logo
search
Permission & Access Issues

How to Use Separate Memberships for SharePoint and Planner Plans

Emma BrownEmma Brown Oct 23, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to assign independent memberships to multiple Planner plans connected to the same SharePoint site.

How to Use Separate Memberships for SharePoint and Planner Plans
Product
Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Planner
Device & OS
not provided
Scenario
Creating multiple Planner plans on a SharePoint page and attempting to restrict access to specific members for each individual plan.
Observed behavior
Plans created directly from the same SharePoint page automatically share all members because they are tied to the same underlying Microsoft 365 group.
Before you start

Ensure you have the necessary administrative or owner permissions to create new Microsoft 365 groups and add web parts or navigation links to your SharePoint site.

Solution 1Recommended

Create Separate Plans in Microsoft Planner and Link to SharePoint

This method ensures that each Planner plan operates under a unique Microsoft 365 group, allowing you to manage members independently without inheriting the SharePoint site's default group.

Because Planner plans created directly within a SharePoint site inherit the site's default Microsoft 365 group, their memberships are identical by design. To separate them, you must create independent plans first and then embed or link them into SharePoint.

1
Create a New Plan

Go to the Microsoft Planner hub and click 'New plan'.

2
Establish a Private Group

Choose to create a new group rather than adding to an existing Microsoft 365 group. Set the privacy setting to 'Private' to restrict access.

3
Assign Specific Members

Open the newly created plan in Planner and manually add only the specific members you want to have access.

4
Link to SharePoint

Navigate to your SharePoint site, edit the page, and add a 'Link' web part or update the site navigation to include the direct URL of your new Planner plan.

Create Separate Plans in Microsoft Planner and Link to SharePoint
Managing Existing Plans: Existing plans generally cannot be unlinked from their current Microsoft 365 group. You will need to create new plans with separate groups and copy the tasks over to achieve independent memberships.
Free Microsoft Office alternative

Experience Seamless Team Collaboration with WPS Office

While managing complex Microsoft 365 group permissions can be frustrating, WPS Office offers a free, lightweight alternative with highly compatible formats and straightforward sharing options for your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.

  1. 1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free office suite on your device.
  2. 2. Set Up Team Folders: Create secure cloud folders in WPS Docs to easily manage file access for different team members.
  3. 3. Collaborate in Real-Time: Share document links with customized viewing or editing permissions without complex group configurations.
Highly compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats.Lightweight desktop client with a familiar, easy-to-use interface.Flexible document sharing with straightforward permissions management.Free integrated cloud storage to simplify team collaboration.
microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I disconnect an existing Planner plan from a SharePoint group without losing tasks?

No, existing plans cannot be directly unlinked from their original Microsoft 365 group. You must create a new plan with a separate group and copy the existing tasks over.

Why do multiple Planner plans on my SharePoint site automatically share all members?

When you create a plan directly from a SharePoint page, it automatically inherits the underlying Microsoft 365 group associated with that site. This grants all group members immediate access to the plan.

How do I display a private Planner plan on a SharePoint page without forcing group integration?

Instead of using the default Planner web part, which often forces group integration, you can use the 'Link' web part on your SharePoint page or add the direct URL of the private plan to the site's navigation menu.