Understand Microsoft Teams: Channels, Permissions, and File Structure

Microsoft Teams is a powerful collaboration tool, but it helps to understand how files are stored and how permissions work across teams and channels. This guide explains how Microsoft Teams organizes files, manages access, and links with SharePoint behind the scenes.

How Channels Organize Your Work

Each Team in Microsoft Teams is like a virtual workspace for a group of people. Inside each Team, you can create Channels to focus on specific topics, projects, or departments.

• Standard Channels: Open to all members of the Team. Anyone in the Team can view and participate.
• Private Channels: Restricted to selected members within the Team. Only invited members can see or access the content.
• Shared Channels: Let you collaborate with users outside your Team or even outside Bowdoin College.

Channels help keep communication and files organized, and each channel gets its own place to store files.

Who Can See What: Permissions Explained

Permissions in Teams are tightly integrated with Microsoft 365 Groups and SharePoint.

Here's what to know:

• Team Owners vs. Members:
  • Owners: Can add/remove members, manage settings, and delete the Team.
  • Members: Can participate in chats, meetings, and channels (unless restricted).
• Channel Permissions:
  • Standard channel files inherit permissions from the Team. All members can access them.
  • Private channel files are only available to invited channel members.
  • Shared channel files follow the permissions set for both internal and external users.
• SharePoint Permissions:
  • Even though files live in SharePoint, you should manage access from within Teams. This avoids creating inconsistencies between what users see in Teams and what they can access via SharePoint directly.

Where Files Go: The Folder Structure Behind Teams

Every Team in Microsoft Teams has a linked SharePoint site. When you share files in a channel, they’re actually stored in that SharePoint site.

Here’s how the folder structure works:

• Standard Channel Files:
  • Stored in the Documents library of the Team’s SharePoint site. Each standard channel creates a corresponding folder inside Documents.
    • Example: https://[tenant].sharepoint.com/sites/[TeamName]/Shared Documents/[ChannelName]/
• Private Channel Files:
  • These are stored in a separate SharePoint site created specifically for the private channel.  This site has its own permissions and is only accessible to members of the private channel.
    • Example: https://[tenant].sharepoint.com/sites/[TeamName]-[PrivateChannelName]/
• Shared Channel Files:
  • Like private channels, these also create their own SharePoint sites. Access is managed for users outside your Team or even outside Bowdoin College.

Managing Channel Settings

Team Owners can control how channels behave to keep collaboration smooth and secure.

To manage channel settings:

• Go to the Team name, click the three dots ⋯, then select Manage team.
• Under the Channels tab, you'll see a list of all channels.
• Click the ⋯ next to a channel to access settings like:
  • Pin/Unpin
  • Get email address
  • Manage connectors
  • Edit channel
  • Delete channel

For Standard Channels:

• You can allow or restrict who can post messages.
• Set moderation settings (e.g., only owners can post, or assign specific moderators).

For Private or Shared Channels:

• Click ⋯ next to the channel > Manage channel to adjust membership.
• Only Owners of the channel can add/remove members (even if they’re Team members).

Best Practices

• Always upload and manage files through Teams, not directly in SharePoint, unless advanced permissioning is needed.
• Be cautious when creating private or shared channels—they create new SharePoint sites and increase complexity.
• Review permissions regularly, especially for private and shared channels.