File Sharing Problems

How to Email a SharePoint News Post to a Large Read-Only Group

Maira Mehtab Sep 28, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to email a SharePoint news post to hundreds of users who have read-only permissions but do not appear in the standard site member list.

Product: SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Distributing SharePoint news posts to a large audience of read-only visitors without having to manually select each individual name.
Observed behavior: Users added directly to the SharePoint site with read-only permissions are excluded from the default member recipient list, preventing mass emailing via standard site group options.

Before you start

Verify that you have permission to use the Promote feature on SharePoint news pages. Additionally, check if your organization already has an existing distribution list for your target audience to save time.

Solution 1Recommended

Create and Use a Microsoft 365 Group or Distribution List

Consolidate all read-only site users into a dedicated mail-enabled group to quickly share news posts in bulk.

Because read-only users added directly to a SharePoint site are not bundled into the site's default member mailing list, they must be organized into a separate Microsoft 365 group, security group, or distribution list to receive mass emails.

Request a new group

Ask your Microsoft 365 administrator to create a mail-enabled group or distribution list in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Add read-only users

Ensure the administrator adds all your read-only SharePoint users to this newly created group.

Navigate to the news page

Open the specific SharePoint news page you wish to distribute to your audience.

Promote the page

Click the Promote button located on the top command bar of the page, then select Share page.

Send the email

Type the name of the new distribution list into the recipient box, add an optional message, and click Send.

Group Mailbox Requirement: A Microsoft 365 group created within the admin center includes a dedicated mailbox, which is necessary for proper email delivery and management.

Solution 2

Share the News Post to an Existing Security Group

If a relevant security group already exists, you can bypass group creation and share the page immediately.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why don't read-only users show up in the SharePoint member list?

Read-only users, often classified as visitors, are not added to the site's primary Microsoft 365 Group by default. Therefore, they do not automatically populate in the site's standard email distribution list.

Can I create a Microsoft 365 distribution group myself?

Group creation policies vary by organization. In many enterprise environments, only Microsoft 365 or SharePoint administrators have the permissions to create new mail-enabled groups in the admin center.

What happens when I use the Promote feature to email a SharePoint page?

The Promote feature extracts the content of the news post and formats it neatly into an email body, allowing recipients to read the news directly in their inbox without clicking a link.

Document & File Issues