How to Modify Custom SharePoint Permission Levels with Power Automate
Question details
The user needs to change the permissions of a custom SharePoint permission level that was originally created using Power Automate.
- Product
- SharePoint and Power Automate
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Updating custom role definitions and permission levels in SharePoint via automated Power Automate workflows.
- Observed behavior
- Directly updating an existing role definition is not supported through a simple REST action, preventing standard update workflows from succeeding.
Ensure you have site collection administrator rights in SharePoint and a clear mapping of the High and Low BasePermissions values required for the new role.
Delete and Recreate the Role Definition
Since direct REST updates to role definitions are restricted, the most reliable method is to delete the existing custom role and create a new one with the same name.
SharePoint's REST API does not easily support patching specific properties of an existing permission level. The recommended workaround is to programmatically remove the old definition and instantiate a new one with the updated bitmask values.
Determine the required High and Low BasePermissions numerical values that correspond to the exact access rights you want to grant in SharePoint.
In your Power Automate flow, use the 'Send an HTTP request to SharePoint' action. Set the method to DELETE to remove the existing custom role definition by referencing its ID.
Add another 'Send an HTTP request to SharePoint' action with a POST method to create a new role definition. Keep the Name identical to the old one, and insert your new High and Low BasePermissions values into the request body.
Save and run the flow. Assign the newly recreated permission level to a test user on a sandbox SharePoint site to verify that the correct access boundaries are applied.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are High and Low BasePermissions values in SharePoint?
High and Low BasePermissions are numerical bitmask values used by SharePoint's REST API to define the specific granular user rights (such as editing items, managing lists, or deleting versions) assigned to a permission level.
Why can't I just update the existing SharePoint permission level via REST API?
SharePoint's REST API restricts patching or partially updating specific properties of an existing role definition (permission level) directly, making deletion and recreation the standard workaround for automated workflows.
Will recreating the role definition remove users from that permission level?
Yes, deleting a role definition removes the associated role assignments. After recreating the permission level in your Power Automate flow, you must reassign it to the appropriate users or SharePoint groups.
