Microsoft 365 Help / Administration
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Give a group access to company files

Add approved members to an existing access group, or let a site owner grant a group access to the agreed SharePoint content.

About 7 minutes Follow at your own pace

Before you start

  • The exact resource and approved access level: read or edit.
  • The approved security group. Check its members before granting access.
  • Site owner or content-sharing permission for a new SharePoint access grant. A Groups Administrator role alone does not grant site ownership.

Choose the option that matches your screen or the task you want to do.

Use an existing access group (usual task)

0 of 5 steps done

  1. Confirm the existing group

    Ask the site owner which approved group provides the requested folder or library access, and whether it is read-only or edit access.

  2. Check the requested staff

    Confirm each person’s full work email address. Do not add an external guest unless that access is specifically authorised.

  3. Add the approved members

    Follow Create a security group and add staff for the existing group. Some admin centre layouts show Groups → Active groups. Keep its name, role settings and resource permissions unchanged.

  4. Allow time for access to update

    Ask the person to sign out and back in after the membership change has taken effect.

  5. Test the exact folder

    Have the person open the supplied folder or library link. For read-only access, check that they can open a document but cannot save changes to the original.

Site owner: grant a group whole-site access

0 of 5 steps done

  1. Open the approved SharePoint site

    Open the actual company site in a browser. Confirm that the request is for the whole site; use the folder route below for a smaller scope.

  2. Open site permissions

    Select the Settings cog at the top right, then Site permissions.

  3. Open site sharing

    For a communication site, select Share site. For a group-connected team site, select Add members → Share site only when shown.

  4. Choose the group and permission

    Type the approved security group’s name and select the exact match. Choose Read for viewing or Edit for changing content. Reserve Full Control for designated site owners.

  5. Add and check

    Review the notification choice, then select Add. Reopen Site permissions and verify the group and level. Have a member test the agreed content.

Content owner: share an approved folder

0 of 5 steps done

  1. Select the exact folder

    Open the SharePoint document library. Select the circle beside the approved folder, without opening it.

  2. Review current access

    Open … → Manage access. Check existing people, groups and links. If the required access group is already present, manage its membership instead.

  3. Open Share

    Close Manage access and select Share. Open the link settings and choose People you choose or Specific people, depending on the wording shown.

  4. Choose view or edit

    Choose Can view or Can edit, then apply the setting. Edit permission can allow changes and deletion within the folder.

  5. Add the group and verify

    Enter and select the approved security group. Review and send the sharing invitation. Reopen Manage access to confirm the grant and ask a member to test it. This does not remove other existing access.

You have finished when…

  • The intended group has the agreed permission on the correct content.
  • An approved member has tested the access.

Helpful tips

  • For established Initech folder permissions, adding a user to the correct existing group is usually the routine task. Ask the site owner before changing the folder’s access design.
  • Mailbox access is a separate Exchange task: reading a mailbox and sending from it require separate permissions. Ask IT to apply the approved mailbox permissions.

Something looks different?

The group has Read but someone can still edit

They may also have Edit through another group, a direct grant or a sharing link. Ask the owner to check all access paths.

The group name is not found

Check that it is an appropriate security group and allow time for a new group to appear. Do not substitute a similarly named group.

A restricted folder did not inherit the site change

Some libraries and folders have their own permissions. Ask the owner to check the exact resource; do not reset inheritance.

Microsoft help & further guidance

Menu names can change as Microsoft updates the apps. These official pages include further instructions.

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