How to check SharePoint permissions

In this article:

• Objective
• Method 1 (SharePoint Online)
• Method 2 (PowerShell)
• Method 3 (SharePoint Manager Plus)
• Benefits of using SharePoint Manager Plus
• Related links and articles

Objective

Checking SharePoint site permissions is vital for security, compliance, and resolving access-related issues across your environment. This document outlines three methods to check permissions in SharePoint Online, helping you choose the approach that best fits your needs.

Method 1: SharePoint Online browser UI

This method helps site owners and you quickly see which users and groups have access to a site or item and at what SharePoint permission level.

Prerequisite

• You must have sufficient privileges, like Site Owner, Site Collection Administrator, or SharePoint/Global Admin.

Steps to view SharePoint site permissions

1. step 1 Open the SharePoint site.
2. step 2 Select the Settings icon and click Site permissions.
3. step 3 Review the default SharePoint groups (Site owners, Site members, and Site visitors), which are tied to standard SharePoint Online permission levels (like Full Control, Edit, and Read).
4. step 4 For more details, click Advanced permissions settings to access the classic permissions page.

Steps to check item or library permissions

1. step 1 Navigate to the library or list containing the item.
2. step 2 Select the item and click the … (More options) menu.
3. step 3 Click Details and select Manage access.
4. step 4 Review the direct user permissions, groups, and links.
5. step 5 Click the ... (More options) menu and select Advanced settings to check if permissions are inherited or unique.

Limitations of using the SharePoint Online browser UI

• It displays permissions per site or per item but does not provide a tenant-wide view or cross-site permission inventory out of the box.
• It requires specific admin roles and familiarity with the interface, which may not be ideal for all users.
• It's slow and error-prone when many sites, libraries, and items are involved or when inheritance is heavily customized.

Method 2: Windows PowerShell

PowerShell lets you retrieve user and group permissions across SharePoint Online sites using PnP and SPO cmdlets.

Prerequisites

• Install the SharePoint Online Management Shell or Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell module.
• You must have sufficient privileges, like Site Owner, Site Collection Administrator, or SharePoint/Global Admin.

Steps to follow

1. step 1 Connect to SharePoint Online with the admin URL:
   Connect-SPOService -Url https://<tenant>-admin.sharepoint.com
2. step 2 Run the script below to retrieve user or group permissions for sites:
   Connect-PnPOnline -Url "https://<tenant>.sharepoint.com/sites/<site-name>" -Interactive Get-PnPPrincipalPermission | Select PrincipalId, PrincipalType, RoleName, Scope Get-PnPPrincipalPermission | Where-Object { $_.Principal.Title -like "*<User-or-Group-Name>*" } | Select PrincipalId, PrincipalType, RoleName, Scope

Limitations of using PowerShell

• Crafting and debugging scripts can be time-consuming for users who are less familiar with PowerShell.
• It requires specific admin roles and familiarity with the SharePoint Online Management Shell, which may not be ideal for all users.

Method 3: SharePoint Manager Plus

SharePoint Manager Plus offers graphical, report-based visibility into SharePoint Online and on‑premises permissions. It helps you understand who has access to sites, libraries, and files, and highlights unique permissions and external sharing.

1. step 1 Navigate to Reports > Microsoft 365 and select your preferred report from the Permissions category.
2. step 2 Choose the tenant, site, and click Generate Now.

Note: Check the Fetch only unique permissions box to view SharePoint objects that do no inherit permissions from its parent. Select Export As to export the report in your preferred formats.

Benefits of using SharePoint Manager Plus to check SharePoint permissions

SharePoint Manager Plus, a unified SharePoint administration tool, helps you check user and group permissions on sites and other SharePoint objects with an easy-to-use GUI console.

• Comprehensive permission reports: Provides prebuilt reports for site, file, and folder permissions, including unique permissions and broken inheritance, across SharePoint Online and on‑premises environments.
• Detailed audit logging: Tracks permission changes over time with detailed audit reports, showing who changed what, where, and when, which is crucial for security and compliance.
• External sharing visibility: Highlights external sharing and anonymous links so you can quickly identify where content is exposed outside the organization.
• Automated alerts and scheduling: Supports scheduled reporting and email alerts for permission changes, helping you maintain a strong security posture without constant manual checks.

Related links and articles

• SharePoint site permission types explained
• How to change permissions in SharePoint
• How to manage access in SharePoint folders
• Copy or move permissions between users
• How to add a user to a SharePoint site

Last updated on: 2026/01/14