Viva Learning SharePoint sync failing — permissions error despite M365 group configured

Emma Czirok 0 Reputation points
2026-06-14T19:34:04.6233333+00:00

Background

We have set up a SharePoint site (Learning Hub) as a content source for Microsoft Viva Learning. The Learning App Content Repository list is fully populated with 10 folder URLs covering our mandatory compliance training content (Anti-Bribery and Corruption, Cyber Security, GDPR, Fire Safety, Modern Slavery, Equality and Diversity, Office Health and Safety, Sexual Harassment Prevention, Sustainability, and Sustainable Procurement).

The Problem

Every item in the sync log is failing with the following error:

"Every item needs to have Microsoft 365 group permissions or Mail-enabled security group (MESG) permissions directly associated to light-up inside Viva Learning."

The error has been appearing consistently across sync cycles since 13 June 2026. No items are successfully syncing — TotalObjectCount shows 0 for every cycle even though content exists in the folders.

What We Have Checked and Tried

The Learning App Content Repository list exists on the SharePoint site and contains all 10 folder URLs with correct SharePoint links

A security group called "Thinkers Members" exists in our tenant and has been granted permissions on the SharePoint site — however the Check Permissions tool shows it currently has "Limited Access — Given directly" rather than explicit Read at the library level

We have reviewed the Microsoft documentation at learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/viva/learning/configure-sharepoint-content-source and believe the group type (security group) should be supported

The sync log shows failures stopped after approximately 03:06 on 14 June 2026, with subsequent cycles showing 0 failed and 0 successful — we are unsure whether this means the fix is working or the items simply are not being retried

Our Questions

Does "Limited Access — Given directly" on a security group satisfy the permissions requirement, or does the group need explicit Read or higher at the document library level?

Once permissions are corrected, do previously failed items retry automatically on the next sync cycle, or do the source files need to be modified to trigger a re-sync?

Is there a way to force a manual re-sync from the Microsoft 365 Admin Centre rather than waiting for the automatic 6-hour cycle?

The sync log shows 0/0/0 (failed/successful/total) on recent cycles — does this confirm the content is now ingested, or does it mean Viva Learning is not detecting any content at all?

Tenant Details

SharePoint site: [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]

Content language configured: en-gb

Sync type: Content / LearningItem

Cycles running approximately every 6 hours

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Microsoft Viva | Viva Learning
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  1. Vy Nguyen 11,410 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-06-14T22:02:01.85+00:00

    As this forum is a public platform, we’ve taken steps to help protect your privacy by removing your organization’s domain name from your message. To ensure your data remains secure, we kindly recommend avoiding the inclusion of personal or organizational details such as domain names or screenshots with sensitive information in future posts. 

    Hi Emma, 

    I hope you're doing well today. 

    Thank you for sharing the detailed information about your Viva Learning SharePoint content source, where all items are failing during sync because Viva Learning cannot detect a supported group permission on the content, and the recent sync cycles are now showing 0 failed, 0 successful, and 0 total.  

    Based on the behavior you described, the main point is that Viva Learning requires a supported Microsoft 365 group or security group to be applied directly to the folder or file that contains the learning content, and site level Limited Access alone does not meet that requirement. FAQs in SharePoint | Microsoft Learn 

    First, regarding your question about permissions, Limited Access does not satisfy the requirement for Viva Learning ingestion. Instead, the group should be listed directly in the folder or file permissions, and it should have at least View access so Viva Learning can detect the content correctly. Microsoft also recommends verifying this in Manage access, then Advanced settings, where the group should appear as a Domain Group. Use Microsoft 365 Groups permissions with SharePoint content in Viva Learning | Microsoft Learn 

    Next, once the permissions are corrected, the previously failed items are generally processed again during the next sync activity. In addition, Microsoft notes that changes to SharePoint content, metadata, and permissions can take up to 24 hours to appear in Viva Learning, so some delay after the permission update is expected. Add SharePoint as a learning content source for Microsoft Viva Learning | Microsoft Learn 

    Regarding manual sync, Microsoft documents that admins can monitor sync status and, for SharePoint catalog sync, trigger a manual sync, including a full sync, from Manage Providers in Viva Learning Admin. However, this option depends on the required admin role and licensing being available in the tenant. Manage providers in Viva Learning | Microsoft Learn 

    Finally, the recent 0 failed, 0 successful, 0 total result does not confirm that the content has already been ingested. According to the Microsoft SharePoint FAQ for Viva Learning, when TotalObjectCount is zero, it usually means Viva Learning is not detecting eligible content to process, so it is important to confirm again that the repository contains valid folder URLs, that the URLs point to folders rather than the document library root, and that the supported group is applied directly on those folders.  

    For your situation, the recommended next step is to grant the supported group direct View or Read permission on each source folder listed in the Learning App Content Repository, allow time for the permission update to be processed, and then review the next sync log or run a manual catalog sync if that option is available in your admin experience. After that, please check whether TotalObjectCount increases and whether items begin to appear as successfully synced. 

    I hope the information I shared earlier was somewhat helpful in addressing your issue. If you have any further questions or updates, please don’t hesitate to share. I’m always happy to assist further if needed.       

    Thank you for your patience and your understanding. I look forward to continuing the conversation. 

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have any extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".              

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