Permission & Access Issues

How to Hide Items with Unique Permissions in SharePoint Folders

Algirdas Jasaitis Oct 12, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to prevent shared users from seeing subfolders that have unique permissions within a shared SharePoint parent folder.

How to Hide Items with Unique Permissions in SharePoint Folders

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Sharing a parent folder in SharePoint while keeping restricted subfolders hidden from specific users.
Observed behavior: In the modern sharing experience, the former option to hide items with unique permissions is no longer available, allowing users to sometimes see restricted subfolders.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Owner or Full Control permissions for the SharePoint parent folder to access its advanced permission settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Grant Permissions Instead of Share

Bypass the modern sharing experience limitations by manually granting permissions via the classic advanced settings.

When using the modern sharing feature on a parent folder, users may inadvertently gain visibility to subfolders with unique permissions. Using the classic Grant Permissions method acts as an effective workaround to restrict visibility.

Open the folder

Navigate to the SharePoint document library and open the parent folder you wish to share.

Access Manage access

Select the parent folder, click on the three-dot menu (...), and select 'Manage access'.

Open Advanced settings

In the Manage access panel, click the three-dot menu at the top right and choose 'Advanced settings'.

Select Grant Permissions

On the advanced permissions page, click 'Grant Permissions' from the top ribbon.

Configure user access

Enter the target user's email address in the Invite people field.

Clear unique permissions option

Uncheck or clear the option that grants access to items with unique permissions.

Apply permissions

Choose the required permission level from the dropdown list and click 'Share' or 'Apply' to finalize the settings.

Access Restricted: This method successfully prevents users from viewing or accessing the restricted subfolders within the parent directory.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I find the option to hide items with unique permissions?

Microsoft removed the explicit 'hide items with unique permissions' checkbox in the modern SharePoint sharing experience. You must use the classic 'Advanced settings' and 'Grant Permissions' method as a workaround.

Will users know they are restricted from seeing certain subfolders?

No, if permissions are correctly configured using the Grant Permissions method, the restricted subfolders will simply not appear in the directory for those users.

Do I need special administrative rights to change these settings?

Yes, you need to be a Site Owner or have Full Control permissions over the parent folder to modify advanced access settings and grant unique permissions.

Document & File Issues