How to Hide Activity Stream Information in SharePoint and OneDrive
Question details
The user is looking for a way to hide specific user activities or email addresses from the Site Activity web part for individual viewers.
- Product
- SharePoint Online and OneDrive
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Managing site privacy and attempting to hide selective document interactions or user activity from a shared Site Activity stream.
- Observed behavior
- SharePoint Online does not provide a built-in setting to selectively hide individual activities or user details from the Site Activity web part.
Before attempting to modify the Site Activity web part, verify your SharePoint administrator permissions, as custom development requires high-level tenant access and will affect all users.
Deploy an SPFx Custom Extension to Hide Elements via CSS
Use a SharePoint Framework (SPFx) extension to inject custom CSS that visually hides the activity stream options.
SharePoint Online does not offer an out-of-the-box feature to hide specific activities. The primary workaround involves developing an SPFx extension to inject custom CSS that hides the Site Activity web part elements.
Note that this is a highly technical process requiring HTML and CSS knowledge. Furthermore, applying this custom CSS will hide the activity stream for all users on the site, including site owners.
Contact your organization's SharePoint Administrator to request a custom SPFx deployment, as standard users lack the necessary permissions.
Use the SharePoint Framework (SPFx) to build a custom Application Customizer designed to inject a custom CSS stylesheet into the SharePoint site.
Identify the specific CSS classes used by the Site Activity web part in your browser's developer tools and apply 'display: none;' to visually hide the desired elements.
Package the completed SPFx solution and deploy it to your organization's App Catalog to make it available and active on your target site.
Submit a Feature Request to the Microsoft Feedback Portal
Since hiding specific activities is a missing native feature, submitting official feedback helps Microsoft developers prioritize it for future updates.
Choose WPS Office for Secure and Private Document Management
If managing complex SharePoint permissions and shared activity streams becomes too cumbersome, consider using WPS Office for your document needs. WPS Office provides a private, lightweight, and highly compatible workspace for creating and sharing documents without broadcasting every edit to a public activity stream.
- 1. Download the software: Visit the official WPS website and download the free installer tailored for your operating system.
- 2. Install WPS Office: Run the downloaded executable file and follow the simple on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
- 3. Manage documents privately: Open WPS Office to instantly create and edit Microsoft Office documents with complete control over your file sharing and privacy settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a SharePoint site owner hide specific activities from the Activity web part natively?
No, SharePoint Online does not currently provide a native, out-of-the-box setting for site owners to selectively hide specific activities or user email addresses from the Site Activity web part.
Will deleting a document remove it from the SharePoint activity stream?
If a document is completely deleted from the SharePoint site or OneDrive, interactions with that specific document will eventually clear from the activity stream, but you cannot selectively delete the activity record while keeping the document.
Does the SPFx CSS workaround guarantee user privacy?
No. Using an SPFx extension to inject CSS only hides the visual interface element on the web page. It does not delete the underlying activity data from Microsoft's servers, meaning technically proficient users could still inspect the page code or use API calls to view the hidden information.
Can I remove the entire Site Activity web part instead of specific activities?
Yes. If you have edit permissions for the SharePoint page, you can click 'Edit' on the page, select the entire Site Activity web part, and click the 'Delete' (trash can) icon. This removes the activity stream entirely for all users visiting that specific page.
