Permission & Access Issues

How to Fix Cannot Create Items Inside SharePoint List Folders

Huma Ashraf Ch Sep 30, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is unable to create new items inside specific folders within a SharePoint list, despite being able to successfully create items on the main list page.

How to Fix Cannot Create Items Inside SharePoint List Folders

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to create and save new items inside folders of an existing SharePoint list.
Observed behavior: New items disappear immediately after refreshing the page, accompanied by errors such as 'We cannot sync some of your changes' and 'Could not create this item'.

Before you start

Ensure you have the contact information of another Site Collection Administrator or your IT department, as you will need elevated privileges to reset your account permissions.

Solution 1Recommended

Reset User Permissions and Clear Browser Cache

Removing and re-adding your permissions can resolve underlying account synchronization issues causing the folder creation error.

This is the most common fix for isolated synchronization errors where a user's permissions fall out of sync with the SharePoint backend services.

Remove permissions

Ask another site administrator to navigate to the site's people page and completely remove your SharePoint permissions.

Re-add permissions

Have the administrator add your account back to the site as a Site Collection Administrator.

Clear browser data

Open your web browser's settings and completely clear the cache and cookies for all time.

Test the list

Sign back into Microsoft 365, navigate to the SharePoint list folder, and test creating a new item.

Reset User Permissions and Clear Browser Cache

Temporary Success: If you are able to create only one item before the error returns, the issue might be deeper in the list settings or tenant sync services.

Solution 2

Remove and Reassign Microsoft 365 License

If resetting site permissions fails, a global admin can try completely refreshing your Microsoft 365 license.

Solution 3

Collect Logs and Contact Microsoft Support

If the error persists after resetting permissions and licenses, the problem requires backend investigation by Microsoft.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do SharePoint list items disappear after refreshing the page?

This typically happens due to synchronization errors between your browser and the SharePoint server. The item fails to save properly on the backend, usually because of corrupted permissions or cache, causing it to vanish when the page reloads.

What does 'We cannot sync some of your changes' mean in SharePoint?

This error indicates that the SharePoint server rejected the data being submitted. It frequently occurs when there is a mismatch in list folder permissions, network interruptions, or internal backend sync service failures.

Does clearing my browser cache actually fix SharePoint folder errors?

Yes, clearing cache and cookies can resolve stale login sessions or corrupted temporary scripts that prevent SharePoint lists from correctly authenticating and passing data to the server during item creation.

Can I fix this permission issue without administrator access?

No, resetting Site Collection Administrator permissions or reassigning Microsoft 365 licenses requires elevated privileges. You must contact your organization's IT administrator to perform these troubleshooting steps.

Document & File Issues