File Sharing Problems

How to Notify a SharePoint Folder Owner When Access Is Shared Again

Aamir Naveed Akram Sep 25, 2026 871 views

Question details

The user needs to set up a notification for a SharePoint folder owner whenever someone who already has access shares the folder with a new internal or external user.

How to Notify a SharePoint Folder Owner When Access Is Shared Again

Product: SharePoint Online
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Tracking folder permissions and monitoring unauthorized or secondary file sharing activities within a SharePoint environment.
Observed behavior: SharePoint Online lacks a built-in standard alert feature to notify folder owners when secondary users grant access to other individuals.

Before you start

Ensure you have an active Microsoft 365 subscription with access to Microsoft Power Automate, and verify that you hold owner or full-control permissions for the target SharePoint folder.

Solution 1Recommended

Implement a Custom Power Automate Flow

Since SharePoint Online does not offer a native toggle for this specific alert, creating a custom workflow using Microsoft Power Automate is the recommended approach to detect permission changes.

Power Automate can monitor background activity in SharePoint. By configuring a flow to track changes to the folder's role assignments, you can automatically send an email to the owner whenever access is granted to a new party.

Due to the complexity of REST APIs and permission structures, you may need to customize the flow based on whether you are tracking internal or external sharing.

Open Power Automate

Log into your Microsoft 365 account, click on the App Launcher in the top left corner, and select Power Automate.

Create a New Automated Flow

Click on 'Create' in the left-hand sidebar and select 'Automated cloud flow'. Give your flow a descriptive name.

Choose a SharePoint Trigger

Search for SharePoint triggers and select 'Send an HTTP request to SharePoint' to query the role assignments, or utilize an audit log trigger if available in your compliance center.

Set the Notification Condition

Add a condition to check if the permissions on your specified folder have changed or expanded to new users.

Configure the Email Alert

Add a 'Send an email (V2)' action. Enter the folder owner's email address in the 'To' field and use dynamic content to include the folder name and the user who initiated the sharing in the email body.

Seek Community Guidance: For detailed implementation help regarding complex folder structures, permission models, or specific API queries, it is highly recommended to ask for guidance in the official Microsoft Power Automate community.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get an email alert directly from SharePoint when a file is modified?

Yes, SharePoint provides standard built-in alerts for when files or folders are added, modified, or deleted. You can set this up by selecting the folder, clicking the three dots (ellipses), and choosing 'Alert me'. However, this does not cover permission sharing changes.

Does Power Automate require an extra license to monitor SharePoint?

Standard Power Automate capabilities are included in most Microsoft 365 business and enterprise subscriptions, which is generally sufficient for basic SharePoint triggers and sending email notifications.

How do I prevent users from sharing my SharePoint folder in the first place?

As a folder or site owner, you can restrict sharing by navigating to Site Permissions, clicking on 'Advanced permissions settings', and modifying the 'Access Request Settings' to ensure only site owners can share files and folders.

Document & File Issues