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Use a SharePoint Communication Site to share content with people who should have read-only access. Communication Sites are websites you manage yourself, much like a wiki space.
To set this up:
- Request a Communication Site by submitting this form.
- Once your site is created, build your site and store and manage the files or folders you want to share as read-only with others in a document library in the site.
- To give access to your site, click the gear icon at the top right of your site, and choose Site permissions:
- Click Share site:
- Add users or groups. After adding each, click Read under the newly-added item to choose the appropriate permission level for them:
- Read permission enables users to view pages and list items, and to download documents
- Full Control permission gives users full control over the site
- Edit permission allows users to add, edit and delete lists; view, add, update and delete list items and documents
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Communication sites can be where you store and manage your file/folder content, and they can be used to display content stored in another site or Team. |
Use a Team Site
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While a Team site can be used to share read-only content with people, a Communication site is often a better choice. |
Users can access your content read-only via a website attached to your Team. You can create and manage your content collaboratively with others in that same Team and share the site only with read-only visitors.
To set this up:
- If you don't already have a Team, create one. (When you create a Microsoft Team, an associated SharePoint Team Site is automatically created. )
Add anyone who needs to be able to create and manage your content as a member of your Team.
Warning icon false title Important: Do not add the view-only users to the Team as members. Doing this will give them full access to edit/delete your files. Instead, you will give them read-only access to the Teams site.
- Store and manage the files and/or folders you want to share as read-only with others in any channel's Files tab.
Access the Team site by clicking the ellipsis (...) button on the far right of the Posts section of your Team and choosing Open in SharePoint:
Set up the Team site it up to display whatever content you want.
When you are ready to share your content, Share site only for the website with "Read" permissions, click the gear icon at the top right of your site, and choose Site permissions:
Click Add members > Share site only:
Add people you want to share with. Make sure to change their access to Read instead of Edit by clicking Edit under the newly-added item and changing it to Read:
This will give those users read-only access to the website, but not other Team resources such as calendars and conversations.
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