Permission & Access Issues

How to Connect a Microsoft 365 Group to a Root SharePoint Site

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to provide approximately 100 external guests with access to a tenant root SharePoint site, given that the root site cannot be directly connected to a Microsoft 365 group.

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Granting bulk guest access to a tenant's root SharePoint site using Microsoft 365 groups.
Observed behavior: The goal is to successfully allow external guests to access the root site by leveraging a separate Microsoft 365 or security group, since direct connection is not supported.

Before you start

Ensure you are logged in with SharePoint Administrator or Global Administrator credentials to modify root site permissions and manage external guest access.

Solution 1Recommended

Share the Root Site with a Microsoft 365 Group

Create a new Microsoft 365 group and manually share the root SharePoint site with it to grant access to external guests.

Unlike standard team sites, the root SharePoint site for your tenant cannot be directly connected to a Microsoft 365 group. To work around this limitation, administrators must create the group independently and share the root site with that specific group.

Create a Microsoft 365 Group

Log in to the Microsoft 365 admin center, navigate to the 'Teams & groups' section, and create a new Microsoft 365 group or security group.

Access Site Permissions

Navigate to your tenant's root SharePoint site, click the Settings (gear) icon in the top right corner, and select 'Site permissions'.

Share the Site

Click 'Share site', type the name of the newly created Microsoft 365 group or security group, and grant it the appropriate access level.

Solution 2

Add External Users as Guests to the Group

Add your external users directly to the configured Microsoft 365 group so they inherit access to the root SharePoint site.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I connect a root SharePoint site directly to a Microsoft 365 group?

No, a root SharePoint site cannot be directly connected to a Microsoft 365 group in the same way as a standard team site. You must create the group separately and then share the root site with that group.

Do I need to send manual email invitations to external guests?

No, when you add external users as guests to the Microsoft 365 group, Microsoft automatically triggers and sends an invitation notification email to them.

How do new external users get access to the root site after it's set up?

Once the root site is shared with the Microsoft 365 group, any new external users added to that group will automatically inherit access to the root site. No additional site-level sharing is required.

Document & File Issues