SharePoint Email: External Guest Access Expiration

WHAT THE EMAIL NOTICE MEANS  This is a security review - not an error.

The email notice means that one or more people outside your organization are approaching the end of their allowed SharePoint access period of 60 days. Review the guest and decide whether access should continue.

ACCESS IS STILL NEEDED

Extend access

Confirm the business need, then renew the guest before the listed expiration date.

WORK IS COMPLETE

Let it expire

No action is required. The guest will lose SharePoint access on the displayed date.

ACCESS SHOULD END NOW

Remove access

Remove the guest immediately when the relationship, project, or need has ended.

GOOD PRACTICE  Verify before you extend.

Check the guest name and email, the site named in the notice, the current business need, and whether the person still needs the same level of access. When uncertain, confirm with the site owner, project sponsor, or data owner.

1

Open the SharePoint site

Use the Manage access button in the email or navigate to your site. For added security, you can open your site from your normal SharePoint or Teams location instead of selecting an unexpected email link.

2

Open Site permissions

Select the Settings gear in the upper-right corner, and then select Site permissions.

3

Manage guest expiration

Under Guest Expiration, select Manage.

4

Select the guest

On the Access Expiration page, select the guest whose access should continue, and then select Extend.

5

Confirm the renewal

Select Yes, extend. Access is renewed for the number of days configured by your organization; a custom renewal period may not be available.

Navigation path: Settings > Site permissions > Guest Expiration > Manage

1

Open the same management page

On the SharePoint site, go to Settings > Site permissions. Under Guest Expiration, select Manage.

2

Select the guest

On the Access Expiration page, select the guest whose access should end.

3

Remove access

Select Remove access, and then select Yes, remove to confirm.

LET IT EXPIRE  No action means the access will expire automatically.

Use this option only when you have verified that the guest no longer needs access. You do not need to approve or reject the expiration notice.

The SharePoint content stays in place

Expiration removes the guest's access; it does not delete the site, files, folders, or lists.

The guest account is not deleted

SharePoint guest expiration does not disable or remove the person's guest account from Microsoft Entra ID.

Other access may remain

The guest might still have access through another SharePoint site, a Microsoft Teams team, or a security group.

Extension covers the whole site

Extending a guest renews all of that guest's access on the site, not only one file or folder.

Q

Why did I receive this notification?

SharePoint site collection administrators receive a weekly email about guests scheduled to expire in the next 2 to 3 weeks. A site banner may also appear during that period in the web app.

Q

Can the external guest renew their own access?

No. A SharePoint site administrator or another authorized site owner must review and extend the access.

Q

What if I do not see Guest Expiration or Manage?

You may not have the required site administration permission, or this policy may not apply to that access. Contact your SharePoint support team or the site administrator.

Q

Does the old sharing link stop working for everyone?

No. Guest expiration is managed for the individual guest. The link itself is not automatically deactivated, and other authorized people may still be able to use it.

Contact your IT Service Desk or SharePoint support team.

Include the site name, guest email address, expiration date, and a screenshot of the notification.

SUPPORT CONTACT

TDX Request - SharePoint Support