SharePoint Document Issues

How to Hide Check In and Check Out Actions in SharePoint Online

Aamir Naveed Akram Sep 25, 2026 869 views

Question details

Administrators are looking for a way to hide the Check Out, Check In, Publish, and Unpublish commands from a document library while keeping versioning enabled.

How to Hide Check In and Check Out Actions in SharePoint Online

Product: SharePoint Online
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Customizing the SharePoint document library command bar to restrict specific user actions.
Observed behavior: The Check In and Check Out commands remain visible in the user interface, as standard settings and JSON formatting do not provide built-in options to hide them.

Before you start

Please note that native SharePoint Online settings and JSON view formatting cannot hide the Check In and Check Out commands. You can only hide the Publish button by modifying versioning configurations.

Solution 1Recommended

Hide the Publish Button via Versioning Settings

Although you cannot natively hide the Check In and Check Out buttons, you can easily remove the Publish option by adjusting the document library's versioning and approval settings.

This method changes the library behavior by turning off minor versions and content approval, which automatically removes the Publish and Unpublish commands from the UI while keeping standard major versioning intact.

Open Library Settings

Navigate to your SharePoint document library, click the Gear icon (Settings) in the top right corner, and select 'Library settings'.

Access Versioning Settings

Click on 'More library settings' if prompted, then click on 'Versioning settings' under the General Settings category.

Disable Content Approval

In the Content Approval section, set 'Require content approval for submitted items?' to 'No'.

Adjust Document Version History

Under Document Version History, select 'Create major versions' instead of major and minor (draft) versions.

Disable Required Check Out

Scroll down to the 'Require Check Out' section and set 'Require documents to be checked out before they can be edited?' to 'No'. Click OK to save.

Limitations of Standard Settings: These steps only remove the Publish and Unpublish commands. The Check In and Check Out options will still be visible in the context menu of documents.

Solution 2

Use Custom SPFx Development for Command Bar Customization

Since out-of-the-box configurations cannot hide Check In and Check Out actions, you must rely on custom code.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use JSON formatting to hide the Check Out button?

No. Standard JSON view or column formatting in SharePoint Online does not support hiding the native Check In, Check Out, or Publish commands from the command bar or context menu.

Why do I still see the Publish option in my SharePoint library?

The Publish command remains visible if you have 'Require content approval for submitted items' turned on, or if your library is set to create both major and minor (draft) versions.

Does disabling 'Require Check Out' affect my document versioning?

No, disabling the checkout requirement does not disable versioning. You can still maintain and restore major versions of your documents; it simply allows users to edit files without manually locking them first.

Document & File Issues