How to Fix Permission Levels Missing From Advanced Permissions

You go to Site Settings > Site permissions > Advanced permissions settings, but the Permission Levels button is missing. This happens when a site is connected to a Microsoft 365 group, which uses group-based permissions instead of classic SharePoint permission levels. This article explains why the Permission Levels option disappears and how to work around the limitation by using SharePoint admin center or by disconnecting the site from the group.

Why Permission Levels Are Missing From Advanced Permissions

SharePoint sites that are connected to a Microsoft 365 group (sometimes called group-connected team sites) do not show the Permission Levels link under Advanced permissions settings. This is by design. Microsoft 365 groups manage membership at the group level, not through classic SharePoint permission levels. When you add a user to the group, they get the Contributor role on the site. When you remove them from the group, their access is revoked. Classic permission levels such as Read, Edit, and Full Control still exist behind the scenes, but the SharePoint UI hides them to prevent conflicts with group-based permissions.

The Permission Levels button appears only on sites that use classic permission mode. These include:

• Communication sites that were never connected to a group
• Team sites that were created without a Microsoft 365 group (classic team sites)
• Sites that have been disconnected from their Microsoft 365 group

If you need to customize permission levels on a group-connected site, you have three options. You can use the SharePoint admin center to modify the default permission levels, disconnect the site from its group, or enable fine-grained permissions through site collection features.

Steps to Restore or Access Permission Levels

Method 1: Use SharePoint Admin Center to Manage Permission Levels

The SharePoint admin center lets you view and edit permission levels for any site, including group-connected sites. This method does not require changing the site’s group connection.

1. Open SharePoint admin center
   Sign in to Microsoft 365 admin center, go to Admin centers, and select SharePoint. Alternatively, go directly to https://admin.microsoft.com/SharePoint.
2. Select Active sites
   In the left navigation, click Active sites. This shows all site collections in your tenant.
3. Open the site with missing permission levels
   Click the site name to open its details panel. Do not click the check box; click the name.
4. Go to the Permissions tab
   In the details panel, select the Permissions tab. You will see the current sharing settings and a link labeled Permission levels.
5. Click Permission levels
   This opens the classic permission levels page for the site. You can edit or add permission levels here. Changes apply immediately.

Method 2: Disconnect the Site From Its Microsoft 365 Group

Disconnecting a team site from its Microsoft 365 group removes the group-based permission model and restores classic SharePoint permissions. The Permission Levels button reappears under Advanced permissions settings.

1. Go to Site Settings
   On the site, click the gear icon and select Site information. If you are on a modern page, click the gear icon and choose Site contents, then click Site settings at the top.
2. Open the group connection panel
   Under Site information, look for the Microsoft 365 group section. Click Unlink or Disconnect. The exact label depends on your SharePoint version.
3. Confirm the disconnection
   A dialog warns that group members will lose access to shared resources like the group mailbox and calendar. Click Disconnect to confirm.
4. Verify permission levels appear
   Go to Site Settings > Site permissions > Advanced permissions settings. The Permission Levels button should now be visible.
5. Reassign permissions manually
   After disconnecting, you must add users directly to SharePoint groups (Visitors, Members, Owners) because group membership no longer syncs.

Method 3: Enable Fine-Grained Permissions on Classic Sites

If your site is not group-connected but still does not show the Permission Levels button, the site might have fine-grained permissions disabled. This feature is required for custom permission levels to appear.

1. Go to Site Settings
   Click the gear icon and select Site settings.
2. Open Site collection features
   Under Site Collection Administration, click Site collection features.
3. Activate fine-grained permissions
   Scroll to the feature named Enable fine-grained permissions for lists and libraries. Click Activate.
4. Verify the Permission Levels button
   Return to Advanced permissions settings. The Permission Levels button should now be present.

If Permission Levels Still Do Not Appear

Site is a communication site created with a group

Communication sites can also be group-connected if they were created using the Team site template or if a group was added later. Use Method 1 (SharePoint admin center) to check. If the site is group-connected, disconnect it using Method 2 to restore classic permissions.

Site uses the modern permissions experience only

Some sites have the modern permissions panel enabled, which hides the Advanced permissions settings link entirely. To access classic permissions, append /_layouts/15/user.aspx to the site URL. For example: https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/MySite/_layouts/15/user.aspx. This bypasses the modern UI and shows the classic permissions page, including the Permission Levels button.

You do not have Full Control permissions

Only site owners and users with Full Control permission level can see the Permission Levels button. If you are a site member, the button is hidden. Ask a site owner to perform the steps above or request elevated permissions.

Group-Connected Site vs Classic Site: Permission Management Differences

Item	Group-Connected Site	Classic Site
Permission model	Microsoft 365 group membership	SharePoint permission levels and groups
Permission Levels button	Hidden by default	Visible under Advanced permissions settings
How to manage permissions	Add or remove users from the group	Assign permission levels to SharePoint groups
Custom permission levels	Not supported directly; use SharePoint admin center	Supported natively
Breaking inheritance	Possible but not recommended; group permissions may override	Fully supported

Now you can restore missing permission levels by using the SharePoint admin center, disconnecting the site from its group, or enabling fine-grained permissions on classic sites. If you manage many sites, consider using PowerShell to bulk-check which sites are group-connected. Run Get-SPOSite -GroupIdDefined in SharePoint Online Management Shell to list all group-connected sites and apply the admin center method across them.