Managed access and public data sources

Managed access lets Team Forms retrieve a data source using an authorised Microsoft connection. Responders do not need their own permission to the underlying SharePoint list or file. Turn on Public form access as well to use that source on public Anyone links.

Managed access requires a paid subscription that includes the feature. The Microsoft account authorising the connection must have access to the source.

Choose an access method

Access method	How the data is retrieved	Public Anyone links
User access	Uses each signed-in responder’s Microsoft permissions. Each responder needs access to the underlying source.	Unavailable.
Managed access	Uses the Microsoft connection authorised for the data source. Responders do not need direct SharePoint access.	Available when Public form access is also enabled.

Managed access supports SharePoint lists, supported SharePoint data files, Excel Online tables, previous form submissions, team-member data sources, and SharePoint file previews. File previews require an online connection.

Enable managed access

Open the team’s Data Sources and create or edit the source.
Open Advanced settings, then Data access.
Set Access method to Managed access and complete the Microsoft authorisation prompt using an account that can read the source.
To allow the source on public forms, turn on Public form access.
Return to the data source settings and save your changes.

The Microsoft connection panel shows who authorised the connection and whether it is valid. If another person owns the current connection, select Use my connection and authorise your own account before editing the source. Use Authorize or Re-authorize when the connection expires or is revoked.

Use the source on a public form

Add the data source to the form, for example through a SharePoint Data Source or File Preview component.
Publish the form so the published version references the source.
Open Share and select Anyone links. If a data source needs attention, select Configure beside it to choose managed access or enable public form access.
Create or open the share link and check that the expected data is available without signing in.

Only sources referenced by the published form and enabled for public form access can be retrieved through its public link. Enabling managed access alone does not enable public access, and enabling public access does not create a share link.

Choose what visitors can access

Treat the data returned by a public source as available to anyone using the form’s link. A drop-down’s JavaScript Filter Query, display template, and Fields setting control the component’s behaviour; they do not restrict which source data reaches the browser.

For SharePoint lists, use a SharePoint query to limit the rows and columns retrieved before making the source public. For file-based sources, use a file containing only information suitable for those visitors: the browser may download the source file to read its data.

Data source settings are shared by forms that use that source. Changing the source, connection, columns, filter, or sort can affect existing public links. Team Forms asks you to review affected active public links before saving relevant changes. Turning off Public form access, switching to User access, or deleting the source prevents future public retrieval; it cannot remove data a visitor has already loaded.

Refreshes and limits

Public forms load a snapshot and reuse it while the page stays open. Reload the page to retrieve updated data.
Managed and public SharePoint list and form-submission sources return the first page, with up to 5,000 records. Team-member sources return up to 1,000 records. Use a SharePoint query to narrow large lists before they are loaded.
Managed and public file-based data sources and Excel Online workbooks have a 20 MB file-size limit.
An expired connection, lost source permissions, or a subscription that no longer includes managed access can prevent data from loading.