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
For questions, please reach out via the SharePoint Techcommunity: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/SharePoint/ct-p/SharePoint
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90 comments
Comments are closed-
Anonymous
commented
This is why I can' t get anybody in my organization to try sharepoint online. How can you be working on something so fundamental for more than a year!!!!
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Anonymous
commented
Need the DocID to remain the same after a move.
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Peter England
commented
Please include Document Sets in any additional features you are looking to add.
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Justin
commented
Hello everyone,
I am trying to make a flow to 1. Move documents from one site to another. 2. Copy the document and 3. Delete the document where it sat in the beginning but am having serious trouble getting this do it correctly. Right now my flow does this: Gets file - Moves it to new site - Deletes from old site BUT the document it places in the new site is blank and unopenable...Any help/thoughts would be appreciated!
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Mick Thornton
commented
I like the copy or move options, but there is one issue we've run into with the COPY function. It doesn't let me copy a new version of an existing file to the destination location. The file name is the same and doesn't give me an "overwrite" option like Uploading does. We used to use the Send To feature to do this, but that is gone.
Any chance Copy could allow an overwrite existing file? Maybe if Version is different? -
Georgi Lubomirov
commented
Here's a free open-source tool doing that.
https://github.com/GLubomirov/SP_Hauler/releases/tag/1.0If can also preserve metadata and copy List/Library content between On-Premise/Online Sharepoint.
Greetings,
George
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Anonymous
commented
Hi,
You can move SharePoint folders and subfolders in Microsoft Flow with the help of Plumsail Actions (https://plumsail.com/actions/).
It has Plumsail SP connector that provides a set of actions for SharePoint management, including moving and copy folders cross-site (https://plumsail.com/docs/actions/v1.x/flow/actions/sharepoint-processing.html)
Please review this article describing how to do this:
https://plumsail.com/docs/actions/v1.x/flow/how-tos/sharepoint/create-copy-move-remove-folders-cross-site.html -
SharePointGuy003
commented
Copy Seems to be working across SP/ODB, however for "Move" it only allows to move it to same library ... is anyone facing same issue??
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Luca Fabbri
commented
Hello guys. Please can you tell me if Move/Copy functions work in background once launched or the browser must be opened ?
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Anonymous
commented
Has this been established yet?
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André
commented
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Rinus
commented
Ah and then suddenly at another try we get a sidebar to the right which is actually usable to move files... strange.
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Rinus
commented
Same here, when we simply drag a file to another tab in the browswer (Edge) which could work easily it creates a (non working) shortcut rather then moving the file . Please fix this design flaw.
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Tom
commented
Any update on this feature? Clients are getting quite frustrated that a simple functionality like this is not working. Microsoft needs to step up else Clients will opt for different solutions
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Matthew
commented
Microsoft has developed any solution till now?
I am facing the same issue and not able to move files and folders.
Also not able to update the document library link. -
Ernest Correale
commented
For the love of GOD! We've been asking for this for a freak'n decade! I am so sick of paying for the same product over and over with no legitimate improvements to its functionality.
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Mike
commented
When will this be addressed? I want to moves files between SharePoint Online site collections as well as between libraries within site collections and at the same time retain the unique ID associated with file. I share links a lot and don't want the links to be broken
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Anonymous
commented
Probably no one from Microsoft is interesten un this thread such ashame
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Anonymous
commented
This is a fairly large oversight that severely limits the most basic capabilities of the app. Fix it please.
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Anonymous
commented
Our boss bought a real nice coffee machine that perfectly makes every drink that Starbucks makes. However, there's no power button to turn it on. But if we boil some hot water and grind some of the coffee and then pour the hot water over it, then add ice to it and vanilla flavoring and put it in a blender, we will eventually get a frappe.
And that's what non-admin users feel like when they can't move a simple file from one document library to another in the same sharepoint site.
