Permission & Access Issues

How to Remove an Outlook Email Group from SharePoint Site Owners

Steve K Oct 8, 2026 871 views

Question details

The user needs to remove an organization-wide Outlook email group that is granting unwanted Full Control access to all its members in the SharePoint site Owners group.

How to Remove an Outlook Email Group from SharePoint Site Owners

Product: SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing site security and owner permissions to ensure only authorized individuals have Full Control access.
Observed behavior: An email group appears in the Owners group with Full Control, but it cannot be deleted or modified through the standard modern permissions interface.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Collection Administrator privileges before attempting to modify advanced SharePoint permissions or remove overarching Microsoft 365 groups.

Solution 1Recommended

Remove the Group via Advanced Permissions Page

Use the classic advanced permissions page to identify and remove groups that are restricted from being deleted in the modern standard interface.

The modern SharePoint sharing interface often hides or blocks the removal of default built-in groups and organization-wide email groups to prevent accidental lockouts. By accessing the classic advanced permissions page, you can accurately identify the group type (Security, Microsoft 365, or built-in) and revoke its Full Control permissions.

Access the advanced permissions page

Navigate to your SharePoint site and append /_layouts/15/user.aspx to the end of the site URL in your browser's address bar.

Identify the target group

Look through the permissions list to determine whether the Outlook email group is listed as a security group, Microsoft 365 group, or a built-in SharePoint group.

Remove user permissions

Select the checkbox next to the organization-wide email group you wish to remove, then click on 'Remove User Permissions' in the top ribbon.

Remove the Group via Advanced Permissions Page

Managing Microsoft 365 Groups: If the group is the primary Microsoft 365 group associated with the site, do not remove it entirely. Instead, manage the group's membership in the Microsoft 365 admin center to remove unnecessary individuals.

Solution 2

Delete the Group from the Site Collection Directory

If the group does not appear in the standard user permissions list or lacks modification options, you can delete it directly from the site collection groups directory.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I remove a group from the modern SharePoint permissions interface?

The modern SharePoint sharing interface restricts certain modifications to prevent the accidental removal of essential Microsoft 365 groups. You must use the classic advanced permissions page (/_layouts/15/user.aspx) to manage these overarching groups.

What happens if I remove the default Microsoft 365 group from the site?

Removing the default Microsoft 365 group can break the site's connection to Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and other integrated services. It is recommended to remove individual users from the group rather than removing the group from the site entirely.

How do I remove individual users from an Outlook Email Group?

You can manage group membership through the Microsoft 365 admin center or directly in Outlook by editing the group's members list. Removing a user there automatically revokes their access to the connected SharePoint site.

Document & File Issues