Communication or Teams site?

Question

I want to have a site where we upload training resources and SOPs for users to review, and eventually have an agent to help. Is this a communication site or a Teams site? Users have read only rights, only admin to update/change documents.

Answer 1

Hello Tricia Huizinga,

Based on the information you provided, I understand that you would like to identify the most suitable SharePoint site type for storing training materials and SOPs that users can easily access and review while ensuring that only designated administrators can modify the content.

Both Team Sites and Communication Sites can be configured to provide users with read-only access while restricting document management activities to administrators or content owners. The level of access can be controlled through SharePoint permissions and security groups. For more information, please refer to Microsoft's documentation on SharePoint permissions:

• Understand groups and permissions on a SharePoint site

However, for your specific use case, I would recommend using a Communication Site rather than a Team Site.

A Team Site is typically designed for collaboration and is connected to a Microsoft 365 Group. By default, group members are granted permissions that allow them to create, edit, and collaborate on content. While it is possible to customize the permissions to limit these capabilities, doing so requires additional configuration and ongoing management to ensure that users do not receive unintended edit access.

In contrast, a Communication Site is designed for one-to-many communication, making it ideal for publishing training resources, SOPs, policies, knowledge base articles, and other reference materials. It offers a simpler permission model with three primary roles:

• Owners – Full control over the site and its content.
• Members – Permission to create and edit content.
• Visitors – Read-only access to site content and documents.

By assigning your users to the Visitors group, they will be able to view, download, and search for training materials and SOPs without being able to modify, delete, or upload content. This provides a more controlled environment and helps maintain the integrity of your documentation.

Additional benefits of a Communication Site include:

• Centralized location for organizational knowledge and training materials.
• Cleaner and more professional presentation of content.
• Easier navigation for end users through pages, news posts, and document libraries.
• Reduced risk of accidental document modifications.
• Better suitability for large audiences who primarily need to consume information rather than collaborate on it.

For these reasons, a Communication Site is generally the preferred option when the primary goal is to distribute information and provide users with read-only access to training resources and SOP documentation.

I hope this recommendation is helpful. Please let me know if you have any further questions.

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