SharePoint at KAUST
SharePoint is Microsoft 365’s platform for team collaboration, shared file storage, and internal information sharing. At KAUST, departments, research groups, project teams, and administrative units can use SharePoint to store documents, manage access, publish internal pages, and collaborate in one shared online space.
Important: All SharePoint sites at KAUST come with 100 GB of storage by default.
When should you use SharePoint?
Use SharePoint when files or information need to be managed by a team, not just one person.
Good uses for SharePoint
- Department or unit document libraries
- Project workspaces
- Research group collaboration
- Internal knowledge pages
- Shared policies, forms, trackers, and reference materials
Do not use SharePoint for
- Personal drafts or files that only you need
- Temporary file storage with no clear owner
- Sensitive content shared broadly without approval
SharePoint vs OneDrive vs Teams
These tools work together, but they are not the same thing.
| Tool | Best Used For | Simple Way to Think About It |
|---|
| OneDrive | Personal work files, drafts, and files you are not ready to share widely | My files |
| SharePoint | Team-owned files, shared content, internal pages, and structured collaboration | Our files and shared content |
| Teams | Chat, meetings, conversations, and collaboration around files | Our conversations, meetings, and teamwork |
What you will find inside a SharePoint site
Document Libraries
Shared spaces where teams store, organize, and collaborate on files.
Lists
Structured tables used to track items such as tasks, requests, contacts, events, or inventories.
Pages
Internal web pages used to publish guidance, links, announcements, dashboards, or team information.
Permissions
Access controls that determine who can view, edit, or manage the site and its content.
Integration with Microsoft 365
SharePoint works with tools such as Teams, OneDrive, Outlook, and Power Automate.
How to use SharePoint step by step
1. Open your site
Open the SharePoint site you need and make sure you have the correct level of access. If you need to manage permissions, create content, or configure the site structure, you will usually need to be a Site Owner.
2. Upload files to a document library
- Open the site
- Open the document library, often called Documents
- Select Upload
- Choose one or more files
- Wait for the upload to complete
You can also drag and drop files directly into the library in your browser.
Use this for:
- Shared team documents
- Reference materials
- Forms and templates
- Project files that should not live in one person’s OneDrive
3. Organize your files clearly
A messy SharePoint library becomes useless very quickly. A little structure saves everyone pain later.
Use folders when:
- The structure is simple
- People expect a familiar layout
- The number of files is manageable
Use metadata when:
- The library will grow over time
- You want to sort or filter documents more easily
- You want to track things like document type, project, status, or year
How to add people to a SharePoint site
Understand SharePoint roles first
Before sharing a site, it helps to understand the three main access levels used in SharePoint.
| Role | What They Can Do | Typical Access Level |
|---|
| Owners | Manage site settings and structure, add or remove people, change permissions, create libraries, lists, and pages, and act as the main contact for the site | Full Control |
| Members | Upload, edit, and delete documents, update list items, and collaborate on content | Edit |
| Visitors | Open and read files, and view pages and site content without making changes | Read |
Add someone as an Owner, Member, or Visitor
- Open the SharePoint site
- Select the Settings gear in the top right
- Select Site permissions
- Select Add members or the option to share the site
- Enter the person’s name or KAUST email address
- Choose the appropriate access level:
- Owner if they will manage the site
- Member if they need to edit content
- Visitor if they only need to view content
- Save the change
Best practice:
- Choose Owner for the people responsible for maintaining the site
- Choose Member for regular contributors
- Choose Visitor for read-only audiences
How to use SharePoint groups
SharePoint works best when access is managed through groups, not one-off decisions every time someone asks for access.
Why use groups?
- Access stays organized
- New staff can be added more easily
- Permissions are easier to review later
- Ownership is clearer
Recommended group model
For most sites, use:
- Site Owners
- Site Members
- Site Visitors
For more controlled content, you can also create library-specific groups such as:
- Finance Library Owners
- Finance Library Editors
- Finance Library Visitors
How to create unique permissions for a document library
By default, a document library usually follows the same permissions as the main site. That means anyone with access to the site may also have access to the library.
If one library needs different access, for example for leadership files, HR documents, or restricted team content, you need to create unique permissions for that library.
Use unique permissions when:
- One library should only be visible to a smaller group
- One library needs read-only access while the rest of the site is editable
- Confidential or controlled content needs tighter access
Avoid unique permissions when:
- There is no real need
- The same result can be achieved with a separate site
- The site is already becoming hard to manage
Step by step: create unique permissions for a library
- Open the SharePoint site
- Open the document library you want to secure
- Select the Settings gear, then open the library settings or permissions area
- Open Permissions for this document library
- Select Stop inheriting permissions
- Confirm the change
Once you do this, the library no longer follows the main site permissions. It now has its own unique access rules.
Step by step: adjust who can access that library
After inheritance is broken, review the people and groups listed for that library.
Remove access
Remove any group or person who should no longer have access to this library.
Change permission levels
- Change Edit to Read
- Keep only Owners with full control
- Allow a smaller group to edit while others can only view
Add a specific person or group
Add the people or group who should have access to the library only.
Recommended approach for library permissions
- Keep the main site open to the wider team as needed
- Create one restricted library
- Assign access to a clearly named group
- Keep the number of exceptions low
Example:
A site for a department may have Members who can edit shared team files, Visitors who can view general information, and a restricted library only for department leadership or a specific operational team.
How to share a single file or folder instead of the whole site
Sometimes someone does not need the entire site. They only need one document or folder.
To share a file or folder
- Open the file or folder in SharePoint
- Select Share
- Enter the person’s name or email
- Choose whether they can view or edit
- Send the link
| Use this when | Avoid this when |
|---|
- Someone only needs one item
- Access is temporary
- Site-wide access would be excessive
| - The person needs regular, ongoing access
- The content belongs clearly within a site role
- You are trying to work around poor site governance
|
Requesting a new SharePoint site at KAUST
If your team, project, department, or function needs its own SharePoint site, you can request one through KAUST IT.
Before you request a site
- Why the site is needed
- Who will own it
- Who needs access
- Whether any external sharing is required
A SharePoint site should have a clear purpose and clear ownership from the start.
Information you must include in your request
| Item | What to provide | Example |
|---|
| Site Name | A clear and concise site name | Graduate Funding Portal |
| Preferred URL | The requested SharePoint address in the format kaust.sharepoint.com/sites/YourSiteName | kaust.sharepoint.com/sites/GraduateFunding |
| Purpose | A short explanation of what the site will be used for | Shared workspace for funding documents, timelines, templates, and coordination |
| Site Owner(s) | The KAUST email addresses of the people responsible for the site | name@kaust.edu.sa |
| Members & Permissions | The people or teams who need access, along with the level of access they need | Members can edit, Visitors can view only |
| External Sharing | Any external domains that may need access, if applicable | aramco.com, neom.com |
How to prepare a strong request
To help KAUST IT review your request more quickly, include the details in a simple and complete format.
Recommended format
Site Name:
Graduate Funding Portal
Preferred URL:
kaust.sharepoint.com/sites/GraduateFunding
Purpose:
This site will be used by the department to manage funding-related documents, share templates, publish guidance, and coordinate reviews.
Site Owners:
name1@kaust.edu.sa
name2@kaust.edu.sa
Members and Permissions:
Team A, Member access
Team B, Visitor access
Person C, Owner access
External Sharing:
None
or
Required for example.com
Important notes before submitting
- Choose a site name that is simple and durable
- Include at least one clearly responsible site owner, ideally two
- Be specific about who needs Owner, Member, or Visitor access
- Only request external sharing if there is a real business need
- Do not assume IT will guess the purpose or structure for you
SharePoint best practices
Do
- Use SharePoint for team-owned content
- Keep ownership clear
- Use Owners, Members, and Visitors consistently
- Use metadata where it adds value
- Keep homepages and libraries organized
- Use unique permissions only when there is a genuine need
Avoid
- Making too many people Owners
- Storing personal files that should live in OneDrive
- Creating too many folders without structure
- Creating too many permission exceptions
- Building a site with no clear owner or purpose
