Linked SharePoint list. Is it possible to grant users contribute permissions on the SP site, but password protect the SP list URL itself from users?

[diamondDog]

As I understand it, for a user to be able to create/edit a linked SharePoint list record through an Access form, they would need to have Contribute-level access on that SharePoint site list. If this is true, is there a way to grant users this SharePoint list access on the SharePoint site but also block/prevent them from just bypassing locked Access form fields and just go directly to the SharePoint list itself to make edits on any and all fields they wish?

I want to use Access as a front-end to have different groups of users be able to edit only certain fields (through different Access forms) but I would need a way to prevent these users from just going directly to the SharePoint list form to update any field they wish.

Is there a way to do this?

 

[GPGeorge]

As I understand it, for a user to be able to create/edit a linked SharePoint list record through an Access form, they would need to have Contribute-level access on that SharePoint site list.

Spoiler:

If this is true, is there a way to grant users this SharePoint list access on the SharePoint site but also block/prevent them from just bypassing locked Access form fields and just go directly to the SharePoint list itself to make edits on any and all fields they wish?

I want to use Access as a front-end to have different groups of users be able to edit only certain fields (through different Access forms) but I would need a way to prevent these users from just going directly to the SharePoint list form to update any field they wish.

Is there a way to do this?

Can you provide a link to that discussion? I would like to follow up and understand the context.

 

[GPGeorge]

Perhaps you can create a group on the SharePoint site for users who will be allowed to edit certain fields, and add them to that group so that only through your Access interface will they be able to work with the SharePoint list. Otherwise, their regular SharePoint credentials won't be allowed to work with that list.

Just a thought; something to explore.

 

[diamondDog]

Perhaps you can create a group on the SharePoint site for users who will be allowed to edit certain fields, and add them to that group so that only through your Access interface will they be able to work with the SharePoint list. Otherwise, their regular SharePoint credentials won't be allowed to work with that list.

Just a thought; something to explore.

I don't believe you can specify which list fields can be edited based on permission group. Permissions granted to a person extend to all the list fields. It would be very ideal to set up different Access forms for different user groups so that certain forms are locked on a given form.

 

[GPGeorge]

I don't believe you can specify which list fields can be edited based on permission group. Permissions granted to a person extend to all the list fields. It would be very ideal to set up different Access forms for different user groups so that certain forms are locked on a given form.

That's one reason I'd like to see the documentation on permissions. I know that, from the days when Microsoft tried to create Access Web Databases, circa 2007, users need the Contribute level of permissions, but that's all I recall off the top of my head.

What I was thinking was that you can create a group on SP, assign only the permissions needed for group members to do the work you need done through Access interfaces, and create a user or users for that group. Then, when you link from Access to that SP list, use that designated user group in the connection. I don't know if that would even work, but I'd explore it.

On the Access side, security is another problem, of course, even if you do manage to prevent users from editing the list directly in SP, if then open the navigation pane with the list linked in Access, they can see and open it for editing. You can make it harder for them, but not impossible.

Another thing you could do on the Access side is create queries for editing which omit the fields you don't want users to see or edit. With SQL Server, that can be done with a view on the server. I don't know if you can do something similar on SharePoint with a specific view that exposes only the fields you want.

Some ideas for you to explore.

 

[theDBguy]

What I would probably try to do is add an extra column in the list that only the Access form will "secretly" fill out. Then, on the SP side, you could try creating a flow to "reject" any updates that doesn't have this signature mark from your Access form. Just an idea...

 

[GPGeorge]

What I would probably try to do is add an extra column in the list that only the Access form will "secretly" fill out. Then, on the SP side, you could try creating a flow to "reject" any updates that doesn't have this signature mark from your Access form. Just an idea...

Oh, I like that idea much better than mine.