How to Set Permissions in Microsoft SharePoint

Permissions in SharePoint determine what users can and cannot do. They control who can view, edit, or delete files and even change the overall look of a SharePoint site. Without proper permissions, sensitive data could be exposed, leading to potential security risks. For instance, at the Kevin Cookie Company, a lack of proper permissions resulted in an employee stealing a secret cookie recipe, leading to significant losses. This illustrates the critical need for setting up permissions correctly.

Setting Permissions in SharePoint

Let's start by configuring permissions from scratch for a new SharePoint site. Here’s a step-by-step guide.

Step 1. Creating a New SharePoint Site.

Begin by navigating to the SharePoint homepage. If you're new to SharePoint and want to understand its benefits, consider watching a beginner's introductory video (link in the video description). For now, let’s proceed with setting up a new site.

1. Click on the "Create site" link in the top left corner. A pane will appear on the right with options for the site type.
2. Choose between a Team site or a communication site.
3. Team site: Ideal for projects or teams that need to collaborate by sharing files, tasks, or calendars.
4. Communication site: Suited for one-way communication, such as executive leadership updates.

For this example, we'll choose a Team site called "Cookie Recipes" to store and manage all our recipe documents securely.

Step 2. Configuring Site Permissions.

When setting up the site, you can decide whether it will be public or private.

1. Public Site: Allows anyone in the organization to access the site.
2. Private Site: Restricts access to specific members only.

Given our past issues at the Kevin Cookie Company, we’ll select private to ensure sensitive recipes remain secure.

You can always modify this setting later by accessing the site settings.

Step 3. Adding Members and Defining Roles.

The next step involves adding users and assigning roles.

1. Owners: Have full control over the site, including the ability to add or remove members, modify site settings, and delete the site. Be cautious about who you assign this role to.
2. Members: Can add, edit, and delete content within the site but do not have control over the site settings or security.
   

Understanding Permission Levels and Adding Users

Let’s dive deeper into permission levels and how to add more users.

1. Viewing and Managing Members
2. Navigate to the "Members" section in the top right corner to view or edit the list of users.
3. If you switch to a member's perspective, such as Patty's, you'll see that members can access the site but cannot add other members or change permissions.
   
4. Handling External Access.
5. You can invite external users (contractors, for example) by entering their email addresses and granting them guest access. However, exercise caution, especially with valuable assets like the company’s secret recipes.
6. Changing from Private to Public.
7. If you initially set the site as private but later decide that everyone in the organization should have access, go to the settings gear in the top right corner and choose "Site Information" to change the site type from private to public.
   
   

Changing Permissions for a Document Library or Individual Documents

Beyond site-level permissions, SharePoint allows you to manage permissions at more granular levels, such as document libraries or individual files.

1. Document Library Permissions: Set who can view or edit documents within a specific library. This is helpful when certain teams need exclusive access to a collection of documents.
2. Individual Document Permissions: Customize access for specific documents. For instance, if a document is highly sensitive, you can restrict its visibility to only certain users.
   

Conclusion

Properly setting permissions in SharePoint is an essential task for ensuring security and efficiency in your organization. Whether it’s managing who can view a site, collaborate on documents, or access sensitive files, SharePoint’s permission system provides the flexibility needed to control these aspects effectively.