While exploring Microsoft 365 administration, I recently completed the Configure SharePoint Online lab. This session offered me a practical opportunity to create and manage site collections, associate them with a hub site, and assign permissions in a structured way—skills that are essential for ensuring smooth collaboration and secure access within an organization.

Here’s how I went through the lab, why each task matters, and what I learned about managing SharePoint environments effectively—not just following instructions but
understanding their purpose and the risks involved.

What’s the Goal?

The lab focused on setting up a News site collection, registering it as part of a hub, and managing permissions for test users. In real-life scenarios, these configurations ensure that employees can collaborate efficiently, access the right content, and maintain compliance with organizational policies.

Without proper setup, employees could struggle to find shared information or accidentally access sensitive data. Learning how to configure these features helps build scalable, secure workspaces where information is easily available and appropriately controlled.

Preparing the Environment – Creating Test Users

Before jumping into site configurations, I needed to create temporary users to simulate real-world roles. This approach allows admins to safely test setups without impacting actual users or data.

I accessed the Microsoft Entra ID portal, navigated to Users, and selected Add user. For each user—Michelle Fredette, Jeff Wang, and Heidi Steene—I manually entered their details. For instance, for Michelle, I used MichelleF as the username, set the display name to Michelle Fredette, and entered a password manually after disabling auto-generation. Similar steps were repeated for Jeff and Heidi. Check here for more info on User creation.

Once the users were created, I set up Temporary Access Passes (TAP) for each. By selecting the user from the list, going to Authentication methods, and choosing Add authentication method, I picked Temporary Access Pass and accepted the defaults. I then copied the generated pass to use when signing into the lab environment.

This preparation is crucial because testing configurations on dummy accounts ensures that policies, permissions, and features are validated before applying them to actual users. Check here for more info on TAP.

Registering the Hub Site – Centralizing Resources

After setting up the users, I navigated to the SharePoint admin center by going through the Microsoft 365 admin center and expanding Show all to access it.

Inside Active sites, I selected the default Communication site and chose to Register as hub site. I then added my own account (the lab username) under “People who can associate sites with this hub” and saved the changes.


This step links related sites together, making it easier for teams to access shared resources without jumping between disconnected locations.

Creating the News Site – Building a Workspace

I selected Create on Active Sites page, chose Communication site, and then selected the Standard communication template. After using the template, I entered News as the site name and assigned ownership to my lab account. I finalized the creation by setting language preferences and confirming the site setup.


This ensured that the site was clean, properly configured, and ready for content-sharing scenarios.

Associating the News Site with the Hub

With the News site created, I went back to Active sites, selected the newly created News site, and from the Hub menu chose Associate with a hub. I linked it to the Communication hub I had registered earlier.


To verify that the association worked, I opened the News site in a new tab and checked for the hub link in the top-left corner. Seeing the Communication site link confirmed that the association was successful.

This association is critical—it ensures that all connected sites appear in a unified navigation pane, improving discoverability and collaboration across teams.

Assigning Permissions – Controlling Access

Once the site association was in place, I configured permissions for the three test users.

For Michelle Fredette, I added her as an admin by going to the Membership tab of the News site in the SharePoint admin center and selecting Site owners. I added her email and saved the changes.

For Jeff Wang, I opened the News site, went to the Settings menu, selected Site access, searched for his account, and added him with Edit permissions while unchecking “Send email” to avoid unnecessary notifications.


For Heidi Steene, I similarly added her but kept the default Read permissions so she could only view content.

To ensure the permissions were applied correctly, I verified each account’s access by logging into the News site using incognito windows and their respective Temporary Access Pass credentials. Michelle could manage site settings, Jeff could edit content, and Heidi could only view it—all behaving as expected.

This hands-on testing reinforced how permissions control collaboration while preventing unauthorized actions.

Why These Features Matter – Real-World Insights

The Temporary Access Pass feature is a practical solution for quickly granting access to users during onboarding without compromising security.

Registering a hub site helps organizations structure their content for easier navigation and better governance, especially when scaling operations or rolling out new teams.

Assigning permissions carefully prevents data breaches, unauthorized edits, or compliance issues. For example, giving full access to users who don’t need it could expose sensitive files, while overly restrictive permissions could hinder collaboration.

Challenges in production deployments often arise from misconfigurations. Assigning Edit permissions to the wrong users can result in unauthorized content changes. Leaving test users or unused sites in the environment can lead to clutter, confusion, or security issues. Associating sites with the wrong hub might break navigation, making resources difficult to locate. 

Neglecting to test permissions could either block access to essential content or expose confidential documents. To address these risks, it’s crucial to use checklists for site creation and permissions, test configurations in sandbox environments before going live, monitor logs for unusual activity or errors, and clearly communicate changes during onboarding.

Wrapping Up – What I Learned

This lab wasn’t just about clicking through settings—it gave me a deeper understanding of how SharePoint Online enables structured, secure collaboration. By setting up test users, registering hubs, and assigning permissions thoughtfully, I gained hands-on experience that reflects real-world challenges.

These configurations form the backbone of organizational efficiency and data security, and being comfortable with them prepares me to handle similar tasks in professional environments confidently.

Looking forward to applying these skills and tackling more labs to build robust, scalable solutions!