Access requests and Invitations link missing in SharePoint

Access request is a new feature, it is available from SharePoint 2013/SharePoint Online. It allows end users to ask permission to access a site or document. Admins can see the request status through Settings -> Users and Permissions -> Access requests and Invitations and they can approve or withdraw permissions to users.

All the Access requests and invitations are stored in a hidden list called “Access Requests” and has three views

• Guest user invitations (Access Requests/pendinginv.aspx)
• History (Access Requests/oldreq.aspx)
• Pending Requests (Access Requests/pendingreq.aspx)

The “Access Requests and Invitations” link under ‘Users and Permissions’ may not be visible due to following 3 reasons.

 # Reason 1 : “Access Requests and Invitations” link will not appear until someone actually sends the requests to join the site or document. You can append the text /Access%20Requests/pendingreq.asx to your site url and check if you are receiving page not found error.

Sample url: https://tenant.sharepoint.com/sites/contoso/Access%20Requests/pendingreq.asx

If receive page not found error, then send new Access request to the site, now you can able to see the link.

# Reason 2 : Allow Access Requests may not be enabled.

Go to Site Settings ->Site Permissions ->Access Request Settings. Check Allow Access Requests and type mail address to send all requests.

Now, you can able to see the Access requests and Invitations link.

# Reason 3: If you are experiencing this error in SharePoint 2013/2016 On-Premise server, this option will appear only after you configured incoming/outgoing email server setting in SharePoint server administrator site.
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