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SharePoint 2010 Workflow that sets Unique Permissions

Document Library, Manager and Creator

A SharePoint Workflows tutorial by Peter Kalmström

SharePoint Designer iconImagine a teaching situation where files are submitted to a SharePoint library by the students. In such a case, only the teacher should be allowed to see all the files. The students should only see their own files, so we have to set unique permissions on all new files that are added the library.

The easiest way to achieve these unique permissions is to use a SharePoint 2010 workflow. It cannot be done with a SharePoint 2013 workflow.

In the demo below Peter Kalmström, CEO and Systems Designer of kalmstrom.com Business Solutions, shows how use an Impersonation step in a SharePoint 2010 workflow and add a "Replace Permission" action to it.

Create a SharePoint 2010 workflow that sets unique permissions on new files in a document library

  1. Create a list workflow for the library where you want to set unique permissions. Select the Platform Type SharePoint 2010 workflow.
  2. Click on the Step 1 top banner to make the Impersonation Step button in the ribbon active. Then add the Impersonation Step to the workflow.
  3. Remove Step 1.
  4. Add the action Replace List Item Permissions to the Impersonation step.
  5. Click on this list and select Current Item.
  6. Click on these permissions and then on Add in the dialog that opens.
  7. Check the box for Full Control. Click on Choose.
  8. Type or select the people who should have Full Control over the item (the teacher and the user who created the current item). Click on Add between each person.
  9. Click on this list and then click OK to the default value Current item.
  10. Set the workflow to start automatically when an item is created or changed.
  11. Check, publish and test the workflow. At publication, you will have a warning about the impersonation permission.



Refer to SharePoint 2010 Workflow that sets Unique Permissions, Tasks List, Managers and Departments for a more advanced use case with unique permissions.


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