SharePoint Document Issues

How to Improve SharePoint Upload Speed and Track Progress

Camila Milosovich Oct 23, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to improve upload speeds and gain better progress tracking when moving large folders to SharePoint.

How to Improve SharePoint Upload Speed and Track Progress

Product: SharePoint / OneDrive for Business
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Uploading large folders from a network share to a SharePoint document library.
Observed behavior: Folders are created in SharePoint without transferring the actual files, and there is inadequate visibility into the upload progress for large data transfers.

Before you start

Ensure you have the latest version of the OneDrive desktop client installed on your PC and are signed in with your Microsoft 365 business account.

Solution 1Recommended

Use OneDrive for Business Synchronization

Syncing your SharePoint folder locally via OneDrive allows you to utilize File Explorer for the upload, bypassing browser limitations and providing exact transfer progress.

Web browsers often struggle with large directory structures, which can cause folder creation without file transfers. Using the OneDrive desktop client creates a reliable bridge between your local network share and SharePoint.

Add a shortcut to OneDrive

Open your SharePoint document library in a web browser. Click the 'Add shortcut to OneDrive' button located in the top command bar.

Open your local sync folder

Open Windows File Explorer and navigate to your OneDrive for Business section in the left pane. Locate the newly created folder that links to your SharePoint library.

Transfer the files

Drag and drop the large folders from your network share directly into the local OneDrive shortcut folder.

Track the upload progress

Click the blue OneDrive cloud icon in your system tray (bottom-right corner of the taskbar) to view real-time upload progress, including transfer speeds and remaining files.

Use OneDrive for Business Synchronization

Transfer Speeds: Upload speed relies heavily on your local network's bandwidth capacity and the distance to the Microsoft server hosting your environment.

Solution 2

Contact Microsoft 365 Administrator

If upload speeds remain extremely slow despite using the desktop sync client, backend configuration or throttling may be occurring.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Edit Your Synced SharePoint Documents with WPS Office

While managing your large SharePoint uploads via OneDrive, you can rely on WPS Office to open, edit, and organize your files seamlessly. It is a lightweight, high-performance office suite that works perfectly with your locally synced Microsoft 365 documents.

1. Download and Install: Get the free WPS Office suite from the official website and install it on your computer.
2. Access Synced Files: Navigate to your OneDrive-synced SharePoint folder using File Explorer.
3. Edit and Auto-Sync: Open any document in WPS Office. When you hit save, the OneDrive client will automatically upload the updated file back to SharePoint.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formatsLightweight application that requires minimal system resourcesEdit offline and automatically sync to SharePoint once connectedFree to download and use with a highly familiar user interface

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my folders uploading to SharePoint but not the files inside?

This usually occurs when uploading deeply nested folders directly through a web browser. Browsers can time out or hit cache limits during large data transfers. Using the OneDrive desktop application to sync the files locally prevents this issue.

Is there a maximum file size limit for SharePoint uploads?

Yes, the maximum file size limit for a single file uploaded to SharePoint Online is 250 GB. However, for files or folders this large, it is strongly recommended to use the OneDrive sync app rather than the web interface to ensure stability.

How can I check my exact upload speed in OneDrive?

Click the OneDrive cloud icon located in the Windows taskbar. If files are currently syncing, you will see the active download and upload speeds displayed at the top or bottom of the activity flyout.

Document & File Issues