SharePoint Document Issues

How to Copy a SharePoint List Folder Structure and Items

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to duplicate an existing nested folder structure and its items from one directory (e.g., 2024) to a new directory (e.g., 2025) within a SharePoint list.

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Organizing yearly list data by duplicating a previous year's complex folder and item hierarchy into a new folder for the upcoming year.
Observed behavior: The native 'Copy to' command, which is typically used for copying files in document libraries, is unavailable or missing in SharePoint lists.

Before you start

Ensure you have an active Microsoft Power Automate license and the necessary 'Edit' permissions for the target SharePoint list before attempting to automate this process.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Power Automate to Duplicate List Folders and Items

Since the native "Copy to" function is unavailable for SharePoint lists, creating a custom Power Automate flow is the recommended workaround to recreate the structure and copy items.

Unlike SharePoint document libraries, SharePoint lists do not support the native 'Copy to' command for duplicating nested folders and their respective items. To achieve this, you need to build a custom automation.

If you are unfamiliar with flow creation, reaching out to the Microsoft Power Platform community is highly recommended to find pre-built templates or get specific guidance for your list's unique schema.

Open Power Automate

Navigate to Microsoft Power Automate and select 'Create' to start a new 'Instant cloud flow' or 'Scheduled cloud flow' depending on how you want to trigger the copy process.

Retrieve Existing Items

Add the 'Get items' action for SharePoint. Configure it by entering your Site Address and selecting your specific List Name.

Filter by Source Folder

In the 'Get items' action, use an OData Filter Query to isolate the items and folders from your source directory (for example, filtering items where the year equals 2024).

Create New Items in Target Folder

Add an 'Apply to each' control to iterate through the retrieved data. Inside this loop, use the 'Create item' action to generate matching entries under your new target folder (e.g., 2025), mapping the dynamic content from the source to the new items.

Community Support: Because list schemas vary wildly (often including custom metadata for company, department, and user), posting your specific list structure to the Microsoft Power Platform community can help you get a tailored Power Automate flow.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the 'Copy to' command missing in my SharePoint list?

The 'Copy to' command is a native feature designed specifically for SharePoint Document Libraries. SharePoint Lists handle data and metadata differently, which prevents direct structural duplication via the standard user interface.

Can I use 'Save list as template' to duplicate my folders?

Saving a list as a template can duplicate the column structure and optionally include the list content, but it creates an entirely new list rather than copying specific folders (like transferring 2024 data to a 2025 folder) within the exact same list.

Is there a no-code way to copy list items in SharePoint?

If you only have a few items without complex nested folders, you can use the 'Edit in grid view' (Quick Edit) feature to copy and paste rows manually. However, this method does not automatically recreate nested folder structures.

Where can I find pre-built Power Automate flows for SharePoint?

The best place to find templates and guidance is the Microsoft Power Platform community forums, where experts frequently share complete flow configurations for complex SharePoint list manipulations.

Document & File Issues