Fix SharePoint Links Pasting as Long URLs in Outlook
Question details
A user is experiencing an issue where pasted SharePoint links display as raw, long URLs instead of automatically formatting into friendly document or folder names.
- Product
- Microsoft Outlook and Teams
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Pasting a copied SharePoint document link into an Outlook email body or a Teams chat message.
- Observed behavior
- The link does not generate a friendly file name preview for one specific user, though it works normally for other users in the organization.
Test pasting the same link into Outlook on the web or Teams on the web to determine if the issue is isolated strictly to your desktop applications.
Clear the Office Desktop App Cache
Clearing the local Office cache often resolves syncing and connected-service glitches that prevent friendly link previews from generating.
If the web versions of Outlook and Teams format the link correctly, the issue is likely isolated to a corrupted cache on the local desktop device.
Open Microsoft Word or Outlook, click on your profile picture or name in the top right corner, and select 'Sign Out'. Close all Office applications.
Press Windows Key + R, type '%localappdata%\\Microsoft\\Office\\16.0\\OfficeFileCache' and press Enter. Delete all files and folders inside this directory.
Reopen Outlook, sign back in with your Microsoft 365 credentials, and try pasting a SharePoint link to see if the friendly name appears.
Repair or Update Microsoft 365 Applications
Running an online repair or updating the Office suite can fix missing or broken components responsible for link formatting.
Submit a Microsoft 365 Support Request
If local troubleshooting fails, an administrator may need to request Microsoft support to investigate tenant-side or complex user-profile issues.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do SharePoint links suddenly paste as long URLs in Outlook?
This usually happens due to a corrupted local Office cache, an outdated desktop application, or a temporary disruption in the connection between Outlook and SharePoint services that prevents the app from retrieving the file's metadata.
How can I manually change a long URL to a friendly file name?
If the automatic preview fails, you can manually fix it by highlighting the pasted link in Outlook, right-clicking, selecting 'Edit Link' (or pressing Ctrl+K), and typing the desired document name in the 'Text to display' box.
How do I know if the link pasting issue is isolated to my computer?
Log into the web version of Outlook or Teams using your browser and paste the same SharePoint link. If it correctly formats into a friendly document name on the web but fails on your desktop app, the issue is local to your device.
Will recipients see the long URL or the document name if the preview fails?
If your Outlook client fails to generate the friendly preview and leaves it as a raw URL, the recipient will see exactly what you sent them—the long URL. You will need to manually format it before sending if you want them to see a friendly name.
