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How to Make a Project Plan Read-Only in Planner or Teams
Question details
The user wants to allow employees to view a project plan in Microsoft Planner or Teams without granting them editing permissions.
- Product
- Microsoft Planner, Microsoft Teams, Project for the web
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Sharing a project plan with team members for viewing purposes only, ensuring data integrity by preventing unauthorized edits.
- Observed behavior
- Currently, users with access to the project plan in Planner or Teams can edit it, as there is no apparent built-in project-specific read-only permission setting.
Verify your Microsoft 365 administrator privileges, as managing app-wide access and settings in Planner or Teams requires admin rights.
Understand Project App Permission Limitations and Use Workarounds
Currently, the Project app in Planner and Teams does not offer built-in project-specific read-only permissions for group members.
Unlike standard SharePoint documents, Microsoft Planner and Project for the web assign permissions based on Microsoft 365 Group membership. All group members automatically receive full edit access to the plans attached to that group. There is no native toggle to set individual plans to read-only for specific members.
Open your Microsoft Team or Planner group and review the member list. Be aware that everyone listed as a member here has full edit access to the project plan.
Click the three dots (...) at the top of your plan in Planner and select 'Export plan to Excel'. This creates a static snapshot of your project.
Upload the exported Excel file or PDF to your connected SharePoint site's Document Library and share it with employees using a 'View only' link.
Manage App Access via Microsoft 365 Admin Center
Administrators can enable or disable Project for the web entirely, though this affects global access rather than creating project-specific read-only views.
Submit a Feature Request to Microsoft
Since the read-only feature is missing in Planner, submitting feedback helps prioritize its development in future Microsoft updates.
Easily Share Read-Only Project Plans with WPS Office
Since Microsoft Planner and Teams lack native read-only permissions for specific project plans, consider managing your projects with WPS Spreadsheet. It offers full compatibility with Microsoft Excel formats and allows you to generate secure, read-only sharing links in seconds, ensuring your team stays informed without altering your data.
- 1. Create your Project Plan: Open WPS Spreadsheet and use a free project management template or import your existing Excel project tracker.
- 2. Click Share: Click the 'Share' button located in the top right corner of the WPS Office interface.
- 3. Set to Read-Only: Under the permission settings drop-down, select 'Anyone with the link can view' to ensure the file remains strictly read-only.
- 4. Distribute the Link: Copy the generated link and paste it into your Teams chat or email to share securely with your employees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make a specific channel in Teams read-only to protect the Planner tab?
No, Planner permissions are intrinsically tied to the Microsoft 365 Group, not the specific channel. If a user is a member of the Team, they will have edit access to the Planner tab regardless of channel moderation settings.
Can I export a Planner plan to Excel to share it as read-only?
Yes. You can click the three dots (...) at the top of your plan in Planner and select 'Export plan to Excel'. You can then share this static Excel file with read-only permissions via SharePoint, email, or a Teams file upload.
Does Project for the web offer any read-only access for stakeholders?
Microsoft allows users with specific Microsoft 365 licenses to have read-only access to Project for the web plans (without needing a separate Project license). However, if they are members of the associated Microsoft 365 Group, they still gain edit access, which complicates setting strict read-only limits.
