SharePoint 2010 : Configure Access Requests for Lists and Libraries

Problem: You are managing the security of a list or library, and you want to configure the access requests for it. Access requests are sent when a user who doesn’t have permission to a list or library wants to have permission. When users who don’t have permission try to get to the library, if access requests are configured, they are presented with a dialog that enables them to request access (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Users who don’t have access to a library see this dialog when they try to open the library.

As you can see, the users can request access by using the Request Access link. That request takes them to a dialog where they can explain why they think they should have access (see Figure 2). This information is then sent as an e-mail message to the library owner.

Figure 2. The Request Access dialog appears when the Request Access link is clicked.

Solution: To enable or disable access requests, open the document library or list and get to the manage security page for that library or list . On this page, click the Manage Access Requests button in the Manage section of the Permission Tools ribbon (see Figure 3).

Figure 3. The manage permission page for a list, showing the Manage Access Requests button.

When you click the Manage Access Requests button, a dialog opens, allowing you to select whether access requests should be enabled or disabled (see Figure 4).

Figure 4. The Manage Access Requests dialog.

In some instances, the Allow Requests for Access option is not available, and you see the check box grayed out. To enable this option and to select which e-mail address should receive the access requests, you need permissions to manage permissions on the site. If you have those permissions, and you want to change the e-mail address that will get the requests, open the Site Actions menu and click the Site Permissions option to get to the site permissions management page.

If you started from a subsite and that site is inheriting the permissions from a parent site, click the Manage Parent button in the ribbon to go to the page for managing the permissions for the site that isn’t inheriting its permissions.

If the site you are on is not inheriting permissions, you should see the Manage Access Requests button in the Manage section of the ribbon (see Figure 5).

Figure 5. The Manage Access Requests button in the site permission management page.

Clicking this button opens a dialog that allows you to disable or enable the access requests for the site. If it is disabled, the Manage Access Requests dialog in the document libraries and lists in the site  shows a disabled button. The other option on this page sets the e-mail for the person (or a group) that access requests will be sent to (see Figure 6).

Figure 6. The Manage Access Requests dialog for a site.