Permission & Access Issues

How to Restrict Project Center Visibility by Portfolio in Project Online

Anum Mushtaq Oct 16, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to configure Project Online so that portfolio managers can only see and edit projects associated with their specific portfolio.

How to Restrict Project Center Visibility by Portfolio in Project Online

Product: Microsoft Project Online
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Setting up access control and visibility rules for portfolio managers based on a custom Portfolio field in Project Web App (PWA).
Observed behavior: Standard Project Center views provide filtering and grouping options but do not enforce reliable row-level security per view based on custom field values.

Before you start

Ensure you have PWA Administrator privileges in Microsoft Project Online, as managing security groups, categories, and views requires elevated permissions.

Solution 1Recommended

Configure Portfolio-Specific Security Categories and Groups

Enforce strict row-level security by creating dedicated PWA categories and groups for each portfolio, ensuring managers only access their assigned projects.

While Project Center views can filter and group projects, they do not provide reliable row-level security. To guarantee that portfolio managers are restricted from seeing other projects, a permissions-based design is required.

This involves configuring distinct security categories containing the portfolio's projects and mapping them to specific manager groups.

Create a new Project Category

Navigate to PWA Settings > Security > Manage Categories. Click 'New Category', name it after the portfolio, and explicitly select the projects that belong to this portfolio.

Create a Portfolio Manager Group

Go to PWA Settings > Security > Manage Groups. Click 'New Group' and provide a relevant name (e.g., 'Portfolio A Managers').

Link the Category and assign permissions

In the new group's settings, scroll to 'Available Categories' and add the category you just created. Under 'Permissions for the selected category', grant the necessary View and Edit project permissions.

Add users to the Group

In the 'Users' section of the group configuration, add the respective portfolio managers. You can also synchronize this with an Active Directory group for future ease of management.

Remove broader access

Ensure these managers are removed from default enterprise groups (like the standard 'Portfolio Managers' group) that grant unrestricted access to all projects across the organization.

Security Isolation Achieved: By using categories and groups, you enforce true row-level security. Managers will only see their designated projects regardless of which Project Center view they use.

Solution 2

Group Projects by Portfolio in a Single Project Center View

Use a single, consolidated view grouped by the custom Portfolio field for reporting purposes when strict security isolation is not required.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Manage Project Portfolios Efficiently with WPS Office

Configuring PWA permissions in Microsoft Project Online can be heavily labor-intensive. If you prefer managing project portfolios through flexible spreadsheets without dealing with complex security settings, WPS Office provides a lightweight and fully compatible alternative.

1. Download WPS Office: Install the free WPS Office suite on your preferred device.
2. Open your project trackers: Use WPS Spreadsheet to open your existing Microsoft Excel project management files.
3. Manage and share securely: Maintain your portfolio data and use file-level password encryption to easily restrict access to specific managers.

Completely free and lightweight office suite for daily productivityFully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formats for seamless project trackingIntuitive and familiar interface that requires no complex administrative setupEasily share spreadsheet-based project portfolios securely with specific team members

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I use Project Center view filters to secure projects?

Project Center view filters only hide projects from the immediate screen for convenience; they do not apply underlying row-level security. Users could still access the hidden projects through other views, reports, or direct links.

Can I automate group assignments for portfolio managers?

Yes. Once you create a custom security group in Project Web App (PWA) for a specific portfolio, you can synchronize it with a Microsoft Active Directory (AD) group. This allows you to manage user access directly via AD.

Will a portfolio manager see the Project Center view if they have no projects assigned yet?

If true security categories are enforced, a manager will see a blank Project Center view until projects are assigned to their specific category. They will not be able to see other managers' projects.

Document & File Issues