Check what permission a user has in SharePoint


Overview


One of the most common issues that SharePoint users are having is “Why I don’t have access to this site? Can you give me access?” or “Wait, do you see anything? Cause I don’t see any files in this folder“. SharePoint’s sites permission structure is a little bit complicated, specially when your sites or files or lists is having a unique permissions. Sometimes when you removed a user permission to a site and is pretty sure that the user don’t have access anymore, but It turns out he still can see all the files. SharePoint permissions can get a lot messy when not administered properly so I really suggest, you still double check on sites and files permission even after you removed them from the site level permissions.


How to Check on users permission site collection wide

Above is a screenshot on the site permission page where you manage your permissions site wide.

On the ribbon, click on the Check Permission button.

It will show you a pop up and start inputting the user that you want the permission to check.

From there you can see a list of what is the permission a user has and from what group does this user is added. In this case, the user is able to Read and Edit files, page and list Site Collection Wide cause we are looking at the site collection level of permission.


How to Determine if that user has access to your list and document libraries?

You first need to go inside your specific list or document library, click on the gear on top rightmost corner above and click on ‘Library settings‘ for document library and “List settings” for SharePoint List.

You will be redirected to the list settings.
Click on the ‘Permission for this document library‘ link (for SharePoint list case click on ‘Permission for this list‘).

Notice the buttons in the ribbon, it says ‘Manage Parent‘ and ‘Stop Inheriting Permission‘. That buttons identifies that your document library or list is inheriting the permission structure of the site collection.

Notice a difference on the buttons in the Ribbon. This is what the list will have if it has its unique permissions and doesn’t follow the permission structure of the site collection. You can reset its permissions by deleting its unique permissions.

Now let’s checking a permissions of a specific user have a same process on what we did on checking on the site collection.

Here is a screenshot of a user that has a lot of complicated permissions. From here you can identify what permissions he/she has and should answer why a user has a different view than the other or why a user can still access a file or an item even though you have removed them in the SharePoint group.

Now that’s another tip from TipsByBits! This is just a small bit of a wide topics and things to consider on dealing with SharePoint permission issues but is really helpful as an initial process on figuring it out.


Hope it helps somehow. Let us know your thoughts or if you have anything let us know in the comments.

Happy SharePointing! #SharingIsCaring

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