Permission & Access Issues

How to Use Microsoft Teams Membership for SharePoint Site Permissions

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to grant access to a standalone SharePoint site using an existing Microsoft Team's membership, but currently, only Team owners are receiving access.

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to assign bulk SharePoint site permissions to department staff by utilizing an existing Microsoft Team.
Observed behavior: Adding the Microsoft Team directly to the SharePoint permissions grants access exclusively to Team owners, while regular Team members are denied access.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Owner or Full Control permissions on the target SharePoint site before attempting to modify and test access settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Assign Permissions Using the Microsoft 365 Group

Every Microsoft Team is backed by a Microsoft 365 Group. Assigning permissions directly to this group ensures all members get proper access.

When you add a Microsoft Team directly to a SharePoint site, it often defaults to recognizing only the Team Owners group. To grant access to everyone in the department, you must utilize the underlying Microsoft 365 Group that contains all Team members.

Access Site Permissions

Open your SharePoint site, click the gear icon in the top right corner, and select 'Site permissions'.

Open Advanced Settings

Click on 'Advanced permissions settings' at the bottom of the permissions pane to open the classic permissions page.

Grant Permissions

Click the 'Grant Permissions' button on the ribbon. In the dialog box, search for the exact name of the Microsoft 365 Group that corresponds to your Microsoft Team.

Select Permission Level

Click 'Show options', assign the appropriate permission level (such as Read or Edit), and click 'Share'.

Group Name Matching: The backing Microsoft 365 Group will generally have the exact same name as your Microsoft Team.

Solution 2

Troubleshoot Access with Specific Members or New Groups

If assigning the Microsoft 365 Group does not work immediately, test individual access and verify group configurations to isolate the issue.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do only Microsoft Teams owners get access when sharing a SharePoint site?

By default, when you share a site using a Team name without selecting the overarching group, the system may only apply permissions to the Team's owner directory instead of the backing Microsoft 365 Group that contains all regular members.

Can I connect a standalone SharePoint site directly to an existing Microsoft Team?

Yes, you can 'Teamify' a standalone SharePoint site by clicking 'Add a Microsoft Team' in the bottom left corner of your site navigation, which helps unify permissions and file storage.

How do I find the Microsoft 365 Group for my Team?

The backing Microsoft 365 Group is automatically created when you create a Team and shares the exact same name as your Microsoft Team. You can search for this name in the SharePoint 'Grant Permissions' dialog or manage it via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

Document & File Issues