SharePoint Document Issues

How to Find Failed SharePoint File Copies and View Error Logs

Khadija Khan Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs a way to identify which specific files failed to copy between SharePoint teams and view the corresponding error logs, as the default interface only reports the total number of failures.

How to Find Failed SharePoint File Copies and View Error Logs

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Copying multiple files or folders in bulk between different SharePoint teams or document libraries.
Observed behavior: The file copy process finishes but only displays a numeric count of failed copies, failing to identify the specific file names or provide reasons for the errors.

Before you start

Ensure you have the necessary administrative permissions in your Microsoft 365 tenant to access the Microsoft Purview compliance portal or to create automated flows in Power Automate.

Solution 1Recommended

Review File-Copy Activities via Microsoft Purview Audit Log

Utilize the Microsoft Purview audit log to track successful file copies and cross-reference them with your source folder to identify the missing files.

SharePoint does not natively generate a detailed error report for standard bulk copy operations in the UI. By checking the audit logs, administrators can see exactly which files were successfully copied and deduce which ones failed.

Access the Compliance Portal

Navigate to Audit Log Search

In the left-hand navigation pane, scroll down to the 'Solutions' section and click on 'Audit'.

Set the Search Criteria

Configure the 'Start date' and 'End date' to closely match the timeframe when the bulk file copy was attempted.

Filter by Activity

Click the 'Activities - friendly names' dropdown box, search for file operations, and select the 'Copied file' activity.

Run Search and Compare

Click 'Search' and wait for the results to load. Export the results to an Excel spreadsheet and compare the list of successfully copied files against your original source directory to pinpoint the failed items.

Review File-Copy Activities via Microsoft Purview Audit Log

Audit Log Delay: It may take up to 30 minutes or more for recent file-copy activities to appear in the Microsoft Purview audit log.

Solution 2

Create a Power Automate Flow for Detailed Logging

Build an automated flow to copy files individually, allowing you to check the run history for precise failure reasons and specific file names.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does SharePoint only show the number of failed copies instead of the file names?

When performing bulk operations in the standard SharePoint web interface, the system summarizes the results to process the action as quickly as possible. Detailed error reporting for individual files is not natively displayed in the UI and requires checking admin logs or using automation tools.

Do I need special permissions to view the Microsoft Purview audit log?

Yes, you must be assigned the View-Only Audit Logs or Audit Logs role in Exchange Online. This level of access is typically granted to compliance administrators, security administrators, or global administrators within the Microsoft 365 tenant.

Can I retry the failed file copies automatically using Power Automate?

Yes, you can configure your Power Automate flow to include error handling. By configuring the 'Configure run after' settings on subsequent actions, you can instruct the flow to automatically retry the copy or send an email alert containing the specific file name if the initial copy action fails.

Document & File Issues