SharePoint Admin 101

Allison Gonzalez, a Microsoft Certified Trainer, provides an introductory look at the SharePoint Admin Center, perfect for those new to SharePoint or looking to sharpen their administrative skills. Allison walks through key tasks including managing SharePoint sites, user access, and permissions.

Accessing the SharePoint Admin Center

• Visit admin.microsoft.com to access the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
• Sign in with your credentials and ensure you have the SharePoint admin role to view the necessary admin options.
• Once logged in, navigate to the SharePoint Admin Center listed on the left side of the admin center dashboard.

Managing SharePoint Sites

As a SharePoint admin, managing sites is one of your core responsibilities. You’ll deal with both team sites and communication sites.

• Active Sites: View and manage all SharePoint sites currently being used by your organization. You can filter, sort, and search for specific sites.
• Storage Usage: Monitor the storage usage for each site and sort them to see which ones consume the most storage.
• Last Activity: Sort sites by last activity to identify which sites are being actively used and which have not seen any activity for a while.

Editing and Managing Site Settings

• To manage a site, click its name to open a side pane displaying detailed information.
• Edit general information, including the site name, description, and address.
• Review site activity, storage details, and recent page views to assess its usage.
• Add or modify site members and owners in bulk for efficient access control.
• Use Microsoft documentation for detailed guidance on permissions and security settings.

Creating and Customizing SharePoint Sites

The SharePoint Admin Center allows admins to create both team and communication sites directly from the dashboard.

• Click the "Create" button under the Active Sites section to start building a new site.
• Choose between creating a team site or a communication site, depending on the organization's needs.
• Customize site settings including the site description, privacy level, and storage limits.
• Assign ownership roles to ensure proper management and maintenance of the site post-creation.

Managing User Permissions and Security

• As an admin, managing user permissions is critical for securing site data and ensuring the right individuals have access.
• Modify permissions for site members, owners, and visitors easily from the Admin Center.
• Adjust the privacy level and configure external file sharing settings for greater security control.
• If you need to modify group permissions, you’ll have access to extensive Microsoft documentation.

Monitoring Site Usage and Activity

• The SharePoint Admin Center provides analytics on site usage, including file activity, active users, and storage consumption.
• Monitor key metrics like total visits, files shared, and any security concerns related to user activity.
• Use this data to identify potential issues like sites running low on storage or security risks based on user behavior.

Conclusion and Further Learning

Managing SharePoint sites and permissions can be complex, but with the right tools in the SharePoint Admin Center, tasks become much more manageable. Stay tuned for additional training resources and be sure to comment below with any additional topics you'd like to see covered in future training sessions.

Don't forget to check out the Pragmatic Works' on-demand learning platform for more insightful content and training sessions on SharePoint and other Microsoft applications. Be sure to subscribe to the Pragmatic Works YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on the latest tips and tricks.