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Fix Microsoft Planner Users Cannot Add Attachments or View Comments
Question details
A user with a Microsoft 365 E3 license is unable to add physical file attachments to Planner tasks and cannot view task comments across the desktop and web apps.
- Product
- Microsoft Planner
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to collaborate on team tasks by uploading files and reading discussions in Microsoft Planner or the new Microsoft Teams.
- Observed behavior
- The user is restricted to adding only URL attachments instead of files, and task comments are completely missing in the Planner and Teams desktop/web applications.
Identify the specific Microsoft 365 group connected to your Planner plan and ensure you know who the group owner or SharePoint administrator is so they can check your permission levels.
Update Microsoft 365 Group Permissions to Members
Use this solution to fix permission restrictions that prevent users in the 'Visitors' group from fully interacting with Planner tasks.
Microsoft Planner relies on Microsoft 365 Groups and SharePoint for file storage and permissions. If a user is placed in the 'Visitors' group instead of 'Members', they will experience restricted capabilities, such as only being able to attach URLs and not being able to read or post comments.
Check the name of the Microsoft 365 group that is associated with the affected Planner plan.
Reach out to the group owner or your organization's SharePoint administrator to request a permission review.
Ask the administrator to check which SharePoint group your user account belongs to for that specific site.
Have the administrator move your user account from the 'Visitors' group to at least the 'Members' group to restore full write and read access.
Restart the Microsoft Teams or Planner web application and try adding a file attachment to a task to confirm the issue is resolved.
Compare Behavior Across Mobile and Desktop Apps
Verify if the missing comments and attachment restrictions are localized to the desktop/web environment or affect the entire account.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why can I only add URL attachments to a Planner task?
This limitation typically occurs when your user account is placed in the 'Visitors' group of the connected Microsoft 365 Group or SharePoint site. You need 'Members' or 'Owners' permissions to upload physical files.
Why are task comments visible in the Planner mobile app but missing on my desktop?
The mobile app might be displaying cached data from a previous session, or there is a synchronization delay with the desktop client. Ensure your permissions are correctly configured as a Member and clear your desktop app cache.
Does having a Microsoft 365 E3 license guarantee full access to Planner?
No. While the E3 license grants you the ability to use the Planner service, your access to individual plans, attachments, and comments is still entirely dependent on the permissions set by the specific plan's group owner.
