Permission & Access Issues

How to Configure SharePoint Page and Library Permissions with Audience Targeting

Emma Brown Sep 29, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to restrict access to specific SharePoint pages and libraries while ensuring navigation links are only visible to authorized personnel.

How to Configure SharePoint Page and Library Permissions with Audience Targeting

Product: SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing content security and menu visibility for distinct user groups within a SharePoint environment.
Observed behavior: The goal is to configure unique permissions to properly secure the content and simultaneously utilize audience targeting to manage navigation link visibility without confusing the two features.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Owner or Full Control permissions on your SharePoint site, as these are required to break permission inheritance and modify site navigation settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Set Unique Permissions and Enable Audience Targeting

Break permission inheritance to secure your files, then apply audience targeting to the navigation menu so unauthorized users do not see links to restricted areas.

It is important to remember that audience targeting is not a security feature. It only hides navigation links to keep the interface clean. To actively protect your pages and libraries from unauthorized access, you must assign unique permissions.

Break permission inheritance

Navigate to the specific SharePoint page or library. Click the Settings (gear) icon, select 'Library settings' or 'Page settings', and click 'Permissions for this document library'. Click 'Stop Inheriting Permissions' in the ribbon.

Assign unique permissions

Select the users or groups you want to remove and click 'Remove User Permissions'. Then, click 'Grant Permissions' to assign access explicitly to the authorized Microsoft 365 groups or individuals.

Enable audience targeting in navigation

Click 'Edit' on your site's navigation menu. Toggle the 'Enable site navigation audience targeting' switch to 'On' at the bottom of the navigation pane.

Target specific links

Click the ellipsis (...) next to the navigation link you want to hide from unauthorized users, select 'Edit', and enter the names of the authorized groups in the 'Audiences to target' field. Click 'OK' and 'Save'.

Set Unique Permissions and Enable Audience Targeting

Security Reminder: Because audience targeting only hides links, anyone who obtains the direct URL to a page could still access it unless you properly configure unique permissions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does audience targeting secure my SharePoint documents?

No. Audience targeting is purely a display feature used to tailor the navigation experience. If a user has the direct URL to a document, they can still access it. You must configure unique permissions to enforce actual security.

Why can't I see the 'Stop Inheriting Permissions' button?

You need to have Full Control or Site Owner permissions to manage inheritance. If the option is missing, contact your site administrator to request the necessary access rights.

How do I turn on audience targeting for list items or library files?

Go to the library, click Settings > Library settings > More library settings. Under General Settings, select 'Audience targeting settings' and check the 'Enable audience targeting' box. You can then edit properties of individual files to set target audiences.

Can I target individual users instead of groups in navigation links?

SharePoint navigation audience targeting generally requires Microsoft 365 groups, security groups, or Azure AD dynamic groups. Targeting individual users directly in navigation links is not natively supported without adding them to a group first.

Document & File Issues