Shorten Default "Files" URL from "Shared%20Documents" to "Docs"
This suggestion affects SharePoint Document Libraries and Microsoft Teams...
The URL for the default "Documents" document library in SharePoint is "Shared Documents", which in a URL is actually "Shared%20Documents" as spaces cannot exist in URLs and must be handled with the %20 character substitution.
This means that instead of being able to send a nice clean human readable URL to a file like:
https://mycompany.sharepoint.com/sites/Marketing/Docs/Collateral/design.docx
We end up with:
https://mycompany.sharepoint.com/sites/Marketing/Shared%20Documents/Collateral/design.docx
There are two (2) issues here:
1. Confusing "%20"
2. Unnecessary added length "%20Shared" can all be eliminated
This is confusing for users.
I would even go so far as to request that every time a user attempts to create a folder or file name containing spaces, like "First Quarter Budget", all Office Apps should gently offer to substitute the space with a underscore, instead creating "FirstQuarterBudget" with the former having a URL of /First%20Quarter%20Budget%20/ while the latter would be /FirstQuarterBudget/ which often appears as simply /First Quarter Budget/ as many apps and browsers display underscores like a space.
We have long had a practice of simply renaming every system generated "Shared Documents" folder to "Docs" by opening the SharePoint file system in Windows Explorer. This works great but we tried to do this with Teams created SharePoint Document Libraries and Teams can no longer find the files. Teams will display an error:
"These files are no longer available
Check to see if site is available and try again
File Not Found. Scenario ID: 054EB98E2263482ABC895CD147F5E50A"
We cannot seem to find any way to remap Teams to find the new location.
Additionally, when we click "+" and "SharePoint" in the channel and try to add the folder again, Teams doesn't allow the folder to be added, only the partner Document Library.
i.e., we can use + and "SharePoint" to add" the Team Document Library"
https://mycompany.sharepoint.com/sites/Marketing/
but we cannot add the Folder assigned to the Channel "Collateral":
https://mycompany.sharepoint.com/sites/Marketing/Docs/Collateral
Brad PFEFFER
shared this idea
11 comments
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Star D.
commented
Chrissey, that is a good method for creating new libraries, but this UserVoice's title references the DEFAULT "Shared Documents" (aka Documents) library that SharePoint creates automatically when you make a new site collection or subsite.
It is not a user-created library, where that workaround can be used.
Because MS/SharePoint is creating it, not a user or an admin, it gets created with the Default name ("Shared Documents") and URL. (including %20) used by MS/Sharepoint
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Chrissey
commented
Heres how I avoid that pesky %20:
Create the library or task list with no spaces: DepartmentPoliciesandProcedures.
Then, in Library/List settings, edit Library/List name with spaces:
Department Policies and Procedures.
Ta-da!
The URL is nice and clean, but the Library/List title page contain the appropriate spaces. -
NB
commented
Using the seemingly superfluous word "shared" seems illogical, as documents are only "shared" if access rights are granted. I fully support changing the path to just "Documents", or the local language equivalent, such as "Asiakirjat" in Finnish.
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Kazzan
commented
Totally agree, just look really ugly and even worse in other langauges.
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Anonymous
commented
OMG, I'm always deleting the default Shared Docs and creating a folder called just docs in it's place.
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Benoît Fournier commented
Any chances to have a follow-up on that?
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DW
commented
I can't believe Microsoft STILL uses a space...Come on!
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Ralph Kreider
commented
How do we get this elevated as a priority? I feel like it would be a relatively easy fix. It has hurt my adoption of SharePoint.
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Nouha
commented
Totally agree - having the default library "Shared Documents" needs to change.
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Phil Doyle
commented
Indeed we are told how bad spaces in URLs are, yet MS Default setup has them in a number of items, not just Shared Documents.
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Just "Documents" would be good too. Works in both french and english and it is what appears in the quick launch anyway (at least in French).
