Permission & Access Issues

What Does the Person and Key Icon Mean in SharePoint?

Amos Gikunda Sep 28, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to understand the meaning of the person-and-key icon appearing next to a folder owner in a SharePoint document library.

What Does the Person and Key Icon Mean in SharePoint?

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Viewing folder permissions and owner icons in a SharePoint document library to manage access.
Observed behavior: A person and key icon is displayed next to a user's name, indicating Limited Access permissions due to specific file-level sharing within the folder.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Owner or Full Control permissions in your SharePoint environment to view and modify advanced folder and file sharing settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Review Folder Contents and File Sharing Permissions

Verify if the user has been granted access to specific files within the folder, which automatically triggers the Limited Access icon.

The person-and-key icon represents 'Limited Access' in SharePoint. This permission is automatically granted by the system when a user is given access to a specific document inside a folder, but not to the entire folder itself. It allows the user to navigate through the folder structure to reach their file.

Open Folder Permissions

Navigate to your SharePoint document library, right-click the folder showing the person-and-key icon, and select 'Manage access'.

Check Advanced Settings

Scroll down in the Manage Access panel and click on 'Advanced' to view detailed permission levels for the folder.

Review File-Level Sharing

Open the folder and check the sharing status of individual files inside. Look for specific files that were shared directly with the user in question.

Review Folder Contents and File Sharing Permissions

Limited Access Behavior: SharePoint assigns Limited Access automatically. You cannot assign or remove this permission level manually without changing the sharing settings of the underlying files.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I manually assign Limited Access in SharePoint?

No, Limited Access is a system-managed permission level. SharePoint automatically assigns it when you share a specific item inside a folder so the user can navigate to that item without seeing other folder contents.

How can I remove the person and key icon next to a user?

To remove the icon and the Limited Access permission, you must stop sharing the specific files or items inside the folder with that user. Once they no longer have direct access to contents inside, the Limited Access permission will automatically disappear.

Does Limited Access allow users to see all files in the folder?

No. Limited Access only grants the user permission to traverse the folder structure. They will only be able to view and open the specific files that were directly shared with them, while all other files in the folder remain hidden.

Document & File Issues