Previously I provided instructions on how to create a sensitivity label scoped to your sites and groups.  In this short post, I’ll demonstrate how one apply sensitivity labels to sites, Groups, and Teams in Microsoft 365.  I’ll present the before and after effects that applying the sensitivity label has on your sites.  I’ll also show you how site sensitivity labels can help ensure content that isn’t supposed to be within the site is flagged automatically for you.

The Test

To test the ability of sensitivity labels to affect change within these platforms, I created a new modern SharePoint Site and a new Microsoft Team.  Both were set to public (allowing anyone to have access), and both were set to allow guest access.  You can see in the following screenshots how users outside the organization can access the site and Team.

  • The site is wide open to the org:

Apply Sensitivity Labels to Sites, Groups, and Teams - Before Site Sensitivity Label Site Open

  • Adding guests to the site:

Apply Sensitivity Labels to Sites, Groups, and Teams - Before Site Sensitivity Label Adding Guest to Site

  • Guest added to the site:

Apply Sensitivity Labels to Sites, Groups, and Teams - Before Site Sensitivity Label Guest Added

  • Guest receiving email and able to access the site:

Apply Sensitivity Labels to Sites, Groups, and Teams - Before Site Sensitivity Label Access Email  Apply Sensitivity Labels to Sites, Groups, and Teams - Before Site Sensitivity Label Guest Access to Site

  • Adding guests to the team:

Apply Sensitivity Labels to Sites, Groups, and Teams - Before Site Sensitivity Label Adding Guest to Team      Apply Sensitivity Labels to Sites, Groups, and Teams - Before Site Sensitivity Label Guest added to Team

  • Guest receiving email and able to access the team:

Apply Sensitivity Labels to Sites, Groups, and Teams - Before Site Sensitivity Label Teams Access Email    Apply Sensitivity Labels to Sites, Groups, and Teams - Before Site Sensitivity Label Guest Access to Team

Apply Sensitivity Labels to Sites, Groups, and Teams

Applying sensitivity labels to sites, Groups, and Teams is pretty straight forward actually.  The process is very similar between the different locations.

SharePoint Sites
  1. Click on the site settings cog and then click “Site information.“
  2. On the site information blade, select the desired sensitivity for the site.

Apply Sensitivity Labels to Sites, Groups, and Teams - Setting Site Sensitivity Label 1         Apply Sensitivity Labels to Sites, Groups, and Teams - Setting Site Sensitivity Label 2

  1. Click Save

Important: Any existing guests will still have access after the label is applied.  Any future guests cannot be added:

Apply Sensitivity Labels to Sites, Groups, and Teams - After Site Sensitivity Label Site Adding Guest

 

Microsoft Teams
  1. Click on the Team’s ellipsis in the selection pane and click on “Edit Team.”

Apply Sensitivity Labels to Sites, Groups, and Teams - Setting Team Sensitivity Label 1

  1. Set the desired sensitivity label.  Notice in the example below that the team is changed from Public to Private.

Apply Sensitivity Labels to Sites, Groups, and Teams - Setting Team Sensitivity Label 2            Apply Sensitivity Labels to Sites, Groups, and Teams - Setting Team Sensitivity Label 3

  1. Click Save.

Important: Any existing guests will still have access after the label is applied.  Any future guests cannot be added.

One last item you should be well aware of.  A site sensitivity label will not apply a default label to your content.  It can, however, let you know when content that is too sensitive is added to your site.  I’ll discuss that in my next post.

 

Thanks for reading!