Permission & Access Issues

How to Audit SharePoint Access Requests and File Permissions

Maira Mehtab Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to know how to review and audit access requests, requesters, sharing activities, and specific file or folder permissions within Microsoft SharePoint.

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Auditing site security, monitoring sharing activities, and generating permissions reports for SharePoint files and folders.
Observed behavior: Administrators need actionable methods to track access logs, review current permissions, and efficiently generate comprehensive security reports.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Collection Administrator or Global Administrator privileges in SharePoint, and verify that Microsoft Purview audit logging is enabled for your organization.

Solution 1Recommended

Review Sharing and Access Requests via Microsoft Purview Audit Logs

Use the Microsoft Purview compliance portal to track who requested access, who shared files, and how sharing invitations were handled across your SharePoint environment.

Microsoft Purview provides centralized audit logging for Office 365 services. By searching the audit logs, administrators can pinpoint exact timestamps and user details for sharing invitations, access requests, and permission changes.

Access Microsoft Purview

Navigate to the Audit Tool

On the left navigation pane, scroll down and click on 'Audit'.

Configure the Audit Search

Set your desired date range. In the 'Activities' dropdown, search for and select activities related to 'Sharing and access request activities' (such as 'Created an access request' or 'Shared file, folder, or site').

Run and Export the Report

Click 'Search' to generate the logs. Once the search completes, you can review the results directly or click 'Export' to download a CSV file for detailed analysis.

Audit Log Retention: Standard Office 365 licenses generally retain audit logs for 180 days. If you need historical data beyond this period, ensure you routinely export the logs.

Solution 2

Inspect File and Folder Permissions Using Manage Access

Manually check and modify who has access to specific files, folders, or document libraries using SharePoint's built-in interface.

Solution 3

Generate Complete Permissions Reports Using PowerShell

Create automated custom scripts using PowerShell or PnP PowerShell to extract a full, site-wide report of all user permissions and access levels.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I turn off access requests for a restricted SharePoint site?

To disable access requests, navigate to your site's 'Settings' (gear icon), select 'Site permissions', and click on 'Site sharing settings' or 'Advanced permissions settings'. Find the 'Access Request Settings' and uncheck the 'Allow access requests' option, then click OK.

Where can I view pending access requests in SharePoint?

Site owners can view and manage pending access requests by clicking the gear icon, selecting 'Site contents', and then clicking on 'Access requests and invitations'. If there are no pending requests, this button may not be visible.

Can I export SharePoint permission reports without using PowerShell?

Natively, SharePoint does not offer a one-click button to export a full site permission report without PowerShell. However, you can manually check individual permissions using 'Manage Access' or utilize third-party SharePoint administration tools that offer built-in reporting features.

Who can approve SharePoint access requests?

By default, access requests are sent to the site owners group. Any user who is a member of the site owners group, or the specific email address configured in the Access Request Settings, can approve or decline these requests.

Document & File Issues