Move or copy files in SharePoint
Applies ToSharePoint Server Subscription Edition SharePoint Server 2019 SharePoint Server 2016 SharePoint in Microsoft 365 Office for business Office 365 Small Business Microsoft 365 admin SharePoint in Microsoft 365 Small Business

In addition to moving or copying files in SharePoint, you can also sync SharePoint files with the OneDrive sync app.

Note: If you don't see other sites listed when you attempt to move or copy items, your organization doesn't allow moving or copying across sites. If you're a SharePoint admin or global admin for your organization, to learn how to enable cross-site copying in the SharePoint admin center, see Allow or prevent custom script.

Select your version of SharePoint from one of the tabs below:

Step 1: Select files or folders in a SharePoint library to move or copy.

Screenshot of a library with a file selected

Step 2: On the command bar along the top, select Move to or Copy to

Note: If you don't see Move to or Copy to on your command bar, select the ellipsis icon  The More Options button on OneDrive.com.  (More) and then select Move to or Copy to.

The Move to and Copy to menu options in the top navigation for SharePoint Online when files or folders are selected

Note:  Switch to the modern experience if Move to or Copy to aren't available.

Step 3: Choose a destination in the current library, OneDrive, or another SharePoint site, then select Move to or Copy to. If a site isn't listed, at the bottom of the site list on the left, select More places. (SharePoint Server 2019 currently only supports the current library.)

Step 4: If you want to move or copy your files to a new folder, select the new folder icon  Add Folder Icon in the top right corner to add a new folder. Enter a name for the folder and select Create. You can then select the new folder and select Move to or Copy to.

Notes: 

  • When you use Move to, the history of the document is copied to the new destination. When you use Copy to with documents that have version history, only the latest version is copied. To copy earlier versions, you need to restore and copy each one. For more info about versioning, see Enable and configure versioning for a list or library.

  • For info on moving a file from OneDrive to a SharePoint site, see Move files and folders between OneDrive and SharePoint.

  • The Move to operation will fail if you attempt to move the document across libraries and the destination has enforced unique values.

  • When a file is moving, it continues to appear in the source directory until it's fully moved to the destination and then it will be deleted. The file remains in the source sites Recycle Bin after the move is complete and is subject to the normal recycle schedule unless a user recovers it from the Recycle Bin.

  • When you move or copy a file to a location with different properties, only supported properties at the new location are maintained. For example, if you move a file from a document library that has a Priority column to a document library that doesn't have one, the information in the Priority column will be lost. 

  • The managed metadata values associated with the file being copied or moved will not be retained.

  • We don't recommend moving OneNote notebooks outside of the OneNote app.

  • Move to and Copy to work best within the SharePoint Online limits.

  • The Move to option isn't currently available on the Site Pages Library. 

  • For common scenarios, visit this Tech Community blog.

See Also

Work with synced files in File Explorer

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