SharePoint Document Issues

How to Remove Web-Only Limited Access in SharePoint

Steve K Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users and site collection administrators are unable to select, edit, or remove Web-Only Limited Access entries from SharePoint site groups.

How to Remove Web-Only Limited Access in SharePoint

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing user permissions, group access, and sharing configurations within a SharePoint site.
Observed behavior: Web-Only Limited Access entries appear in site groups but are locked and grayed out, preventing administrators from selecting or deleting them to recreate permissions.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Collection Administrator privileges before attempting to modify advanced permission settings, and take note of the specific users or groups affected by the limited access issue.

Solution 1Recommended

Inspect and Remove Unique Sharing Links via Advanced Permissions

Identify the specific documents, folders, or libraries causing the limited access and revoke those item-level sharing links to clear the system-generated entry.

SharePoint automatically generates a 'Limited Access' permission when a user is granted access to a specific document or folder but does not have access to the parent site. To remove the limited access, you must remove the permissions from the specific items that were shared.

Open Site Permissions

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

Access Advanced Settings

Scroll to the bottom of the Site permissions pane and click on 'Advanced permissions settings'.

Locate the Affected Group

Find the site group displaying the 'Web-Only Limited Access' entry. Click on the group to inspect its members and assigned permission levels.

Revoke Specific Sharing Links

Identify any files, folders, or libraries shared directly with these users. Go to those specific items, manage their access, and remove the unique permissions or sharing links.

Inspect and Remove Unique Sharing Links via Advanced Permissions

Why Limited Access Happens: You cannot directly delete Limited Access because it is tied to an item-level permission. Once the underlying item-level permission is removed, SharePoint will automatically clean up the Limited Access entry.

Solution 2

Contact Microsoft Support for Locked Entries

If the limited access entries remain completely grayed out or locked despite removing all known item-level permissions, administrative backend tools or Microsoft Support intervention may be required.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Manage Your Documents Seamlessly with WPS Office

If complex SharePoint permission levels and locked limited access rules are slowing down your team's document workflow, consider using WPS Office for streamlined, local, or cloud-based document editing. It is a highly compatible, lightweight, and free alternative to Microsoft Office.

Seamless compatibility with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint file formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx).Lightweight installation and fast loading times for managing and editing large team documents.Built-in PDF editing, signing, and conversion tools to handle cross-platform document sharing easily.Simple local document management without the complexity of enterprise SharePoint permission inheritance.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 'Web-Only Limited Access' mean in SharePoint?

Web-Only Limited Access is a permission level automatically generated by SharePoint. It allows a user to access a specific shared file or folder via the web without granting them broader access to the entire site or document library.

Why can't I delete a group with Limited Access?

You cannot manually delete the Limited Access permission directly from a group because it is tied to an item-level permission elsewhere on the site. You must find the specific document or folder that was shared and remove the sharing link there; the Limited Access will then disappear automatically.

How do I find which files are causing Limited Access?

Finding the exact file can be challenging in large SharePoint sites. You can run a site permissions report via Site Settings > Storage Metrics, or use audit logs to identify uniquely permissioned items associated with specific users.

Does being a Site Collection Administrator override locked permissions?

While a Site Collection Administrator has full control over the site, system-generated Limited Access entries remain locked in the user interface to prevent administrators from accidentally breaking underlying item-level sharing links. They must be resolved by addressing the source file's permissions.

Document & File Issues