SharePoint Document Issues

How to See All Viewers of a SharePoint Document Beyond the 25-User Limit

Steven Parker Oct 19, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to find out everyone who has viewed a specific SharePoint document, bypassing the default 25-viewer display limit.

How to See All Viewers of a SharePoint Document

Product: SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Tracking document access and viewership in a collaborative SharePoint environment.
Observed behavior: SharePoint natively displays only the 25 most recent viewers of a document in the details pane, leaving earlier or additional viewers hidden.

Before you start

You will need administrative privileges or assistance from your IT department to access the Microsoft Purview compliance portal where full access logs are kept.

Solution 1Recommended

Request a Purview Audit Log Search from Your IT Admin

Since standard users cannot bypass the 25-viewer limit in the SharePoint UI, an administrator must pull the complete access history from Microsoft Purview.

Microsoft 365 automatically records all file access events in a unified audit log, but accessing this log requires administrative permissions. By contacting your IT department, they can generate a comprehensive report of every user who viewed the document.

Identify the document URL

Copy the exact name and SharePoint URL of the document you need the viewer history for.

Contact your IT department

Reach out to your Microsoft 365 Administrator or IT support team and request an 'Audit Log Search' for document access.

Admin performs the search

The administrator will log into the Microsoft Purview compliance portal, navigate to the Audit section, and filter the search by 'Accessed file' activities, pasting your document's URL.

Export and share the report

Once the search completes, the admin can export the audit records to a CSV file and share the complete list of document viewers with you.

Request a Purview Audit Log Search from Your IT Admin

Required Permissions: Only users assigned the View-Only Audit Logs or Audit Logs role in Exchange Online can search the Microsoft Purview audit log.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does SharePoint only show 25 viewers?

SharePoint limits the native viewer display on the file details pane to the 25 most recent users to optimize performance and page loading times. For a complete list, a backend audit log search is required.

Can a standard user access the Microsoft Purview compliance portal?

No, standard users do not have the required permissions. Accessing the Microsoft Purview compliance portal requires specific administrative roles, such as Global Administrator or a dedicated Audit Logs role.

How long are audit logs kept in Microsoft 365?

By default, audit records are retained for 180 days for users with standard licenses. Organizations with premium add-ons or E5 licenses can retain audit logs for up to one year or longer, depending on their compliance settings.

Document & File Issues