Permission & Access Issues

How to Add an External User to a SharePoint Site

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is unable to add an external guest to a SharePoint site because Outlook redirects to the People and Groups page, hiding the necessary SharePoint groups.

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to grant access or invite an external guest user to a specific SharePoint site.
Observed behavior: Outlook redirects the user to Microsoft 365 People and Groups, where the required SharePoint permission group is completely invisible and inaccessible.

Before you start

Ensure that your organization's tenant administrator has enabled external sharing and guest access in the SharePoint admin center, otherwise external invitations will fail.

Solution 1Recommended

Use SharePoint Advanced Permission Settings

Bypass Microsoft 365 groups and use SharePoint's built-in advanced permission settings to invite external users and assign them directly to SharePoint groups.

Microsoft 365 groups and native SharePoint permission groups operate independently. When you attempt to manage access via Outlook, it defaults to Microsoft 365 groups, which is why your SharePoint groups are not visible.

To properly add an external guest, you must navigate to the specific SharePoint site's advanced permission settings to grant direct permissions.

Access Site Settings

Open your SharePoint site in a web browser and click the gear icon (Settings) located in the top right corner of the page.

Open Site Permissions

From the Settings dropdown menu, select 'Site permissions' to view the current access levels.

Navigate to Advanced Settings

Scroll to the bottom of the Site permissions pane and click on the 'Advanced permission settings' link.

Grant Permissions

In the advanced settings page, click the 'Grant Permissions' button on the ribbon. Enter the external user's email address and assign them to the appropriate SharePoint group or grant direct access.

Admin Configuration Required: If the 'Grant Permissions' button is greyed out or you receive an error, contact your IT administrator to confirm that guest sharing is enabled for this specific site collection.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I see my SharePoint groups in Outlook?

Outlook displays Microsoft 365 groups, which are managed separately from native SharePoint permission groups. To view and edit SharePoint groups, you must manage them directly within the SharePoint site's advanced permission settings.

Who can enable external sharing in SharePoint?

Only a Microsoft 365 global administrator or a designated SharePoint administrator can enable external sharing and guest access at both the tenant level and the individual site level.

Can I share a single SharePoint document with an external user instead of the whole site?

Yes. If external sharing is enabled for your organization, you can select a specific file or folder, click 'Share', and enter the external user's email address to grant them targeted access without adding them to a site-wide group.

Document & File Issues