Set up and manage access requests Skip to end of metadata

The access request feature allows people to request access to content that they do not currently have permission to see. As a site owner, you can configure the feature to send you mail when someone requests access to a site. You can then choose whether to approve or decline their request. If you approve the request, you can also specify the specific level of permission you'd like to assign to a user.
The access request feature also works together with the Share command for sites. If someone who is not a site owner for a site (that is, someone who does not have full control for a site) uses the Share command to invite other people to view a site, then that action will generate an access request for the site owner. A site owner can then approve or decline the request, or specify the permission level to be assigned to the new user.
Together, the Share command and the access request feature simplify the process of managing who has access to a site. Site users have the opportunity to invite other people to collaborate on sites (unless you disable this feature), while site owners have the ultimate authority over who has access to these sites and what level of permissions users are assigned.


Summary of who gets the email when users request access:

Site type

Who gets the access request email by default

Classic

Users in Owners group

OneDrive

Primary Site administrator

Group-connected sites (including Teams)

Group Administrators  

Communication

Users in Owners group

Modern sites without a group

Users in Owners group

Project Sites

Primary Site administrator

Change access requests settings

First, you might want to decide whether members of your SharePoint in Microsoft 365 site groups can invite non-members to access the site contents. You can enable or disable this ability.

Note: Disabling the option to allow sharing does not hide the Share menu, but it does show an error message when a team member attempts to share.


To enable or disable sharing by team members with non-members   

Go to Settings  > Site Permissions.

Under Sharing Settings, click Change sharing settings.

Under Sharing permissions, set the level of access:

  • Site owners and members can share files, folders, and the site
  • Site members can share files and folders, but only site owners can share the site

Only site owners can share files, folders, and the site

Click Save.

Site owners can set up the access request feature so that it sends them an email when someone requests access to a site.


To set up access requests   

Go to Settings  > Site Permissions.

Under Sharing Settings, click Change sharing settings.

Under Access requests, set the toggle for Allow access requests to On.

Select who will receive access requests for the site:

The site owners (this will display the name of the site, such as Contoso Radio owners)

Note: On Project sites, if you choose the option for the site owners group, access requests are sent to the site collection primary admin. 

Specific email (a specific user or distribution list)

You can optionally include a custom message to show users on the access request page.

Click Save.

Approve or decline access requests for a SharePoint site

  1. Go to Settings  > Site Contents.
  2. Click Access requests.

Note: The Access requests button only appears if there are pending access requests.

  1. Under Pending Requests, find the request you want to update, click the ellipses . . . to open the menu.
  2. Under Permissions, select the permission level you'd like to assign the user (if you plan to approve the request). You can also optionally type a message to the person requesting access; this can be a useful way to document your decision.
  3. Click Approve or Decline.

Tip: To view past requests, click Show History.