Can You See Who Viewed A Document In Sharepoint?

As technology continues to evolve, more and more companies are using Sharepoint as a document sharing platform. This makes it easier for companies to collaborate and share important documents with their team. However, it leaves many people wondering, can you see who viewed a document in Sharepoint? In this article, we’ll explore the answer to this question and provide helpful tips for managing document usage in Sharepoint.

Can You See Who Viewed a Document in SharePoint?

SharePoint is a powerful and versatile document collaboration platform that is used by organizations across the world. It is used to store, organize, and share documents, allowing teams to collaborate in real-time.

One common question that users have about SharePoint is whether it is possible to find out who has viewed a document. The answer is yes, you can see who has viewed a document in SharePoint. In this article, we will look at how to do this.

How to View Who Has Viewed a Document in SharePoint

The first step to view who has viewed a document in SharePoint is to open the document in the SharePoint library. Once the document is open, click on the ‘Information’ tab in the ribbon at the top of the page. This will open up a window where you can see the document’s properties.

In this window, you will see a section titled ‘Audit Log’. This will show you a list of users who have accessed the document, as well as the date and time they accessed it. You can also see what type of action they took on the document, such as viewing, editing, or deleting.

Limitations of Tracking Who Has Viewed a Document in SharePoint

It is important to note that the audit log does not track every action taken on a document. For example, it does not track who has read a document but has not saved any changes. It also does not track users who have accessed the document from outside of the SharePoint library, such as via a direct link or email.

Additionally, the audit log only tracks actions taken by users who have permission to access the document. Therefore, if a user does not have permission to access the document, their actions will not be tracked in the audit log.

Enabling Audit Logging in SharePoint

Audit logging is disabled by default in SharePoint, so you will need to enable it in order to view who has viewed a document. To do this, go to the SharePoint site settings page and click on the ‘Audit Log Settings’ link.

On the Audit Log Settings page, select the ‘Enable auditing’ checkbox and then click the ‘Save’ button at the bottom of the page. This will enable audit logging for the entire SharePoint site.

Viewing the Audit Log in SharePoint

Once audit logging has been enabled, you can view the audit log for a particular document by opening the document and clicking on the ‘Audit log’ link in the Information tab. This will open a window where you can view a list of users who have accessed the document, as well as the date and time they accessed it.

Configuring Audit Logging in SharePoint

You can also configure audit logging to track additional actions on documents. To do this, go to the SharePoint site settings page and click on the ‘Audit Log Settings’ link. On the Audit Log Settings page, you can select which actions you want to track, such as viewing, editing, or deleting.

Exporting the Audit Log in SharePoint

Once you have configured audit logging, you can export the audit log for a particular document. To do this, open the document and click on the ‘Audit log’ link in the Information tab. This will open a window where you can view the audit log. To export the audit log, click on the ‘Export’ button at the top of the window.

Managing Access to Documents in SharePoint

If you are concerned about who has access to a particular document, you can manage access to the document by setting permissions. To do this, open the document and click on the ‘Permissions’ tab in the ribbon at the top of the page. This will open a window where you can manage who has access to the document.

Restricting Access to Documents in SharePoint

You can also restrict access to documents in SharePoint by setting permissions. To do this, open the document and click on the ‘Permissions’ tab in the ribbon at the top of the page. This will open a window where you can manage who has access to the document.

You can then select the ‘Restrict Access’ checkbox and enter the names of the users or groups who should have access to the document. This will restrict access to only those users or groups, preventing other users from accessing the document.

Tracking Document Access in SharePoint

In conclusion, it is possible to track who has viewed a document in SharePoint. This is done by enabling audit logging and then viewing the audit log for the document. It is also possible to manage access to the document by setting permissions and restricting access to certain users or groups.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see who viewed a document in SharePoint?

Yes, you can see who viewed a document in SharePoint. SharePoint records user actions, including when they open a document. To view who has viewed a document, access the document library in the SharePoint site and open the document. Then click on the ‘Information’ tab on the ribbon and select the ‘Version History’ option. This will show you a list of users who have opened the document, along with the date and time of each view.

You can also view the document views for a given period by accessing the SharePoint site’s ‘Site Contents’ page. On the left side, go to ‘Site Contents’ and then click on ‘Site Usage’. This will show you a report of document views for a period of time. This can help you identify which documents are being viewed and how often.

When it comes to SharePoint, the answer to the question “Can you see who viewed a document?” is not a simple yes or no. It depends on the SharePoint platform in use and the security settings applied to the document. Depending on the platform and settings, a document owner or administrator may be able to track who viewed the document, or they may be unable to do so. Knowing the capabilities of the SharePoint platform and the security settings in place is the best way to determine who has access to the document and who may have viewed it.