I had a recent question on not only how to remove permissions to a particular SharePoint Library, but hide it as well without deleting any content. This same steps can also hide any other list within SharePoint.

In essence SharePoint wants to not only want to share everything, but show you everything as well. This is just an inherent trait within SharePoint that makes it so great. If you need to not only remove permissions and hide the Document Library you will need to take the following steps.

As we can see below we have an existing document library called ‘HideMe’

To remove permissions open the ‘HideMe’ document library, then click ‘settings’, then ‘document library settings’.

Click on ‘Permissions for this document library’ under ‘Permissions and management’.

If this is a library that inherited permissions from the parent, then you will click on the following: Actions>Edit Permissions>OK.

This will break that inhereted behavior so now we can check the ‘user’ as pictured below and click on the following: Actions>Remove User Permissions

Now while this will remove permissions for this user to that particular library they will still be able to see it, but not get into the library.

We now return to the settings of the ‘HideME’ library. Click ‘Title, description, and navigation’ under ‘General Settings’. Select ‘No’ in the Navigation section and Save.

As we can see below this removes the ‘HideME’ library from the main site.

While it is not seen any more the library might come up in searches. You can break this for all users by selecting ‘Advanced settings’ under ‘General Settings’ and selecting ‘No’ in the ‘Search’ option, then ‘Save’.

-Javi