SharePoint Document Issues

How to Prevent SharePoint Records from Being Overwritten by Concurrent Edits

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users need a solution to prevent data loss when multiple people attempt to edit and save the same SharePoint list record or document simultaneously.

Product: SharePoint Online
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: A React application is storing form data in a SharePoint Online list, or multiple users are interacting with a shared document library.
Observed behavior: When two users edit the same record at the same time, the second user's save completely overwrites the first user's submitted data.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Owner or Full Control permissions for the affected SharePoint list or document library to modify its versioning and check-out settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Enable Check-Out and Versioning for SharePoint Libraries

For documents stored in a SharePoint library, requiring check-out ensures that only one user can edit a file at a time, completely avoiding overwrite conflicts.

This is the native, most reliable method for preventing concurrent editing conflicts in document libraries. When a file is checked out, it is locked for editing by other users until it is checked back in.

Open Library Settings

Navigate to your SharePoint document library. Click the Gear icon (Settings) in the top right corner and select 'Library settings'.

Access Versioning Settings

In the settings menu, click on 'More library settings' if prompted, then click on 'Versioning settings' under the General Settings column.

Require Check Out

Scroll down to the bottom of the page to the 'Require Check Out' section. Select 'Yes' under 'Require documents to be checked out before they can be edited?' and click 'OK' to save.

Versioning Enabled: It is also highly recommended to enable 'Create major versions' on this same page so you can restore previous versions if accidental overwrites happen before check-out is enforced.

Solution 2

Implement Optimistic Concurrency Control for List Records

For custom applications (like React) modifying SharePoint lists, you must handle concurrent edits programmatically by validating the record's version or modification timestamp.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Use WPS Office for Real-Time Document Co-Authoring

If SharePoint's strict check-out rules are creating bottlenecks in your team's workflow, consider switching to WPS Office. As a powerful, free Microsoft Office alternative, WPS Office offers built-in cloud collaboration, allowing multiple users to edit the same Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file simultaneously in real-time without locking each other out or overwriting data.

1. Download WPS Office: Install WPS Office on your device and sign in to your WPS account.
2. Upload to Cloud: Save your document to WPS Cloud to enable online sharing and collaboration.
3. Share and Co-Edit: Click the 'Share' button, generate an edit link, and send it to your team to start real-time co-authoring without check-out conflicts.

Real-time co-editing allows multiple users to type simultaneously without data overwritesFully compatible with Microsoft Office formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx)Free, lightweight, and fast installation compared to heavy enterprise suitesBuilt-in cloud syncing ensures the whole team always accesses the latest file version

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does SharePoint overwrite files instead of merging changes automatically?

Unless a document format specifically supports real-time co-authoring (like modern Microsoft 365 Word or Excel files) and it is enabled, SharePoint treats file uploads as distinct versions. If two users download a file, edit it offline, and upload it back, the last upload will become the active version, essentially overwriting the first user's changes.

Can multiple users edit a SharePoint list item at the exact same time?

Natively, SharePoint lists do not support real-time field-level co-authoring in the same way documents do. If two people open the same list item form, the last person to click 'Save' will overwrite any conflicting fields modified by the first person unless custom optimistic concurrency control is implemented.

How do I know if someone else has checked out a document in a SharePoint library?

When a document is checked out, a small green arrow overlays the file type icon in the document library. If you hover your cursor over this icon, a tooltip will appear showing the name of the user who currently has the document checked out.

Document & File Issues