Metadata navigation is not visible to users with read permissions

This is a common issue when you start using the metadata navigation in your SharePoint 2013 site, let’s check how easily you can make it available to all the users.

By default, when you create a term in the navigation term set, SharePoint selects Term-Driven Page with Friendly URL, if you leave this option selected the term will be visible only to the users with write permissions.

SharePoint Managed Navigation

To fix this issue you just need to select Simple Link or Header and provide the url to the desired page.

To get access to both options you need to select the Navigation tab.

SharePoint Managed Navigation

Simple Link or Header it’s more robust than Term-Driven Page with Friendly URL, it allows you to make the navigation visible to all the users and it also let you add external URLs to the navigation.


13 Responses to “Metadata navigation is not visible to users with read permissions”

  1. Daine

    July 20, 2018

    What if the settings are as above and users without write access are still unable to see the menu item?

    Reply
    • João Ferreira

      July 27, 2018

      Hi Diana,

      Make sure the menu is not cached in the browser for those users.
      Refresh your browser using CTRL + F5.

      My best,

      João Ferreira

      Reply
  2. Ann

    February 14, 2019

    Good Day, On my SharePoint site collection I use managed metadata navigation to apply friendly URL to the site pages. Every term is tagging and on the “Navigation” tab has the options “Show on the current navigation” and “Term-Driven Page with Friendly URL” selected. Visitors (users with read only) have read access to the term target page.
    The users with “Edit” or “Contribute” permission level can see all terms on the left navigation. But the Visitors can’t see some terms.
    I can’t find the difference in selected options for the available and not available terms for readers.
    But if I select “Simple Link or Header” for the term, the Visitors can see it, but I can’t to set the friendly URL for it.
    If I make full access crawling, some not visible terms become visible for the visitors. Another visible term become not visible for readers. The Timer Job reloading didn’t help, clearing the cache too.
    I can’t understang, why some terms may become visible or not visible for user. I checked ULS logs, but didn’t find some errors.

    Reply
    • João Ferreira

      February 14, 2019

      Hi Ann,

      What you are describing is a limitation of the meta data navigation, if you are using Friendly URL option the menu will not appear to users with just read permissions.
      You need to define it using the option Simple Link or Header.

      Reply
      • Ann

        February 14, 2019

        But if I select “Simple Link or Header” I will be able to use the full URL only in my navigation. The users prefer the short URL…

        Reply
      • Ann

        February 14, 2019

        But the users prefer short URL. They don’t like to use full URL. If I select “Simple Link or Header” I won’t be able to set short URL for my page.

        Reply
        • João Ferreira

          February 14, 2019

          Yes thats right, but I don’t know any work arround for this limitation

          Reply
  3. John

    July 7, 2019

    Is it possible to target audience with Managed Navigation?

    Reply
    • João Ferreira

      July 7, 2019

      Hi John,

      With metadata is not possible, to do it eyou need to use structural navigation

      Reply
      • John

        July 8, 2019

        But with Structural Navigation , How Can I attain a third level navigation menu?

        Reply
      • Ann

        July 29, 2019

        Thanks for replies,

        Maybe it will be useful for somebody. I found the workaround. To see all terms, the user must be able to add the elements to list. So I created new Permission Level and named it “Site User” for my site collection. And gave to it the ability to add elements to List. Otherwise this new level is like standard “Reading” level.

        And I gave this Permission Level to All.

        Reply
        • João Ferreira

          August 9, 2019

          Hi Ann,

          Thanks for this information, really appreciate it.

          Reply

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I've been working with Microsoft Technologies over the last ten years, mainly focused on creating collaboration and productivity solutions that drive the adoption of Microsoft Modern Workplace.

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