Add a distribution list to sharepoint

To notify shareholders when new minutes/documents are uploaded and to control how people are granted access, use SharePoint’s built-in sharing and notification features as follows.

1. Notifying shareholders when minutes are uploaded

In SharePoint in Microsoft 365, after uploading a file in a document library:

1. Upload or drag the minutes document into the appropriate SharePoint library.
2. After the upload completes, use the Notify your team option:
   • SharePoint shows an option to Notify your team after the file is uploaded.
   • Select Notify your team.
   • In the dialog, select the individuals or SharePoint groups who should be notified. Only people who already have access to the folder can be selected.
   • If a large audience is selected (more than 20 people), SharePoint warns that a large audience is being notified.
   • Groups with more than 100 individuals cannot be selected.
   • Select Notify. Recipients receive a link that works only for them.

Important behaviors:

• Notifications only work for people who already have access. If someone without access is selected, an error appears.
• External users must have Full Control to send notifications; otherwise they may receive an “access denied” error.

Distribution lists specifically are not supported as permission principals in SharePoint:

• Distribution lists are not a supported method for assigning SharePoint permissions. If a guest invitation is sent to a distribution list, only the first user who accepts the invitation gets access as a guest; others receive access errors.
• Instead of a distribution list, use:
  • A security group (Windows Active Directory security group), or
  • A SharePoint group, or
  • A Microsoft 365 group.

To manage access for many shareholders, create or use a security group / Microsoft 365 group, grant that group access to the site or library, and then use Notify your team to alert those members (who already have access) when new minutes are uploaded.

2. Granting site access without sending email notifications

SharePoint allows granting access without sending email invitations when assigning unique permissions:

1. Go to the SharePoint list or library (for example, the document library where minutes are stored).
2. Break permission inheritance if unique permissions are needed (as described in the referenced “Customize permissions” article).
3. On the Permissions page, select Grant Permissions.
4. In the Share... dialog:
   • Ensure Invite people is selected.
   • Enter the names or email addresses of the people or groups to grant access.
5. Select Show options.
6. Clear the Send an email invitation checkbox.
7. Choose the desired permission level (for example, Read for shareholders, Edit for contributors).
8. Select Share.

With Send an email invitation unchecked, users receive access but no email notification. This allows trial access for a subset of users without notifying everyone.

Note on distribution groups:

• A distribution group that is not a Windows security group cannot be granted access. Use a Windows security group, SharePoint group, or Microsoft 365 group instead.

References:

• Share a list or list item
• Notify your team after uploading a file to SharePoint
• SharePoint invitation sent to a distribution list works for only one user
• Customize permissions for a SharePoint list or library