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How to Add External Vendors to Microsoft Project Without Sharing It

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to assign external vendors or organizations to specific tasks in Microsoft Project for internal tracking purposes, ensuring these vendors cannot view or edit the actual project files.

Product: Microsoft Project
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Tracking task assignments for external vendors and organizations internally without granting them full access.
Observed behavior: Vendors need to be assigned as resources on tasks without receiving project sharing permissions or viewing rights.

Before you start

Determine whether your organization uses Project for the web or Project Online, as the method for managing external resources and licenses differs significantly between the two platforms.

Solution 1Recommended

Adding External Vendors in Project for the web

Use Microsoft Entra ID to invite external users as guests so you can assign them to tasks without sharing the entire project interface.

Project for the web allows integration with Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) to manage guest access. Guests can use a free personal Microsoft account to be represented in the system, though their capabilities will be limited without a dedicated Project license.

Add Users to Microsoft Entra ID

Log into the Microsoft Entra admin center, navigate to the Users section, and invite the external vendors as guest users using their email addresses.

Add to Project Group

Once the guests have accepted the invitation, add these guest users to the specific Microsoft 365 group associated with your project.

Assign to Tasks

Open your project in Project for the web and assign tasks to the newly added external users for internal tracking purposes.

Solution 2

Adding External Vendors in Project Online

Configure external users with proper licensing and permissions for Project Online environments to track their assignments.

Solution 3

Configuring Permissions for Internal Tracking Only

Restrict access so external vendors only serve as placeholders or tracking resources without viewing project content.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do external users need a license to be assigned tasks in Project for the web?

In Project for the web, external users can be added as guests via Microsoft Entra ID using a free personal Microsoft account. However, their capabilities within the platform will be limited without an active Project license.

What licenses are required for external vendors in Project Online?

To be properly managed as enterprise resources in Project Online, external users generally require a Project Plan 3 or Project Plan 5 license, along with appropriate resource and group permissions.

Can I assign external resources without them seeing the whole project plan?

Yes. By carefully configuring the Microsoft 365 group and project permissions, you can add external vendors as resources strictly for internal tracking, ensuring they cannot view or edit the underlying project content.

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