Changing default member permissions on Teams
We are wanting to give everyone Read Only permissions on SharePoint when they come into our company. Upon creation of our “Official Team” in MS Teams, a group was created called “Members”. The default permission for this group is Edit and I have been needing to change each site permission individually to ensure they have read only.
I have now created a “Read Only” (*No download option) for standard users and am wanting to delete the Members group entirely. If I do this, would that completely erase the Team that we’ve been using as well? Is there a way to give this entire group the Read Only permission instead of Edit by default? I don’t mind deleting the group and giving permissions to the new Read Only group I created on each site. Both are linked to our AAD and work within the SharePoint environment, it’s just been a hassle to deal with the default Member group.
Hi Sara, thanks for reaching out.
Here’s the breakdown of your situation and the best course of action:
Default Permissions: Modifying the default “Members” group permission in Teams isn’t directly possible. Microsoft discourages changing it to avoid unintended consequences.
Recommended Approach:
Keep “Members” Group: Instead of deleting it, you can manage permissions effectively without affecting your existing Team.
Create “Read-Only” Group: You’ve already created a “Read Only” group, which is perfect.
Assign Permissions:
New Users: Add new users to the “Read Only” group by default. This ensures they have read-only access on SharePoint sites connected to your Team.
Existing Users:
Here are two options:
Manual Update (One-Time): Update permissions on existing SharePoint sites connected to the Team. Remove “Members” from permissions and add the “Read Only” group with read-only access. This can be time-consuming for many sites.
Future Users: Moving forward, don’t add new users directly to the Team. Instead, add them to the “Read Only” group directly. This automatically grants them read-only access on connected SharePoint sites. Deleting “Members” Group:
Don’t Delete: Deleting the “Members” group will not erase your Team, but it can cause access issues for existing members. They might lose editing permissions if not assigned to another group with appropriate permissions.
Addressing the Hassle:
Automate (If Applicable): If you frequently create Teams, consider using Microsoft Teams provisioning tools. These tools can automate permission settings during Team creation, including assigning users to the “Read Only” group by default.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask, we’re here to help you further if needed.
Your VAF Team.
