Permission & Access Issues

How to Give SharePoint Item Editing Rights Based on a Person Column

Partner Editor Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to configure a SharePoint inventory list so that only an administrator and the specific individual designated in a Person column have the rights to edit the item.

How to Give SharePoint Item Editing Rights Based on a Person Column

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Setting up item-level permissions dynamically on a SharePoint list using a Power Automate flow.
Observed behavior: Attempting to assign item-level permissions using the 'Send an HTTP Request to SharePoint' action in Power Automate often times out or fails because the REST API calls require highly specific configurations depending on the list design.

Before you start

Verify that you have Full Control or Site Owner permissions on the SharePoint site, and ensure your Power Automate account is properly licensed to execute HTTP requests to SharePoint.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Power Automate to Break and Reassign Item-Level Permissions

Create a custom Power Automate flow that triggers upon item creation or modification, breaks the default list inheritance, and assigns explicit permissions via SharePoint REST API.

Because SharePoint's default settings do not allow dynamic permission mapping based on custom columns, a Power Automate flow utilizing REST API requests is the standard approach.

Be aware that complex lists can cause timeout errors, so your REST configuration must be precise.

Create the Flow Trigger

Open Power Automate and create an automated cloud flow. Select the 'When an item is created or modified' trigger and connect it to your specific SharePoint Site Address and List Name.

Stop Role Inheritance

Add a 'Send an HTTP request to SharePoint' action. Set the Method to POST and use the URI: _api/lists/getbytitle('YourListName')/items(@{triggerOutputs()?['body/ID']})/breakroleinheritance(copyRoleAssignments=false, clearSubscopes=true).

Grant Administrator Rights

Add another HTTP request action to assign full control to your admin group. You will use the addroleassignment REST endpoint, passing the Principal ID of the administrator group and the Role Def ID for Full Control (usually 1073741829).

Grant Rights to the Person Column User

Extract the user claims from your Person column dynamic content. Retrieve their specific SharePoint Site User ID using the 'EnsureUser' endpoint, then send a final HTTP request using addroleassignment to grant them Contribute or Edit rights.

Consult the Community for Timeout Errors

If your HTTP requests time out, the required REST calls may need adjustment based on your list design. Ask for assistance in the Microsoft Power Automate Community, ensuring you provide screenshots of your flow actions, error messages, and column types.

Use Power Automate to Break and Reassign Item-Level Permissions

Preventing Infinite Loops: When using 'When an item is created or modified', ensure you add Trigger Conditions in the flow settings to prevent the flow from re-triggering itself when it updates the item's permissions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I restrict item editing based on a Person column using default SharePoint settings?

No, standard SharePoint list settings only allow you to restrict users to edit items they created themselves (via Advanced Settings > Item-level Permissions). To restrict editing based on a custom Person column, you must use Power Automate or custom code.

Why does my HTTP Request to SharePoint action keep timing out?

Timeouts usually occur if the REST API URI contains syntax errors, if the SharePoint list exceeds the 5,000 item list view threshold, or if the flow is stuck in an infinite loop due to a lack of trigger conditions.

What details should I provide when asking for help in the Power Automate Community?

To get accurate help, share screenshots of your flow in edit mode, the exact JSON payloads used in your HTTP requests, the type of Person column (single or multi-select), and the specific error codes or timeout durations you are experiencing.

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