Permission & Access Issues

Fix Missing SharePoint News Email Recipients Pasted from Excel

Maira Mehtab Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users experience an issue where some usernames are omitted when pasted from an Excel spreadsheet into the SharePoint News for Email recipient field.

Product: Microsoft Excel / SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Copying a bulk list of recipient email addresses or usernames from an Excel spreadsheet and pasting them into the SharePoint News email tool.
Observed behavior: The system drops or omits certain usernames during the paste operation, whereas routing the copied list through Microsoft Outlook allows the recipients to be added reliably.

Before you start

Ensure you have your complete list of recipient usernames saved in your spreadsheet and verify you are connected to your organization's Microsoft 365 network.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the Outlook Validation Workaround

Copying the recipient list from Excel into Microsoft Outlook first helps properly resolve the contacts before adding them to SharePoint.

Because the SharePoint News recipient field uses the Microsoft 365 People Picker, bulk pasting directly from Excel can cause validation timeouts, leading to dropped names. Microsoft Outlook handles bulk name resolution more effectively.

Copy the list from Excel

Open your Excel spreadsheet, highlight the cells containing the usernames or email addresses, and press Ctrl+C to copy the data.

Paste into a new Outlook email

Open Microsoft Outlook, click 'New Email' to open a blank draft, and paste the copied list into the 'To' field.

Allow Outlook to resolve names

Wait a moment for Outlook to validate and underline the recipient names, confirming they are recognized in your directory.

Transfer to SharePoint

Select all the resolved names in the Outlook 'To' field, copy them, and paste them into the SharePoint News for Email recipient field.

Workaround Confirmed: This method has been confirmed by users and IT departments as the most reliable way to bypass the current Microsoft service-side limitation.

Solution 2

Verify Tenant and License Requirements

Ensure all recipients meet the strict directory requirements required by the Microsoft 365 People Picker.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Manage Recipient Spreadsheets Easily with WPS Office

While the SharePoint People Picker recipient omission is a known Microsoft service-side issue, managing your contact lists shouldn't be a hassle. WPS Spreadsheet is a lightweight, fully compatible, and free alternative to Microsoft Excel that makes organizing and exporting recipient data seamless.

1. Download the software: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installation package.
2. Install WPS Office: Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to set up the suite on your device.
3. Open your spreadsheets: Right-click your existing recipient Excel files and choose to open them with WPS Spreadsheet to continue your work without losing any formatting.

100% compatible with Microsoft Excel formats (.xls, .xlsx, .csv)Familiar user interface makes migrating from MS Office seamlessLightweight software that opens large contact lists instantly without laggingCompletely free to use for daily spreadsheet management and data formatting

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does SharePoint People Picker drop names pasted from Excel?

The Microsoft 365 People Picker may fail to resolve external users, accounts lacking proper Exchange Online licenses, or simply time out when processing a large batch of pasted data from Excel.

Can I paste external email addresses into SharePoint News?

Generally, no. The People Picker typically requires recipients to be internal users within the same tenant domain. External addresses are often omitted automatically.

Is there a limit to how many recipients I can paste into SharePoint News at once?

While there is no strict documented limit, pasting large batches of recipients increases the likelihood of resolution timeouts. Using Outlook to validate the list or using established distribution lists is recommended for large audiences.

Document & File Issues