Permission & Access Issues

How to Export SharePoint Permissions for All Microsoft 365 Sites

Ayan Masood Oct 7, 2026 869 views

Question details

An organization needs to perform an access audit by exporting a complete list of users, groups, and role assignments across all Microsoft 365 SharePoint sites and libraries.

How to Export SharePoint Permissions for All Microsoft 365 Sites

Product: Microsoft 365 / SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Conducting a comprehensive access and security audit for an organization's entire SharePoint online environment.
Observed behavior: Administrators require a systematic method to enumerate and export tenant-wide permissions, but often face credential blockers or lack native bulk-export tools in the standard UI.

Before you start

Ensure you have Global Administrator or SharePoint Administrator privileges in your Microsoft 365 tenant and have the SharePoint Online Management Shell installed on your computer.

Solution 1Recommended

Export Permissions Using SharePoint Online PowerShell

Utilize PowerShell scripts to automate the enumeration and export of site, list, and library permissions into a comprehensive CSV file.

PowerShell is the most effective native method to extract comprehensive permission reports across a Microsoft 365 tenant. By running a scripted loop, administrators can capture role assignments, users, and groups for all site collections.

Note that executing tenant-wide scripts requires appropriate administrative credentials. Standard user accounts or site-level owners will encounter access denied errors when attempting to run tenant-level commands.

Open PowerShell as Administrator

Launch PowerShell on your Windows device with Administrator privileges. If not already installed, run 'Install-Module -Name Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell' to install the required module.

Connect to SharePoint Admin Center

Execute the command 'Connect-SPOService -Url https://yourtenant-admin.sharepoint.com', replacing 'yourtenant' with your organization's actual tenant name.

Authenticate Your Account

Enter your Global Administrator or SharePoint Administrator credentials in the Microsoft 365 authentication prompt that appears.

Run the Export Script

Use a combination of 'Get-SPOSite' and 'Get-SPOUser' cmdlets in a scripted loop to iterate through all sites, formatting the output and using 'Export-Csv' to save the permission report to your local drive.

Export Permissions Using SharePoint Online PowerShell

Microsoft Graph API Alternative: For developers, Microsoft Graph API can also be used to generate permission reports by querying site and drive item permissions programmatically.

Solution 2

Request Assistance from Microsoft Support

Escalate the issue to Microsoft Support if you encounter persistent tenant permission errors or lack the resources to script the export yourself.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Looking for a Lightweight Alternative for Office Documents?

While auditing SharePoint permissions requires Microsoft 365 administrative tools, managing and analyzing your exported CSV reports doesn't have to be expensive. WPS Office is a free, lightweight suite that is fully compatible with Microsoft formats.

1. Download WPS Office: Download and install the free WPS Office suite on your device.
2. Open WPS Spreadsheet: Launch the WPS Spreadsheet application from the main workspace.
3. Import Your Report: Open your exported SharePoint permissions CSV file to sort, filter, and analyze the audit data seamlessly.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) and CSV files for filtering and analyzing your exported permission reports.Free, lightweight, and fast-loading office suite.Familiar user interface requires no learning curve.Includes Writer, Spreadsheet, Presentation, and PDF tools in one single application.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my credentials fail when running the SharePoint PowerShell script?

You must use an account with Global Administrator or SharePoint Administrator rights. Standard user credentials, even if they have full control over a specific individual site, cannot run tenant-level enumeration commands in PowerShell.

Can I export SharePoint permissions without using PowerShell?

While third-party administrative tools and the Microsoft Graph API can achieve this, PowerShell remains the primary native method. The standard SharePoint user interface only allows viewing permissions on a site-by-site basis, not performing bulk tenant-wide exports.

What information is typically included in a SharePoint permissions export?

A comprehensive export usually includes the Site URL, List or Library Name, the User or Group Name, the user's email address, and the specific Permission Level assigned to them (such as Full Control, Edit, Contribute, or Read).

Do I need to be a Global Admin to export permissions for a single site?

No. To export or view permissions for a single site, you only need Site Owner or Full Control permissions for that specific site collection. Global Administrator or SharePoint Administrator rights are only required when querying all sites across the entire tenant.

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