How to Display a Screenshot in a SharePoint Rich-Text Column
Question details
Users need a reliable method to insert and permanently display screenshot images within a SharePoint list rich-text column.
- Product
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Adding visual references or screenshots to individual items within a SharePoint list.
- Observed behavior
- Images pasted directly into the rich-text column fail to save, disappearing entirely or breaking after the list item is updated.
Ensure you have editing permissions for the SharePoint list and access to a SharePoint Document Library where you can upload and store image files.
Upload to Document Library and Insert Link
Upload your screenshot to a SharePoint document library first, then insert it into the rich-text column using its direct URL to ensure it saves properly.
In the modern SharePoint experience, pasting images directly from the clipboard often fails to save the image data correctly. Hosting the image in a library bypasses this issue.
Navigate to a Document Library on your SharePoint site. Click 'Upload' and select your screenshot file (such as a PNG or JPG) from your computer.
Click on the uploaded image to open it in your browser. Copy the direct URL from the address bar, or use the 'Copy link' feature provided by SharePoint.
Go to your SharePoint list and edit the item. Click into the rich-text column, select the 'Insert Image' icon from the formatting toolbar, and paste your copied URL.
Use the Classic SharePoint Experience
Switch to classic SharePoint to utilize the legacy built-in upload feature, which automatically saves inserted images to a default site library.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do images pasted directly into SharePoint lists disappear?
When you paste an image directly from your clipboard, it is temporarily stored as base64 data. The modern SharePoint list rich-text editor often strips this data out or fails to process it during the save operation, causing the image to vanish.
Can I use OneDrive links for the SharePoint rich-text images?
It is highly recommended to use a SharePoint Document Library on the same site rather than OneDrive. OneDrive links might have restrictive permissions that prevent other SharePoint users from viewing the image.
How do I return to the modern SharePoint view from classic?
To exit the classic experience, you can simply close your browser tab and reopen your SharePoint site, or click the 'Exit classic experience' link typically found in the left-hand navigation pane.
