A simple move/copy function between SharePoint Online Document libraries/folders/files
SharePoint Online Document Libraries are missing possibly the two most basic and fundamental functions in the online portal:
- A move/cut function, which is missing altogether, both for folders and files
- A copy function, which although technically exists, is really over complicated for a function which has existed in a much simpler form in every document repository technology since the mid-1980s...
Currently, in order to move a file or folder from within the online portal between different libraries or even different folders within the same library...well the function just doesn't exist. So users need to either sync the site just to simply MOVE something or they need to Open in Explorer (and we all know how badly and slowly that works).
Secondly, in order to copy a file from within the online portal between different libraries or even different folders within the same library, I need to copy the URL of the target folder preemptively, then paste in the copy dialog box...should this be the procedure for simply copy/pasting something? Oh and that function's missing for folders...
So again users need to sync a site library or Open with Explorer just to simply copy paste something easily.
How does a document library product make it into production for years on end without having proper move/copy functionality? How does it even make it out of approval?
Rick McKeon
shared this idea
AdminSharePoint UserVoice Admin
(SharePoint UserVoice Admin, Microsoft SharePoint)
responded
Copy/Move within library, between libraries and across sites is now possible.
https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/move-or-copy-files-in-sharepoint-00e2f483-4df3-46be-a861-1f5f0c1a87bc?ui=en-US&rs=en-IE&ad=IE
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90 comments
Comments are closed-
Vince Jennings
commented
It is great that this has been implemented, but I have found the modern experience to be unusable in some situations. When will this be made available in the classic experience?
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Anonymous
commented
Not only that but the functionality they do have doesn't work have the time. I am trying to copy a document from one library on a site to another library on my site. However, when I click Copy To and try to browse my sites it only shows 5 of my sites. Not all of them. GRRRRR! Instead I am having to download every document and then reload to the new library. What a waste.
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Anonymous
commented
We’re working on capabilities... It's been two years. When will this very basic feature ship?
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Anonymous
commented
Please also add functionality to allow copying of a folder and maintaining all of the permissions within or between document libraries. Currently if you copy a folder, all of the unique permissions are lost and you have to rebuild them on the new folder.
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Colm C.
commented
I think one of the reasons why copy/move between SP sites wasn't a feature from way back was the idea that you would only have one copy of the document in your farm ("single version of truth") and access would be granted to that document by a combination permissions and search. Move to and copy to functions are available in the modern experience in SharePoint Online now for document libraries. It is not available for Site Pages though. Interested to see if I've misinterpreted the original user voice request or if others can advice of any limitations with the Copy to/Move to that I wasn't aware of...
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Anonymous
commented
Not sure if we're talking about the same issue, but I find the MOVE and COPY options on the drop down Item menu pretty much cover these needs - and they can handle multiple selected documents too.
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Anonymous
commented
Still "Working on it"I see.
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Anonymous
commented
We just started to use sharepoint and I can say that this is the most useless "product" microsoft has ever come out with. No drag and drop? Honestly, this was the model for over 2 decades. No copy paste? Cute but useless cargo cult product.
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Martijn de Bont
commented
Does it then also keep te document id (auto generated with the feature) in place?
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Anonymous
commented
Has there been a resolution to issue yet ?
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SharePoint Offline
commented
I am blown away this wasn't the first function nailed down. What good is a site (online, in a boat, or on a train) if you cannot easily, I mean easily, copy or move documents? What useless garbage from Microsoft. This is like pepsi selling pop without a cap, it small yet vital and without you are delivered empty.
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Anonymous
commented
WHY THE HELL ISN'T THIS A THING YET!! At every other level of microsoft administration one of the base functions is easily copying and moving data. BUT in SharePoint it is the next thing to impossible. Please get your stuff in a group.
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Haneef Ibn Ahmad
commented
Can this be used to move folders from one Onedrive account to another OneDrive folder which has been shared with this user?
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Anonymous
commented
I re-tested the Move To button yesterday in modern UI and was able to successfully move documents (with full version history) across site collections! This must be a very recent system change, as I was only able to move within the library a week ago.
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Anonymous
commented
Hi guys! As Microsoft does not provide updates, I will. The "Move to" functionality is now available through sites (like Copy to)
Cheers! -
Ketan
commented
It seems the MOVE is possible only in same library, while COPY is allowed outside library.
Hope we can MOVE the documents outside currently library/site and to ODFB as well. -
jeffrey
commented
Is there an update to this function? I need to be able to copy multiple files from one folder/library to another folder/library. I do not want to use explorer view because user tend to cut and paste instead of copy and paste. It is also great if the properties (metadata) also populate when you copy the files.
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Toby Tarczy
commented
This is basic functionality how this was missed by MS remains to be questioned. Lack of quality control in place comes to mind. Please fix as it is important the customer is right in this case
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viku123
commented
use robocopy
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Anonymous
commented
Our organization have been using the SimplySo UI for SPO for nearly a year now. Featrures a nice copy/ move feature.
