Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: Cannot access SharePoint site. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

Overview

SharePoint is used for team collaboration, document storage, and internal websites. If you cannot access a SharePoint site within your Australian Microsoft 365 tenancy, try the solutions below. These steps are tailored for small businesses across Australia, including those managing connectivity through local ISPs such as Telstra, Optus, or NBN providers.

---

Quick Checks

1. Verify the URL

• Make sure you are using the correct site address.
• Typical format: https://companyname.sharepoint.com/sites/sitename
• If you are unsure, contact the site owner for the exact URL.

2. Check Your Connection

• Confirm you have internet access.
• Try loading a regular website such as google.com.
• If other sites won’t load, see the article Browser not loading pages.
• Australian small businesses experiencing slow speeds should check their NBN or broadband connection status with their local ISP.

3. Flush DNS Cache

If the site will not resolve, clear your local DNS cache:

1. Press the Windows key, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
2. Type the following command and press Enter: ipconfig /flushdns
3. Wait for the confirmation message, then try accessing the SharePoint site again.

4. Check SharePoint Service Status

Visit status.office.com to see if Microsoft 365 services are experiencing issues affecting Australian tenancies.

---

Troubleshooting Steps

Step 1: Sign Out and Back In

1. Click your profile picture in SharePoint.
2. Select Sign out.
3. Close all browser tabs.
4. Reopen the SharePoint link.
5. Sign in with your Microsoft 365 credentials.

Step 2: Clear Browser Cache and Cookies

For Chrome or Edge:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete.
2. Choose “All time” for the time range.
3. Check Cookies and Cached images and files.
4. Click Clear data.
5. Refresh the SharePoint page.

For detailed instructions, see How to clear browser cache/cookies.

Step 3: Try a Different Browser

• Switch from Chrome to Edge (or vice‑versa).
• Try Firefox or Safari.
• This helps identify browser‑specific issues.

Step 4: Check Your SharePoint Licence

Confirm your user account is licensed for SharePoint:

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin centre.
2. Go to Users > Active users.
3. Select your user account.
4. Review the Licences and apps tab to ensure a SharePoint licence is assigned.
5. If no licence is assigned, contact your organisation’s administrator or your MSP to assign one.

Step 5: Check Permissions

You need appropriate permissions to access a SharePoint site:

• Visitor: Can view content.
• Member: Can contribute content.
• Owner: Full control of the site.

Request access:

1. Navigate to the SharePoint site.
2. Click Request access (usually appears if you lack permission).
3. Enter a reason for access.
4. Click Send request.

Step 6: Check Conditional Access, MFA, and Device Compliance

Your organisation may block access based on security policies:

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Ensure you complete any MFA prompt when signing in.
• Conditional access: Access may be blocked if you are signing in from an unexpected location, unmanaged device, or outside trusted network ranges.
• Device compliance: Your device may need to meet organisational security standards before accessing SharePoint.

If you suspect a policy is blocking you, contact your IT administrator or MSP for assistance.

Step 7: Troubleshoot Mobile App Access

If you cannot access SharePoint using the SharePoint mobile app:

• Ensure you have the latest version of the SharePoint app installed from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
• Sign out of the app and sign back in with your Microsoft 365 credentials.
• Check that MFA is completed on your mobile device.
• Try accessing the site via a mobile browser instead of the app to determine if the issue is app-specific.
• If the app continues to fail, uninstall and reinstall the SharePoint app.

---

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue	Solution
Access Denied	Request permission from the site owner.
Site not showing	Verify you are signed in with the correct Microsoft 365 account.
Page not loading	Clear cache (see How to clear browser cache/cookies) or try a different browser.
We couldn’t find the site	Confirm the URL with the site owner.
Old version loading	Perform a hard refresh: Ctrl + F5.

---

Access via File Explorer (OneDrive)

To work with SharePoint documents in File Explorer:

1. Ensure the OneDrive sync client is installed on your device.
2. Open your web browser and navigate to the SharePoint site.
3. Click Documents in the left navigation pane to open the document library.
4. In the command bar at the top, click Sync.
5. If prompted, allow your browser to open OneDrive.
6. OneDrive will begin syncing the SharePoint library to your computer.
7. Open File Explorer and look under OneDrive - [Your Organisation Name] to access the synced files.

---

Still Can’t Access?

If the above steps do not resolve the issue, Open a Ticket and provide:

• The exact URL of the site.
• The error message you are seeing.
• Screenshots of the issue.
• Your Microsoft 365 email address.

Still Having Issues?