Three requested updates to significantly improve the Access Request process:

1) Allow multiple users to receive access requests

Access requests (Site Settings > Site Permission > Access Request Settings) can be sent to anyone with an email address, but it has three critical downsides: 1) you are limited to one email recipient; 2) the field does not accept SharePoint groups; and 3) it’s prone to misspellings of email addresses since the field is not a people picker.

One of the most extreme examples of how this is broken: My company’s CEO needs access to a file s/he has a link to, which s/he is going to display at the board of directors meeting in 15 minutes. The site owner forgot to give access or didn’t realize the CEO lacks access. The CEO requests access after clicking the link. The creator of the site has left the company. The request email gets lost in Exchange somewhere. No one knows the CEO is in need of access and the CEO is unable to present the document to the board of directors. Everyone looks a fool.

The best fix for this is to: a) use the site’s Owners group as the default recipients to start; b) allow for multiple email recipients as a people picker; and c) continue accepting an outside email address for those who have grown used to it.

From what I can tell, this is the only place in SharePoint where I'm limited to one individual and no ability to call out SP groups. The entire point of groups is to ensure permissions and communications work correctly based on a global change at the group level, which keeps things moving smoothly.

2) Display site owners on “Request Access” page

Display the names of the members of the Access Request group on the “Request Access” page so users have context to what they’re seeing, not just a blank box asking them to demand access.

3) Make “Request Access” page customizable

Allow for the “Request Access” page to be configurable by the Access Request group so there’s more context for users. For example, “Please do not contact IT with this request; only the site owners can provide access. Contact them directly if necessary.”