Permission & Access Issues

How to Fix SharePoint List Template Upload Access Errors

Steve K Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users are unable to upload list templates in SharePoint Online due to access denied or approval required error messages.

How to Fix SharePoint List Template Upload Access Errors

Product: SharePoint Online
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to upload a customized list template to a Microsoft 365 group-connected SharePoint site.
Observed behavior: The list template upload fails with an access or approval error, frequently caused by disabled custom scripts or outdated SharePoint Online PowerShell modules preventing administrative configuration.

Before you start

Verify that your account has SharePoint Administrator or Global Administrator permissions within the Microsoft 365 admin center before attempting to run configuration scripts.

Solution 1Recommended

Update PowerShell Module and Enable Custom Scripts

Updating your SharePoint Online PowerShell module and executing the command to allow custom scripts resolves the most common template upload access restrictions.

By default, SharePoint Online disables custom scripts on modern, group-connected sites for security reasons. Uploading an STP list template requires these scripts to be temporarily enabled via PowerShell.

Check the installed PowerShell module version

Open Windows PowerShell as an Administrator. Run the command 'Get-Module -Name Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell -ListAvailable | Select Name,Version' to check if your module is outdated.

Update the SharePoint PowerShell module

If the module is outdated, run 'Update-Module -Name Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell' and accept the prompts to install the newest version.

Connect to the SharePoint admin center

Run 'Connect-SPOService -Url https://[yourtenant]-admin.sharepoint.com' and log in with your SharePoint Administrator credentials.

Enable custom scripts on the target site

Execute 'Set-SPOSite -Identity https://[yourtenant].sharepoint.com/sites/[yoursite] -DenyAddAndCustomizePages 0' to enable custom scripts, which will grant access to upload the list template.

Update PowerShell Module and Enable Custom Scripts

Module Connection Errors: If you receive connection errors after updating the module, try uninstalling previous versions using 'Uninstall-Module' and reinstalling it fresh. Alternatively, ask another SharePoint administrator to run the script.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does SharePoint require custom scripts to be enabled for list templates?

Legacy list templates (STP files) contain custom XML configurations. Modern SharePoint group-connected sites block custom scripts by default to enhance security, which consequently blocks the upload and application of these customized template files.

What should I do if the Update-Module command returns an error?

Ensure you are running PowerShell with administrative privileges. If it still fails, you might have conflicting versions. Run 'Uninstall-Module -Name Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell -AllVersions' first, followed by 'Install-Module -Name Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell'.

How can I verify if I have SharePoint administrator permissions?

Log into the Microsoft 365 admin center, navigate to 'Users' > 'Active users', select your user profile, and check the 'Roles' section. You must have either the 'SharePoint administrator' or 'Global administrator' role assigned.

Are there alternative ways to duplicate a list without uploading an STP template?

Yes. In modern SharePoint, you can navigate to 'Site contents', select 'New' > 'List', and choose the 'From existing list' option. This allows you to duplicate a list's structure without needing to mess with PowerShell or custom script permissions.

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