SharePoint Document Issues

How to Move a SharePoint Document Library Without Breaking Links

Tauseeq Magsi Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to know if it is possible to move an entire SharePoint document library to another site while preserving all existing shared links and user permissions.

How to Move a SharePoint Document Library Without Breaking Links

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Migrating a document library between different SharePoint Online sites without disrupting existing user access or breaking shared URLs.
Observed behavior: Built-in SharePoint functionality generally changes the URL when a library is moved across sites, meaning existing shared links and permissions for large file groups often break.

Before you start

Before attempting a site-to-site migration, audit your current file sharing permissions and prepare an internal communication plan to notify your team about impending URL changes to avoid workflow disruptions.

Solution 1Recommended

Use SharePoint Migration Tools and Plan for URL Changes

Utilize dedicated migration tools for moving large libraries, while understanding that URL changes and link breakages are largely unavoidable.

SharePoint natively does not support moving an entire document library between sites while fully preserving all shared links. Because the domain path or site URL fundamentally changes, old direct links will break.

While the 'Keep sharing with the same people' option exists for individual files, it is highly unreliable for maintaining links across entire folders or large groups of files.

Prepare the Destination Site

Navigate to the destination SharePoint site and create a new, empty document library to receive the files.

Initiate Migration Tool

Download and launch the official SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) or use a trusted third-party migration software.

Configure the Transfer

Select the source document library, map it to the new destination library URL, and ensure that file permissions are set to map correctly during configuration.

Execute and Communicate

Run the migration. Once complete, distribute the new document links to your stakeholders, as the original shared links will no longer function.

Use SharePoint Migration Tools and Plan for URL Changes

Link Breakage is Expected: Moving files across sites means their absolute URLs change. It is best practice to notify users in advance and replace old links in internal wikis or documents.

Solution 2

Use Power Automate for Custom Migration Workflows

Explore automated solutions to manage file moves and notify users about new links.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Looking for a Simpler Way to Manage and Share Documents?

If dealing with complex SharePoint migrations and broken links is frustrating, consider WPS Office as a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative for document creation and sharing.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the software for free on your device.
2. Open Office Files: Open your existing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents locally or upload them to WPS Cloud without worrying about format compatibility.
3. Share with Ease: Use WPS Cloud to generate simple, secure, and permanent sharing links for your team, bypassing complex site architectures.

Highly compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats.Seamless cloud document sharing via WPS Cloud without complex site permissions.Lightweight installation with a familiar, easy-to-use interface.Built-in PDF editing, merging, and format conversion tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 'Keep sharing with the same people' option work for SharePoint folders?

While this option is available when moving individual files, it does not reliably preserve links and permissions when moving entire folders or large groups of files between different SharePoint sites.

Will internal hyperlinks in my Word or Excel documents break if I move the library?

Yes. If your documents contain absolute hyperlinks pointing to other files within the old SharePoint site, those links will break once the files are moved to a new site URL.

Is there a way to request link preservation features from Microsoft?

Yes, you can submit your feature requests directly through the official SharePoint Feedback Portal, where the product team reviews user suggestions for future updates.

Document & File Issues