AzureFeeds

Hi, Insiders! My name is Sonia Kulkarni, and I’m a Principal Product Manager on the Office Shared Services and Experiences team. I’m excited to share with you a new feature in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for the web that allows enterprise customers to request elevated permissions on files directly in the application.

Request more access in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for the web

Many of you told us that getting edit access to important documents, spreadsheets, and presentations was time-consuming and disruptive to your workflows. This was because if you lacked certain permissions, you had to either download a copy or reach out to the file owner via channels like Outlook or Teams to ask for new permissions. These workarounds were suboptimal, and we’re thrilled to announce a better solution! Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for the web will now include the ability for users with view-only permission to request more access while in a file, unlocking productivity and collaboration with just a few clicks.

How it works

1. Open a file you want to change your access to in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint for the web.


2. Select Viewing in the upper right-hand corner, then select Request more access.


3. Select the permission you need (Ask to edit or Ask to review), then write a note to the file owner (this is not mandatory to request more access).


4. Select Send, and you’ll be notified that you will receive an email when the file owner responds to your request. Once your request is approved, refresh the file and notice that your permissions have changed.

As the file owner, you will receive an email showing the person’s current permissions, the access they requested, their note, and an option to Change access or Decline the request.

Tips and tricks

• If you’re zoomed in in your web browser, the Request more access feature will be hidden behind ellipsis (…). 


• To update a pending request or leave a new note, follow the steps above, then select Resend request, and you will be notified that your request has been updated.

Known issues

• Permission changes may take longer to load with large or complex documents with several co-authors. Your permissions will reflect only after the document has finished loading.


• This feature is not supported in Classic View mode in Word for the web.

Requirements

To request different permissions in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for the web, you must:

• have a Microsoft 365 Enterprise account.


• be viewing a file that’s stored in your organization’s OneDrive or SharePoint.


• have a good internet connection.

Availability

This feature is available to all Enterprise users running Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for the web.

Feedback

Let us know your thoughts or suggestions on this feature by selecting Help > Feedback in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint for the web.

Learn about the Microsoft 365 Insider program and sign up for the Microsoft 365 Insider newsletter to get the latest information about Insider features in your inbox once a month!