Permission & Access Issues

How to Restrict SharePoint List Permissions and Hide Sensitive Data

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to restrict access to a SharePoint list containing sensitive data for Power Apps, preventing users from browsing the entire list.

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Securing a SharePoint list used as a Power Apps backend to ensure users only access specific records.
Observed behavior: Users require lookup access in the application but must not be able to view the underlying list or other users' records.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Owner or Full Control permissions for the SharePoint site to modify list settings and manage permission inheritance.

Solution 1Recommended

Stop Inheriting Permissions and Grant Custom Access

Break the default permission inheritance of the SharePoint list to explicitly control which users or groups have access.

By default, SharePoint lists inherit permissions from the parent site. To restrict access solely to Power Apps users, you must stop this inheritance and assign unique permissions.

Access List Settings

Navigate to your SharePoint list, click the Gear icon (Settings) in the top right corner, and select 'List settings'.

Open Permissions

Under the 'Permissions and Management' column, click on 'Permissions for this list'.

Stop Inheriting Permissions

Click the 'Stop Inheriting Permissions' button in the ribbon to break the link with the parent site.

Remove Unnecessary Access

Select the checkboxes next to user groups that should not have access, and click 'Remove User Permissions'.

Grant Required Access

Click 'Grant Permissions' to invite the specific users or groups who need lookup access for the Power App, ensuring they only receive the minimum required permission level.

Security Trimmed Search: SharePoint search results are security trimmed. Once permissions are restricted, users will only see list items they have explicit permission to access in their search results.

Solution 2

Configure Item-Level Permissions

Use item-level permissions when users must interact with the list but should only be able to view or edit their own records.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Will restricted SharePoint list items still appear in Power Apps?

Yes, but only for users who have been granted explicit read or lookup permissions. Power Apps respects SharePoint permissions, meaning users will only see the data they are authorized to access.

Can I hide the SharePoint list completely from users but still allow Power Apps to use it?

You cannot completely revoke read access if the user needs to read the data in Power Apps. However, you can restrict their permissions to the bare minimum (like Read-only) and avoid sharing the direct list URL, forcing them to interact with the data solely through the Power App.

Are SharePoint search results affected by these permission changes?

Yes. SharePoint search is security-trimmed based on user permissions. If you remove a user's access to certain list items, those items will no longer appear in their SharePoint search results.

Document & File Issues