Microsoft 365 : SharePoint online – App Store / SharePoint Store – restricting users to add app – requiring approval to add app

Hi All,

Greetings for the day!!!

Today new learning related to app store / SharePoint store.

What is SharePoint Store

• The SharePoint Store (_layouts/15/appstore.aspx/sharePointStore?sorting=1 ) is a public marketplace that offers apps for Microsoft 365, as well as Dynamics 365 and Power Platform

Scenario:

• We need to show only specific apps in app store / SharePoint store so that users can not add any app (or third-party app) on the site (sometimes they by mistake add apps on all sites)
• But it seems it’s not possible – neither to show only specific app nor disabling app store / SharePoint store
• So after bit googling we found that we can restrict users to get the apps from store or directly install themselves
• We could specify the admin (SharePoint administrator / Appcatalog site collection administrator) to approve the request
• So user can request for adding / installing the app and if site collection administrator (app catalog site collection administrator) approves it then only get added / installed

Steps to prevent users to get apps from SharePoint store

• By default users are allowed to get / install app from SharePoint store
• But we can restrict users from installing app themselves and allow them to request only, if request is approved by admin then only app can be installed
• Navigate to SharePoint admin center – https://<tenant-name>-admin.sharepoint.com/
  • We have detailed article on how to navigate to SharePoint admin center – Small Tips and Tricks – SharePoint admin center – How to navigate to SharePoint admin center

• From SharePoint admin center, from left pane – click on “More features” link
• On click of “More features” link, we will be redirected to “classicFeatures” page as shown in below fig

• From “classicFeatures” pane open the “Apps” as shown in above fig
• We will be redirected to “tenantAppCatalog.aspx” page as shown in below fig
• From “tenantAppCatalog.aspx” page, from left pane click on “… More features” link

• We will be redirected to “More features” blade / pane as
• From “More features” blade, we need to open the “Configure store settings” as shown in below fig

• We will be redirected to “ta_managemarketplacesettings.aspx” page as shown in below fig
• on “ta_managemarketplacesettings.aspx” we have a setting called “App Purchases” – this setting is ON by default
• We need to disable the “App Purchases” setting – So that end users are not able to get / install the apps from SharePoint store / Marketplace

After disabling the “App Purchases” settings – Impact to end users to get / install apps

• Let login as end user, here to demonstrate I am using user named – ThirdUser and Email – thirduser@knoweldgejunction1.onmicrosoft.com
• Thirduser needs to add “Image Map” app
• But since admin disabled “App Purchases” setting, user – thirduser can not add the respective app, please see in below image
• There is only “Request” option available as shown in below fig

• As user – thirduser “Requests” respective app, “Request app” dialog appears for the specifying the reason

• User – thirduser need to click on “Send request” button on “Request app” dialog as shown in above fig
• Once user “Send request“, request will be seen on “myRequest” page as shown in below fig

Notification to Admins (SharePoint administrators and Appcatalog site collection administrators)

• SharePoint administrators and Appcatalog site collection administrators have rights to approve / deny the users app request
• As user (thirduser) requests the app, SharePoint administrators and Appcatalog site collection administrators receives email notifications with link to approval request as shown in below fig

• In appcatalog site collection, admin could see all the pending requests, from left blade, under “App requests” >> “Pending” section as shown in below fig

• By clicking on app name (here for example – “Image Map”), admin can either “Approve” / “Deny” the respective app request

• On click of app name, right pane – “Confirm data access” opens as in below fig
• On “Confirm data access” pane we have an option either to enable app or add it to all sites as

• If we select an option “Enable this app and add it to all sites” we have more option like

• Once admin confirms the request – In progress dialog appears

• On approval success we get the message – “This request has been approved”

After Admin Approval / Deny – impact for user

• On “My request” page, user could see the – “Request status” – “Approved” and other details

• Then user could successfully add the app

Thanks for reading the article !!! Please feel free to discuss in case any issues / suggestions / thoughts / questions !!!

HAVE A GREAT TIME AHEAD !!! LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL 🙂