SharePoint online external users getting prompted to request access

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SharePoint online external users getting prompted to request access

Patrick_B 21

I have created a team site and a communication site in SharePoint online (Company1) and am trying to allow any people in Company2 and Company3 to access the site without having to request access when they access the site link.

The team site is a public site. External sharing is set for "New and existing guests" and the Limit by Domain box is checked and Company2.com and Company3.com are allowed domains. Company2 and Company3 each have their own Office365 accounts.

On the site, I went to Settings > Site Permissions and added "Everyone except external users" with edit rights.

When I asked a person from Company2 to go to the site, they got the page saying "You need permission to access this site". After I approved the access request, that person showed up in the Settings > Site Permissions > Site Members list.

I also created a communication site with the same intent to share it with all members of Company2 and Company3.
In the SharePoint admin center, I set external sharing for New and existing guests and checked the limit by domain box to allow company2.com and company3.com.
On the site, I went to Share > and entered "Everyone except external users" with view rights.

When the individual from Company 2 clicked on the link for the communication site, they were again greeted with the "You need permission to access this site" message. After I approved the access request, I saw the person individually named in the Site Visitors lists.

With the desire to make the sites available to any user from Company2 or Company3, is there a way to grant access so that they don't have to request permission? I don't want to have to add individually named people to the list of members or make an owner have to approve each individual access request.

I have searched the documentation and forums, but haven't come up with an answer.

Thanks,
Patrick

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Answer 1

Emily Du-MSFT 51,836 Microsoft External Staff

anonymous user-8656

Here're steps:

1.Go to the SharePoint Online site -> Site permissions -> Add members -> Share site only -> Enter the external email address.

2.After inviting the user, the user will receive an email, click the site URL in the email, then need to log in with the account to access.

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Patrick_B 21 Reputation points

2022-01-24T15:58:14.167+00:00

@Emily Du-MSFT Thank you for the reply. You gave great instructions for how to individually add an external member to both sites, but that is not what I am looking for.

I would like to know if it is possible for users of the allowed external domains to gain access without the need for the site owner to either add their email address individually or approve an access request. Members of my organization are able to freely access the site when I make it public and share it with "Everyone except external users". I am looking for a similar way to allow access to members of the allowed external domains.
Thanks,
Patrick
Emily Du-MSFT 51,836 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2022-01-25T08:13:24.567+00:00

anonymous user-8656

In my opinion, members of organization means external users are already in the Azure AD.

Here're steps:

1.Go to Site settings -> Site information -> Privacy settings set as Public.
2.Go to Site settings -> Site permissions -> Advanced permissions settings -> In the Members group, add Everyone.

3.Then external users are already in the Azure AD can directly access the site through site URL.

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Patrick_B 21 Reputation points

2022-01-25T22:34:08.373+00:00

Thanks for the additional response. "Everyone" is not available as a choice for me.

My organization is limited to Company1. In one use case, Company2 and Company3 are under the same parent company as Company1 and we have a federated connection with them so that they show up in our on-premise Active Directory as contacts. If I can get them to sync out to Azure Active Directory, hopefully I could create an All Companies group that will include users from Company1 and contacts from Company2 and Company3.

Getting back to the original question... your comments and the search results lead me to believe that it is doing a lookup in Azure AD? Are there wildcards or some way to add all users from a domain that is simply an allowed external domain and not a part of AAD?

Thanks,
Patrick
Emily Du-MSFT 51,836 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2022-01-26T08:13:26.24+00:00
1.You could use below PowerShell to enable Everyone group.

#SharePoint Online Admin Center URL $AdminURL = "https://tenant-admin.sharepoint.com/" #Connect to SharePoint Online Connect-SPOService -url $AdminURL -credential (Get-Credential) #Enable Everyone group Set-SPOTenant -ShowEveryoneClaim $True

2.To share a whole site with external users without the need for the site owner either add their emails individually or approve an access request, these uses must be guest in the AAD as following pictire shows.
Patrick_B 21 Reputation points

2022-01-26T22:50:50.95+00:00

Thank you for providing these details on how to get the Everyone group available.

Can you please clarify if the Everyone group will include only Azure AD or Azure AD plus the allowed external domains? Another way of stating my question is, "If I only do the steps in #1, will the allowed external domains be included in the 'Everyone' group?"

Thank you,
Patrick
Emily Du-MSFT 51,836 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2022-01-27T08:09:20.813+00:00

anonymous user-8656

"Everyone" group includes all internal users and external users that already exist in the AAD.

I suggest you go to AAD admin center -> All users to check whether external users that already exist in the AAD.

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SharePoint online external users getting prompted to request access

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