SharePoint Document Issues

Fix Cannot Type in SharePoint Copy To or Move To Search Box

Phi Hung Vo Oct 1, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users are unable to enter text into the search box on the Copy To and Move To pages in SharePoint Online.

Fix Cannot Type in SharePoint Copy To or Move To Search Box

Product: SharePoint Online
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Attempting to search for a destination folder while copying or moving files within SharePoint Online.
Observed behavior: The search box is completely unresponsive. It does not accept any text input from direct keyboard typing, right-clicking, or pasting via Ctrl+V, although other SharePoint fields work normally.

Before you start

Verify if this issue is isolated to a specific SharePoint site or if it affects your entire tenant by testing the 'Copy To' function in a completely different site collection.

Solution 1Recommended

Open a Support Ticket in Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Because this issue affects multiple users, browsers, and devices across an organization, it is highly likely a backend tenant bug that requires Microsoft support to resolve.

When core interface elements like the search box fail across a wide network of users and cannot be bypassed using pasting or shortcuts, it indicates a server-side glitch. Local troubleshooting will not resolve tenant-level bugs.

Access the Admin Center

Navigate to Support

Click on 'Show all' in the left navigation menu, then select 'Support' followed by 'Help & support'.

Submit the Issue

Describe the issue, explicitly stating that the Copy To/Move To search box rejects all typing and pasting across multiple users and browsers. Follow the prompts to open a service request.

Open a Support Ticket in Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Important Detail: Ensure you mention to the support agent that the issue spans multiple site collections and Windows devices to prevent them from suggesting basic local cache clearing.

Solution 2

Test Behavior in a New Site Collection

Creating a fresh environment helps determine if the search box input failure is strictly tied to older, existing sites or if it impacts newly provisioned architecture as well.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I paste text into the SharePoint Move To search box using Ctrl+V?

This is a known backend glitch affecting certain Microsoft 365 tenants. The input field's script fails to load properly, causing it to completely reject all forms of input, including direct typing, right-clicking, and clipboard shortcuts like Ctrl+V.

Will clearing my browser cache fix the SharePoint search box issue?

Generally, no. Since this specific bug has been reported to affect multiple users, computers, and different browsers simultaneously within an organization, it is a server-side problem rather than a local browser caching issue.

Can I use the asterisk (*) search workaround if the box is unresponsive?

Adding an asterisk after a keyword is a standard trick to force a broader search in SharePoint. However, if the search box is suffering from this specific glitch where it completely rejects all keyboard and clipboard input, you will not be able to type the asterisk at all.

Document & File Issues