Problem with sharing documents from SharePoint Document Library

Question

I have a SharePoint Document Library that has a list of PDFs. I used the out of the box media library template from SharePoint to create the list. The list exists in a SharePoint Teams Site where user group ABC only has access. I want to share an individual file from the Document Library to a user outside of the ABC group but still within the organisation.

I used to be able to just click on the share button next to the file and select the user and it would work. It would give me the ability to select the level of access ie view only and would automatically send the link to the user.

Now, when the user clicks on this link the error they get is "You need permission to access this item", this happens even if I have used Manage Users on the particular file to grant access to the file. I also have the same issue when I send an approval via the pill field for approvals - the users I have already granted access to, cannot click the link that is generated in the approval notification.

This is particularly frustrating as it was working well for months and just randomly stopped working. Is it possible that a change in sharing policy at the organisational level (tennant or site) can cause this, or is this something else I need to consider? Thanks

Answer 1

It sounds like you are experiencing issues with sharing permissions in your SharePoint Document Library. The error message "You need permission to access this item" typically indicates that the sharing settings may have changed, either at the organizational level or for the specific site collection.

Here are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot this issue:

1. Check External Sharing Settings: Ensure that the external sharing settings for your organization and the specific site collection allow sharing with users outside the group. You can do this by signing into the SharePoint admin center and reviewing the sharing policies.
2. Verify Site Sharing Settings: Go to the SharePoint admin center, select the specific site, and check the sharing settings to confirm that they are set to allow sharing with guests or external users.
3. Manage User Permissions: Double-check the permissions for the specific file you are trying to share. Make sure that the user has been granted the correct level of access (e.g., view only) and that these changes have been saved.
4. Review Organizational Policies: Sometimes, organizational policies can change, affecting sharing capabilities. It might be worth checking with your IT administrator to see if any recent changes have been made to the sharing policies that could impact this functionality.
5. Test with Different Users: If possible, try sharing the document with a different user outside the ABC group to see if the issue persists. This can help determine if the problem is specific to certain users or a broader issue.

If the problem continues after checking these settings, it may be beneficial to consult with your IT support team for further assistance.

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References:

• Sharing options are greyed out when sharing from SharePoint Online or OneDrive
• "Your organization's policies do not allow you to share with these users" error when sharing an item or site in SharePoint Online or OneDrive for Business

Answer 2

Dear @Maria Z,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.  

Based on my understanding, you have a Document Library in SharePoint, which contains a list of PDF files. The ABC group is the group that has access to the site; you want to share an individual file with another user who is not part of ABC but is still within the tenant.

Have you tried re-adding them and re-sharing the link with them?

Also, let me ask, have you added them to the site yet? If you don't add them to the site, you cannot share files from the site.

Please help me go to Settings > Site Permissions > Advanced Permission Settings > click on a group > in the URL at the top, please help me change the end to =0 > remove the affected user > then try re-adding them.

Also, I want to ask, has that user ever been deleted and then restored?

Looking forward to your reply!