Fix "Access denied" on a SharePoint list

Access denied on a SharePoint list means your account has no permission on the site, the list or that item. Ask the list owner to open the list's permissions page and look for unique permissions on the list or the item.

SharePoint permissions work in layers. A person needs access to the site, then to the list, then to the item, and "Access denied" means one layer says no. Check them in that order. The fix is a change to who has access, so you may need the list owner or your admin to make it.

How the layers work

Microsoft describes permissions as a hierarchy. Here are the lines that matter for this problem:

"Lists and libraries inherit permissions from the site to which they belong."
"List items and library files inherit permissions from their parent list or library."

So by default, a person who can open the site can open the lists in it. A list or an item can be set apart from that default. When that happens, being allowed on the site is no longer enough. Microsoft also says "a user can interrupt the default permission inheritance for a list or library item by sharing a document or item with someone who doesn't have access." After that, SharePoint stops inheritance on that item.

This is why one person can open a list while another sees "Access denied" for the same link, or why one item opens and the item next to it does not.

Before you start

Write down three facts. They save time with whoever fixes it.

The exact link or list name that fails.
The exact account you are signed in with. Open https://www.microsoft365.com and check the picture or name at the top right. A person signed in with a personal account or the wrong work account gets denied even when the right account has access.
Whether the error shows for every item or only some. All items points to the site or list layer. Some items point to the item layer.

Step 1. Check the site

If the person cannot open the site at all, the list is not the problem. Ask a site owner to look at who has access to the site. Microsoft explains the default groups in "Understanding permission levels in SharePoint" (linked in the sources). In that page:

Owners group: Full Control.
Members group: Edit.
Visitors group: Read.

For a team site connected to a Microsoft 365 group or a Teams team, Microsoft says "Permissions for team sites are best managed through the associated Microsoft 365 group or Teams team." So if you added a person to the list or site directly, but they are not in the team, check where the site manages its people before you add them in a second place.

Step 2. Check the list

If the person can open the site but not the list, the list may have its own permissions. A list owner can see this:

Open the list.
Select Settings, then List settings.
Under Permissions and Management, select the link that opens permissions for this list.

Microsoft's help page lists these steps for the Permissions page: "Go to the library or list and open it." "Select Settings, and then Library settings or List settings." "On the Settings page, under Permissions and Management, select Permissions for this list". Exact names may differ on your screen.

Now read the top of that page. Microsoft says the page shows "This library inherits permissions from its parent." when the list has not been set apart. Microsoft's page quotes that message about a library. A list may use similar wording.

Two things can be true:

The list inherits from the site. Then the fix is at the site layer. Go back to step 1.
The list has unique permissions. Then the people who can open it are the ones listed on that page. Add the person here, or add them to a group that is already listed.

To add a person on a list that has unique permissions, Microsoft says to select Grant Permissions on the Permissions tab. Microsoft also notes "If the list or library is inheriting from the parent, you won't see Grant Permissions." If you do not see the button, the list is still inheriting, and the change must be made higher up.

Step 3. Pick the right permission level

Adding a person is not the end. The level must match the job. Microsoft's table describes these levels:

Read: "View pages and items in existing lists and document libraries and download documents."
Contribute: "View, add, update, and delete list items and documents."
Edit: "Add, edit, and delete lists; view, add, update, and delete list items and documents."
Full Control: "Contains all available SharePoint permissions."

If a person sees the list but gets "Access denied" when they save, add or delete an item, the level may be Read. If that is the job you want them to do, Contribute fits a person who adds and changes items. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: give the lowest level that lets a person do their job, and keep Edit and Full Control for the few people who manage the list itself. Edit includes the right to add, edit and delete lists.

Step 4. Check the item

If the other items open and one does not, look at that item. Items can have their own permissions. The Permissions page for the list gives a hint. Microsoft quotes this message: "Some items of this list may have unique permissions which are not controlled from this page." The page has a Show these items link that shows which items are affected.

Ways an item can end up with its own permissions:

Someone shared that one item with a person who did not have access.
Someone set the item apart on purpose.
A flow or a script set permissions on new items.

Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: ask the person who owns the process before you change an item. It may have been set apart on purpose, such as a private request. If it was by mistake, a list owner can open the item's permissions and add the person, or remove the item's unique settings so it follows the list again.

Step 5. Check the item-level list setting

Some lists limit people to the items they created. A Microsoft Q&A answer describes setting Item-level Permissions in the list's advanced settings to "Read items that were created by the user", and says: "users will only be able to read and edit items created by themselves." If a person can open the list but sees fewer items than a coworker does, ask the list owner to check that setting. If it is set that way, "Access denied" on a coworker's item is the setting working as designed. The menu name may differ on your screen. For the full guide to that setting, see "Let each person see only their own items in a SharePoint list".

Step 6. Check for a person outside your company

If the person who is denied is a client or a partner, they need to be invited and allowed on the site. External sharing has settings at the organization level and the site level. For the full steps, see "Share a SharePoint list with a client outside your company". If the person cannot be found when you add them, see "SharePoint people picker cannot find a user or guest".

What to avoid

Do not give Full Control to fix one person's problem. A higher level than needed gives them more power over the list than the job needs.
Do not add people one by one on each item. Each item with its own permissions must be managed on its own. Use groups.
Do not break inheritance on a list without a reason. Large lists have limits on it, listed below.
Do not remove a user or group in a rush. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: write down who had what before you remove anything.

When inheritance cannot be restored

Two limits on Microsoft's SharePoint limits page can explain a list that will not follow the site again:

"When a list, library, or folder contains more than 100,000 items, you can't break permissions inheritance on the list, library, or folder. You also can't reinherit permissions on it."
"The supported limit of unique permissions for items in a list or library is 50,000. However, the recommended general limit is 5,000."

Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: give access to groups, and set apart as few items as you can.

Undo a permission change

If you set the list apart and want it to follow the site again, Microsoft says "You can restore inheritance at any time, which removes any custom permissions you set." To do it, on the Permissions tab for the list, select Delete unique permissions, then confirm. Know that this removes every custom permission on that list, so write down the people first.

What to tell your admin

If you cannot see the Settings or the Permissions page, you are not an owner of the list. Send this to your admin or the list owner:

The link to the list or item. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: copy it from the browser address bar of the page that shows the error.
The account you were signed in with.
What you were trying to do: open, add, edit or delete.
The exact words of the error.
Whether a coworker can do the same thing.

When to get help

You can build all of this yourself in Microsoft 365. If you would rather have it built and tested for your team, I do that. A tracker like this is a fixed price: $5,000 for one, built in 2 weeks. See "What a SharePoint tracker costs to build". Bring one example of the problem to a free call.

Tell me what's still manual

I am Al Davies. I run 250 High Street LLC and build SharePoint trackers and Power Automate flows for operations teams. I work remotely. The first call is free, and I will not try to sell you anything.

See trackers I built: Tools I built

FAQ

Why can I open the site but not the list?

The list may have its own permissions. Microsoft says lists inherit from the site by default, but an owner can stop inheritance and change the settings for a list. Ask a list owner to open the list's permissions and check whether your account or a group you belong to is listed.

Why does one item say Access denied when the others open?

That item may have its own permissions. Microsoft says sharing an item with someone who does not have access makes SharePoint stop inheritance on it. Ask a list owner to check that item.

How do I see who has permissions on a SharePoint list?

A list owner opens the list, selects Settings, then List settings, then Permissions for this list under Permissions and Management. That page shows whether the list inherits from its parent and who is listed. Microsoft's page says "Show these items" reveals items with unique permissions.

Is there a limit on items with their own permissions?

Yes. Microsoft's limits page says the supported limit of unique permissions for items in a list or library is 50,000, and the recommended general limit is 5,000.

I have access but I still cannot save. Why?

Your level may be Read. Microsoft describes Read as the level to view pages and items and download documents. To add and change items you need a level such as Contribute.