SharePoint Shortcut Links: When the UI Gets in the Way

SharePoint Shortcut Links: When the UI Gets in the Way

SharePoint Shortcut Links: When the UI Gets in the Way

How to Use These SharePoint Links

SharePoint Shortcut Links for Admins and Power Users

SharePoint shortcut links are a lifesaver when the platform’s user interface decides to change without warning—which is often.

The SharePoint UI is constantly evolving. Buttons move, settings disappear, and some options only appear under specific contexts or permissions. One day, Site Settings is clearly visible. The next day, it’s buried—or missing entirely. Modern SharePoint pages also hide many of the classic navigation paths that SharePoint admins and power users still depend on.

That unpredictability is why I keep a personal cheat sheet of direct SharePoint URLs and query string shortcuts. These links jump straight to commonly used SharePoint pages—regardless of what the UI is doing that week.

If you manage SharePoint Online, work with Microsoft 365, or support users across multiple tenants, this list will save you time, clicks, and frustration.

How to Use These SharePoint Links

  • Most links are relative paths. Prefix them with your site URL, for example:

    https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/MySite

  • Central Administration links

    apply to SharePoint Server (on-premises) only—not SharePoint Online.

  • Query string parameters

    (such as ?env=WebView) are appended after .aspx.

Commonly Used SharePoint Shortcut Links

sharepoint shortcut links cheat sheet

Viewing Modes

  • Open list or library in Microsoft Lists

    ?env=WebViewList
    Ideal for list-focused workflows.

  • Remove navigation bar and header

    ?env=Embedded
    Useful for embedded SharePoint pages and iframe scenarios.

  • Remove navigation bar, header, and command bar

    ?env=WebView
    Append after .aspx for a clean, app-like SharePoint page view.

Navigation

  • Site contents

    /_layouts/15/viewlsts.aspx
    Quick overview of all lists and libraries.

  • Site contents (classic view)

    /_layouts/15/viewlsts.aspx?view=14
    Forces the classic SharePoint layout.

Permissions

  • People

    /_layouts/people.aspx
    View users associated with the site.

  • Groups

    /_layouts/groups.aspx
    Manage SharePoint groups and memberships.

  • Advanced permissions

    /_layouts/user.aspx
    Classic permissions management page.

  • Site collection administrators

    /_layouts/mngsiteadmin.aspx
    Manage site collection admins.

Apps & Features

  • Classic app store

    /_layouts/15/addanapp.aspx
    Add apps using the classic SharePoint experience.

  • Site Collection App Permissions

    /_layouts/15/AppPrincipals.aspx
    Troubleshoot app-only and API permissions.

Branding

  • Navigation settings (classic)

    /_layouts/AreaNavigationSettings.aspx

  • Tree view settings

    /_layouts/navoptions.aspx

  • Master page selection

    /_Layouts/ChangeSiteMasterPage.aspx

  • Site theme (classic)

    /_layouts/themeweb.aspx

Administration

  • Regional settings

    /_layouts/regionalsetng.aspx
    Configure locale, date format, and time zone.

  • User alerts

    /_layouts/sitesubs.aspx

  • Manage content and structure

    /_layouts/sitemanager.aspx
    Classic content hierarchy management.

Audit & Reporting

  • Audit log reports

    /_layouts/Reporting.aspx?Category=Auditing
    Available where auditing is enabled.

Galleries

  • Site columns

    /_layouts/mngfield.aspx

  • Web Parts gallery

    /_catalogs/wp/Forms/AllItems.aspx

  • Site content types

    /_layouts/mngctype.aspx

Recovery

  • Site recycle bin

    /_layouts/RecycleBin.aspx

  • Site collection recycle bin

    /_layouts/AdminRecycleBin.aspx

Diagnostics

  • Web Part maintenance mode (modern pages)

    ?maintenancemode=true
    Append to a modern page URL.

  • Web Part maintenance mode (classic pages)

    ?Contents=1

SharePoint REST API Shortcuts

  • Get site collection

    https://[site-url]/_api/site

  • Get all lists and libraries

    https://[site-url]/_api/web/lists

  • Get current user

    https://[site-url]/_api/web/currentUser

  • Get site users

    https://[site-url]/_api/Web/siteusers

Final Thoughts

Bookmarking these SharePoint admin URLs has saved me countless clicks—and even more frustration—when SharePoint decides to hide the exact setting I need most.

The UI may change, but SharePoint URLs rarely do. That alone makes keeping a shortcut list like this not just helpful, but essential for anyone managing SharePoint at scale.

If you work in SharePoint administration, Microsoft 365 support, or tenant governance, this cheat sheet is worth keeping close.

For reference, Microsoft documents the SharePoint REST API in detail on their official documentation site. 

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