How to approve access requests in SharePoint Online

People can use the access request function to seek access to material that they do not presently have the authorization to see. As the site owner, you may set the functionality to send you an email whenever someone seeks access to your site. You can then decide whether to accept or reject their invitation. If you approve the request, you may additionally indicate the degree of authority you want to provide a user. The site access request capability is also compatible with the Share command. When someone who does not have full authority over a site (a non-site owner) uses the Share command to invite other users to visit it, an access request email is created and forwarded to the site owner. The site owner will then be able to approve or refuse the request, just like with the access request function. If the site owner approves the request, they will have the option of assigning the user a specified level of authorization. Follow through for more information on access requests and how to approve access requests in SharePoint Online.

Step by step process How to approve access requests in SharePoint Online

  1. First sign in to Office 365.
  2. Use the app launcher and navigate to “SharePoint”, and click on it.
  3. In SharePoint go to your site.
  4. Now click on “Settings”.
  5. Now click on “Site contents”.
  6. Now click on “Site Settings “.
  7. Under “Users and permissions”, click on “Access request and invitations”.
  8. Here all your pending requests will be shown.
  9. Finally, click on “Approve” under “Approve/Decline”.

Once the steps above have been completed, you will be able to approve requests for other users to edit your content. You can of course decline requests if you want, just simply click on Decline to prevent people from editing. However why just decline, why not prevent spam of requests by configuring some more settings. Follow through to see how you can configure Access request settings.



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Configure access request settings

As the site owner, you must determine whether you want members of your site groups to be able to invite non-members to see the site’s contents. These options can be enabled or deactivated. Whenever you disable this sharing option, an error notice will show if a team member tries to Share the site while the Share option is still accessible on the menu.

Step by step process – How to configure access request settings

  • First sign in to Office 365.
  • Use the app launcher and navigate to “SharePoint”, and click on it.
  • In SharePoint go to your site.
  • Now click on “Settings”.
  • After that click on “Site permissions”.
  • Now click on “Advanced permissions settings”.
  • Once your advanced section, click on “Access Request Settings”.
  • Configure the settings
  • Finally, click on “OK”.

The access request capability may also be used in conjunction with the Share command for sites. If someone who is not a site owner for a site (that is, someone who does not have complete authority over a site) uses the Share command to invite others to see a site, the site owner will get an access request. The site owner can then approve or refuse the request, as well as designate the new user’s access level.

The Share command and the access request functionality work together to make it easier to manage who has access to a site. Site users can invite others to participate on sites, but site owners have ultimate control over who gets access to these sites and what degree of rights individuals are allocated.

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Managing External Guest Invitations in SharePoint Online

If you have extended an invitation to an external user but want to remove it before they accept it, follow these steps:

  • Select Settings.
  • Select Site Contents.
  • Access requests should be clicked.
  • Locate the guest you want to uninvite.
  • By clicking on the ellipses (…), you may access the menu.
  • The Properties window will now be shown.
  • To uninvite the visitor, click Withdraw.

What if the visitor has already accepted their invitation and you want to remove them? You will not be able to uninvite them, but you will be able to remove them from the SharePoint rights group to which they were allocated. Another alternative is to request that your Office 365 Admin or SharePoint Online Admin remove the guest from your environment’s user list.

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In-depth – Step by step process How to approve access requests in SharePoint Online

  • First sign in to Office 365.

Use your account details or if you have a current Skype account with the Office account in question, you can use this.

  • Use the app launcher and navigate to “SharePoint”, and click on it.

You can access the SharePoint application however this is for individuals who only have a SharePoint plan, A larger group of individuals have SharePoint in Office 365.

  • In SharePoint go to your site.

In this example, the site above called “Blog Demo” will be used to create the preview.

  • Now click on “Settings”.
  • Now click on “Site contents”.
  • Now click on “Site Settings “.
  • Under “Users and permissions”, click on “Access request and invitations”.
  • Here all your pending requests will be shown.
  • Finally, click on “Approve” under “Approve/Decline”.

That’s it for this Blog thank you for taking time out to read our content, please feel free to email our team about how it went if you followed the steps or if you need more help with the questions we answered in this Blog.

Saajid Gangat

Saajid Gangat has been a researcher and content writer at Business Tech Planet since 2021. Saajid is a tech-savvy writer with expertise in web and graphic design and has extensive knowledge of Microsoft 365, Adobe, Shopify, WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and more! You can connect with Saajid on Linkedin.

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