Microsoft tightens access rules for SharePoint Advanced Management ahead of Copilot rollout
Microsoft updated the prerequisites page for SharePoint Advanced Management on 31 May 2026. At least one listed condition must now be met before the advanced reporting and governance features work with Copilot. The main change requires specific Entra ID role assignments. Users need either the SharePoint Administrator role or the new SharePoint Advanced Management Administrator role. Without these roles the tools for observing content, reviewing permissions, and managing lifecycle policies stay unavailable.
Before this update, many small teams could open SharePoint Advanced Management reports with whatever elevated account they already used for day-to-day fixes. The barrier was low enough that they could dip in when an audit or Copilot question appeared. Now the same teams must either assign one of two high-privilege roles across their tenant or accept that the oversharing reports and access governance features will remain locked. That shifts the decision from "should we look" to "do we accept the extra standing permissions."
Analysis
Audit every account that currently holds SharePoint Administrator rights, then decide whether granting the new SharePoint Advanced Management Administrator role is worth widening the blast radius. If the answer is no, write it down so leadership stops assuming Copilot content governance is on the roadmap.
Source note
Pulse published by Collab365 Spaces. Cite as "Microsoft tightens access rules for SharePoint Advanced Management ahead of Copilot rollout", Collab365 Spaces. 1 source referenced.