Permission & Access Issues

Fix SharePoint List Mentions Giving Read-Only Users Edit Access

Maira Mehtab Oct 16, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users with read-only permissions are unexpectedly gaining edit access to SharePoint list items when they are tagged in comments.

How to Prevent SharePoint List Mentions From Granting Edit Access

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Collaborating on SharePoint lists where specific users are intended to only view items, but team members are tagging them in item comments.
Observed behavior: Tagging a read-only user in an item comment overrides their baseline permission level, immediately granting them edit access to that specific list item.

Before you start

Verify the current permission levels of your SharePoint list users and test any proposed workarounds in a non-production test list before applying them to your live environment.

Solution 1Recommended

Establish Guidelines to Avoid @Mentions for Read-Only Users

Since SharePoint automatically grants edit rights upon mentioning by design, the most reliable workaround is to prevent tagging restricted users in comments.

Microsoft designed the mention feature to pull users into active collaboration, which intentionally elevates their permissions to allow editing of the specific item they were tagged in. Moving items into folders with unique permissions or adding the user to the Visitors group will not stop this behavior.

Communicate tagging restrictions

Inform your team that tagging a user in a SharePoint list comment will automatically grant them edit permissions, even if they are currently set to read-only.

Use alternative notification methods

Instruct team members to use Microsoft Teams messages or direct emails to notify read-only users about specific list items instead of using the comment @mention feature.

Manually revoke elevated permissions

If a user is accidentally tagged, click on the 'Manage Access' option for that specific list item and manually remove the individual's direct edit access.

System Warning: SharePoint displays a warning when you tag a user without edit rights, stating that the mentioned user will be able to read and edit the list item. Always heed this warning if the user must remain read-only.

Solution 2

Submit a Feature Request to Microsoft

Report this permission override behavior to Microsoft, as the current design contradicts many strict read-only compliance requirements.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does mentioning a read-only user in a SharePoint list give them edit access?

In Microsoft SharePoint, the @mention feature in list comments is designed to pull users into an active collaboration process. By design, the system automatically elevates the mentioned user's permissions to allow them to edit the specific item they were tagged in, overriding their baseline read-only status.

Can I change a setting in SharePoint to stop mentions from granting edit permissions?

Currently, SharePoint does not provide a native setting or toggle to disable this behavior. Adding the user to the Visitors group or using unique folder permissions does not prevent the permission elevation when an @mention occurs.

How can I fix the permissions if a read-only user was already mentioned?

You will need to manually remove the newly granted permissions. Go to the specific list item, click the three dots to open the context menu, select 'Manage Access', and remove the individual's direct edit access that was automatically created by the @mention.

Document & File Issues