How to Stop Inheriting Permissions in SharePoint
Managing permissions in SharePoint can be a complex task, especially when you have multiple users and teams working on the same site. One common issue that arises is the inheritance of permissions, where users automatically inherit permissions from their parent site. This can lead to confusion and security risks. In this article, we will discuss how to stop inheriting permissions in SharePoint and provide you with practical steps to ensure better control over your site’s permissions.
Understanding Permission Inheritance
Before diving into the steps to stop inheriting permissions, it’s essential to understand how permission inheritance works in SharePoint. By default, when you create a new site or list, it inherits permissions from its parent site. This means that users with permissions on the parent site will also have the same permissions on the child site. While this can be convenient for some scenarios, it can also lead to permission conflicts and unauthorized access.
Steps to Stop Inheriting Permissions
1.
Break the Inheritance
To stop inheriting permissions, you need to break the inheritance on the specific site or list. Here’s how you can do it:
a. Navigate to the site or list for which you want to stop inheriting permissions.
b. Click on “Site Actions” and select “Site Settings.”
c. Under the “Users and Permissions” section, click on “Manage Permissions.”
d. On the “Permission Levels” page, find the “Inherit Permissions” option and click on “Break Inheritance.”
e. Confirm the action when prompted.
2.
Customize Permissions
After breaking the inheritance, you can customize the permissions for the site or list. Here’s how to do it:
a. On the “Permission Levels” page, click on “Add a Permission Level.”
b. Choose the desired permission level (e.g., Editor, Contributor) and click “OK.”
c. Click on the new permission level and add or remove users and groups as needed.
d. Click “OK” to save the changes.
3.
Grant Permissions to Specific Users
To ensure better control over permissions, it’s a good practice to grant permissions to specific users rather than relying on group membership. Here’s how to do it:
a. On the “Permission Levels” page, click on the “Grant Permissions” button.
b. Enter the email addresses or user names of the users you want to grant permissions to.
c. Select the appropriate permission level and click “OK.”
4.
Regularly Review Permissions
To maintain a secure and organized SharePoint environment, it’s crucial to regularly review and update permissions. Here’s how to do it:
a. Schedule regular audits of your site’s permissions.
b. Review the permissions for each user and group.
c. Remove unnecessary permissions and update permissions as needed.
Conclusion
Stopping inheriting permissions in SharePoint is essential for maintaining a secure and organized site. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can gain better control over your site’s permissions and ensure that users have the appropriate level of access. Regularly reviewing and updating permissions will help you maintain a secure SharePoint environment and prevent potential security risks.
