Permission & Access Issues

Fix SharePoint Guest Users Cannot Access Shared Files and Folders

Algirdas Jasaitis Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

External guest users are unable to access shared files and folders in SharePoint and are incorrectly prompted to request permission.

How to Fix SharePoint Guest Users Cannot Access Shared Files and Folders

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Sharing SharePoint folders and files with external Microsoft 365 guest users.
Observed behavior: Guest users receive a 'request permission' prompt when clicking the shared link, whereas internal users shared via the same method can access the files normally.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Owner or Microsoft 365 Administrator privileges to check and modify SharePoint permission settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify and Fix Guest Site and Library Permissions

Check if the external users have the appropriate permissions applied and resolve any folder or library inheritance conflicts.

Often, issues with guest access arise when a specific library or folder stops inheriting permissions from the main site, causing external users to lose their access rights even if the site was shared with them.

Access Site Permissions

Navigate to the affected SharePoint site, click on the gear icon (Settings) in the top right corner, and select 'Site permissions'.

Open Advanced Permissions

Click on 'Advanced permissions settings' at the bottom of the pane to view the full permission matrix for the site.

Check User Access

Use the 'Check Permissions' tool in the ribbon, enter the affected guest user's email address, and verify their exact access level.

Fix Unique Permissions

If permissions are broken at the library level, navigate to the specific document library settings and click 'Permissions for this document library'. Ensure it inherits permissions from the parent site, or manually grant the external user access.

Verify and Fix Guest Site and Library Permissions

Check inheritance status: Look for a yellow banner in the advanced permissions page that says 'Some items of this list may have unique permissions' to easily identify broken inheritance.

Solution 2

Review Tenant-Level External Sharing Settings

If all external users face this issue across the organization, the global Microsoft 365 tenant settings may be restricting guest access.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do internal users have access but external guests are prompted for permission?

Internal users are often part of default security groups like 'Everyone except external users' which grant them automatic access to many sites. External guests, however, rely on explicit invitations or specific sharing links that might be restricted or broken at the site or tenant level.

How can I check if a specific SharePoint folder has different permissions than the site?

Select the folder in the SharePoint document library, click the three vertical dots (ellipsis), choose 'Manage access', and then click 'Advanced'. This page will indicate whether the folder inherits permissions from the parent site or has unique permissions applied.

Can a guest user access SharePoint files without a Microsoft account?

Yes, depending on your organization's sharing settings. If the sharing link is set to 'Anyone', no account is needed. If it is set to 'Specific people', the external guest can authenticate using a one-time passcode sent to their email without needing to create a permanent Microsoft account.

Document & File Issues