SharePoint Document Issues

How to Fix SharePoint Sites Missing from Office Save and Open Dialogs

Maira Mehtab Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users are unable to locate the traditional 'Sites' option when attempting to save or open files from within Microsoft Office desktop applications.

Product: Microsoft Office, SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Saving or opening documents directly to or from SharePoint libraries using the built-in file dialogs in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Observed behavior: The 'Sites' view has disappeared from the Save and Open dialog boxes because Microsoft replaced the feature with the new 'Quick Access' list.

Before you start

Ensure that your Microsoft OneDrive desktop client is running, up to date, and properly signed in to your organizational account.

Solution 1Recommended

Pin Frequently Used SharePoint Sites to Quick Access

Since the legacy 'Sites' list was replaced, pinning your most important SharePoint sites to the new Quick Access menu is the most direct way to keep them available.

Microsoft has unified the recent and pinned locations under the Quick Access tab. While it does not automatically list all followed sites like the old interface, you can manually pin the ones you access most frequently.

Open the Office file dialog

Launch your Office application (such as Word or Excel) and navigate to File, then click on Open or Save As.

Locate Quick Access

Look for the 'Quick Access' tab in the left-hand navigation pane of the dialog box.

Pin your sites

Hover your mouse over any recently used SharePoint site in the list and click the pin icon to ensure it remains permanently visible for future use.

Recent Sites Requirement: A site typically needs to be opened at least once recently from the web or OneDrive before it appears in the Quick Access list for you to pin.

Solution 2

Add SharePoint Document Library Shortcuts to OneDrive

This workaround allows you to access SharePoint folders directly through your local File Explorer and Office browse dialogs by syncing them via OneDrive.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Microsoft remove the Sites option from Office Save dialogs?

Microsoft discontinued the traditional 'Save to Sites' feature and replaced the 'Sites' view with the 'Quick Access' feature. This was done to unify recent and pinned locations across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

How do I find a SharePoint site that isn't showing in Quick Access?

If a SharePoint site doesn't appear in your Quick Access list, you can sync the SharePoint document library using OneDrive, or open a file directly from the SharePoint web interface first to force it to appear in your recent items.

Can I revert to the old Followed Sites list in modern Office apps?

No, Microsoft has permanently replaced the older Sites and Followed Sites lists in the modern Save and Open dialogs. You must adapt to using Quick Access or local OneDrive synchronization.

Document & File Issues