the minimum access level necessary to perform their assigned tasks. A customer service representative does not need to see your entire database. Likewise, a maintenance team member may only require limited access to a few select applications and files.
Limiting each person’s access as much as possible reduces the risk of accidental data breaches. On the other hand, giving everyone much more access than they require can expose your business to undue risk and increase the odds of a major breach.
Perform Regular Audits
Periodically review your permission settings to identify any issues. For example, you may find that several former employees still have valid login credentials and access to your intranet. You would want to remove them immediately to reduce your susceptibility to cyber threats.
Audits are also a great tool for identifying areas where you could apply the principle of least privilege. For instance, you need to adjust your settings if an entire department has been inheriting permissions with contribute or edit access.
Train Your Team
Make sure your team members know how to use SharePoint securely. This reduces errors and enhances employee buy-in. SharePoint is loaded with great collaboration tools, especially if you are using a customized SharePoint solution like hubley. But you won’t realize the full benefits of your investment unless your employees are confident with the platform and embrace all of its tools.
How to Change Permissions in SharePoint
SharePoint permissions aren’t a set-it-and-forget-it feature. You must alter your permission settings as the company grows and employees come and go. Here’s how to change permissions in SharePoint:
Step 1: Navigate to the Site
Go to the SharePoint site where you want to change permissions. If you are accessing the platform from a company computer, it should automatically log you in using your desktop login credentials.
Step 2: Access Site Settings
Click on the gear icon or word “Settings” in the top-right corner and select Site Settings.
Step 3: Open Permissions Settings
Scroll down to the Users and Permissions section. Select Site Permissions.
Step 4: Modify Permissions
Select the group or user whose permissions you want to change. Click Edit User Permissions and choose the desired permission level. Confirm your changes by clicking OK.
When modifying permissions for individual users, you can assign them to a new group or customize their permission level. Always verify your choices before confirming the changes. Make sure that the person has enough access to fulfill their job responsibilities but not so much that they can make unauthorized changes to your SharePoint environment.
Step 5: Inherit or Break Permissions
To set unique permissions, break inheritance by selecting Stop Inheriting Permissions. This allows you to customize permissions for specific content.
Troubleshooting Common SharePoint Permissions Issues
Setting and modifying SharePoint permissions is a relatively simple process. However, you’ll occasionally encounter a few bumps along the way. The good news is that most of these problems are easy to solve. Here are the three most common challenges you may come across and how to fix them:
Problem 1: “Access Denied” Errors
Sometimes, users will get an access denied error when they attempt to view a certain page or resource. There are a few reasons why this may happen. The most likely cause is that they are not part of the appropriate group with the required permission level.
For example, suppose that an HR employee who is tasked with updating your intranet receives an access denied error while attempting to edit an existing directory. You should be able to fix the problem by reviewing and updating that person’s permissions to edit-level access.
Problem 2: Overlapping Permissions
Overlapping permissions occurs when someone is assigned to two different groups or has inherited multiple sets of permissions. In most cases, SharePoint will default to the more restrictive permission set.
Consider a scenario where a senior sales team member originally had read-only access to your intranet. They were recently promoted to team lead and given contribute-level access. However, they were never removed from the sales group and placed into the team lead group.
As a result, they now have overlapping permissions and may be restricted to read only due to the conflict. To fix the problem, simply remove them from the sales group so they stop inheriting those permissions.
Problem 3: Forgotten Custom Permissions
Document all custom permissions to avoid confusion during audits or updates. For instance, perhaps you temporarily need to give a small team of employees increased access to critical business documents while they work on an important project. Make sure you remove the additional access after they complete this work so that you can reduce the risk of security issues.
Why SharePoint Permissions Matter for Your Business
SharePoint permissions allow you to unlock your 365 Office Suite’s full potential while safeguarding sensitive information from unauthorized use. By proactively using and customizing your permissions settings, you can:
- Protect sensitive data by controlling access
- Ensure teams can access the resources they need
- Reduce administrative overhead through group-based permissions
Using your permissions management tools is one of the best ways to provide your employees with the resources they need to thrive.
SharePoint Permissions for Advanced Users
SharePoint also includes some advanced permission settings to add to specific groups or roles. These features are separate from the five main levels outlined above and can be issued to a user based on the scope of their responsibilities. The three advanced permission tools within SharePoint are as follows:
Sharing Links
You can provide temporary or limited access to external users when sharing links. For example, suppose that you are working with a third-party marketing company to create a new advertising campaign. You can send them a temporary link to facilitate external sharing of approved marketing resources, such as your company’s style guide or logo.
Permission Inheritance
Simplify permission management by using inherited permissions when possible. When someone inherits permissions, they will have the same access and authority as the person from whom they received the permissions. If you want to take those permissions away, you can break inheritance within the SharePoint admin center.
Audit Logs
SharePoint has built-in auditing tools to track who accessed or modified content. Use these logs to monitor user activity and identify any unauthorized access, which indicates that someone may have permission authority that exceeds the scope of their position. Typically, only full-control users can see audit logs, but you can give other users access via custom permissions.
Elevate Your SharePoint Experience With hubley
Setting SharePoint permissions is the first step to promoting content accessibility and protecting the integrity of your internal assets. If you want to take your intranet to the next level, you need a personalized SharePoint-based solution like hubley.
Our customizable platform is loaded with features designed to provide an engaging experience for your team. From analytics tools to announcements and alerts, hubley has everything you need to keep your employees engaged, informed, and productive.
Schedule a comprehensive SharePoint intranet demo and experience the value of hubley for yourself.
