How to make SharePoint Rules accessible to users without granting Contribute permission

Dave Robinson 20 Reputation points
2026-06-04T16:45:49.3266667+00:00

Rules have replaced Alerts in Sharepoint, but users need at least a Contribute permission.

I have many users with View only permission - which means they cannot set a Rule for when a documnets changes - which they could do before by setting an Alert.

Is there a work around?

Microsoft 365 and Office | SharePoint | Other | Windows
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Answer accepted by question author
Ian-Ng 14,175 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-06-04T17:36:19.2966667+00:00

Hi @Dave Robinson,

I hope you’re having a great day.

According to Microsoft documentation, there is no supported built-in way for users with only View Only or Read permission to create or manage SharePoint Rules. To use Rules on a list or library, the user must have at least Contribute permission on that list or library.  

So, if those users must remain View Only, then SharePoint Rules are unfortunately not a full replacement for the old Alerts experience in this scenario. SharePoint Alerts are being retired and recommends moving to either SharePoint Rules or Power Automate for notification scenarios. 

In your case, Power Automate is likely the better approach, especially if the goal is to: 

  • keep users at View Only or Read 
  • still notify them when documents change 
  • avoid granting broader edit rights 

Microsoft’s retirement guidance specifically points customers to Power Automate for modern SharePoint notification scenarios. 

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If you want the best guidance on how to build that notification flow, I recommend posting in the Power Automate forum, because that is where specialists can help design the most appropriate trigger and notification logic for your exact SharePoint scenario. 

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That will usually give you a better long-term solution than trying to force SharePoint Rules into a permission model they are not currently documented to support. 

You can also find a Power Automate sample reference within this article. Kindly refer to: SharePoint Alerts retirement - Microsoft Support

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I hope it clears your concerns. Should you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out.

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  1. AI answer

    2026-06-04T16:46:00.48+00:00

    Rules in SharePoint require at least the Contribute permission on the list or library. This is by design and there is no supported way to let users create or manage Rules while keeping them at View Only.

    From the documented behavior:

    • To manage Rules for a library or list, users must be granted Contribute permission by the owner. The owner does this by sharing the list or library and specifying Contribute.
    • View Only and Read permission levels do not include the rights needed to manage Rules.

    Possible approaches within these constraints:

    1. Keep users at View Only/Read and have an owner (or a group with Contribute/Edit) create and manage Rules on their behalf.
    2. If users must self-manage notifications without Contribute, use alternatives that still work with lower permissions, such as:
      • Classic Alerts (where available) for lists/libraries, which only require the underlying permissions that come with Read/View Only.
      • Power Automate flows created and owned by someone with higher permissions, sending notifications to View Only users.

    There is no documented permission customization that adds “manage Rules” capability to View Only without effectively elevating users to Contribute-level capabilities.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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