Permission & Access Issues

How to Hide SharePoint Add and Edit Controls for Restricted Users

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users with restricted viewing permissions are still seeing the 'Add' and 'Edit in Grid View' controls in SharePoint. Saving changes produces an error, and the administrator wants to hide these controls from their interface.

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing user list permissions and interface views in a SharePoint site.
Observed behavior: Restricted users see editing controls in the modern list view and receive access denied errors when trying to use them.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Owner or Full Control administrator rights in your SharePoint environment to modify advanced permission settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Configure Read-Only Permissions in SharePoint Advanced Settings

Adjusting the specific permission levels for the affected users ensures the interface accurately reflects their access, which automatically hides the edit controls in modern SharePoint.

In modern SharePoint lists, UI elements like 'Edit in Grid View' are tied directly to the user's effective permissions. If restricted users still see these buttons, they are likely inheriting higher-level permissions (like Edit or Contribute) from a parent group.

Access Site Permissions

Navigate to your SharePoint site and click on the Settings gear icon in the top right corner, then select 'Site permissions'.

Open Advanced Permissions Settings

Click on 'Advanced permissions settings' at the bottom of the permissions pane to open the classic permission management page.

Remove Inappropriate Permissions

Locate the affected user or group in the permission list. Check the box next to their name and click 'Remove User Permissions' in the ribbon.

Assign Read-Only Access

Click 'Grant Permissions', enter the user's name, click 'Show options', and explicitly assign them the 'Read' or 'Restricted View' permission level.

Automatic Interface Update: Once the correct Read permission is applied without any conflicting inherited Edit permissions, the modern SharePoint list will automatically hide the Add and Edit controls.

Solution 2

Revert List to Classic Experience

If modern list permissions are glitching or you prefer the legacy UI behavior, forcing the classic list experience can sometimes resolve interface discrepancies.

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While SharePoint permissions are managed online via Microsoft, you often need to export those lists to Excel for offline data analysis. WPS Office provides a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office, letting you seamlessly open, edit, and analyze exported SharePoint spreadsheets without an expensive subscription.

1. Export your SharePoint List: Click 'Export to Excel' in your SharePoint list menu to download the data query file.
2. Open with WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open the exported .xlsx or .csv file to view your data.
3. Analyze and Edit: Use familiar formulas, pivot tables, and charts in WPS Spreadsheet to process your list data offline securely.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do users with 'View Only' permissions still see the 'Edit in Grid View' button?

In modern SharePoint environments, this usually happens if the user inadvertently inherits 'Edit' or 'Contribute' permissions from another broader group (like 'Members' or 'Everyone') at the site level. Utilizing the 'Check Permissions' tool helps identify these inheritance conflicts.

How do I check a specific user's effective permissions in SharePoint?

Go to Site settings > Site permissions > Advanced permissions settings, and click on 'Check Permissions' in the top ribbon. Enter the user's name or email to see exactly what access levels they have inherited or been granted directly across the site.

Does changing to the classic experience affect all users?

Yes, if you set the List experience to 'Classic experience' in the List's Advanced Settings, it will apply to all users viewing that specific list, not just restricted users.

Can I hide the Edit button using formatting or script injection?

JSON view formatting can customize the appearance of columns, but it cannot securely hide core command bar buttons like 'Edit in Grid View'. Proper permission configuration is the only secure Microsoft-supported method to hide these controls.

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