Microsoft requires group membership for SharePoint site access

Microsoft enforces Restricted Site Access Control on all SharePoint sites, requiring users to belong to one of up to ten specified Microsoft 365 or security groups beyond standard permissions. Direct sharing links fail once enabled, even if content appears in search. Applies to group-connected, Teams, communication, and non-group sites. Site owners get read-only views; admins generate one daily compliance report via Purview or PowerShell. Existing ad-hoc shares break without group remapping.