SharePoint Document Issues

How to Restore an Old SharePoint Folder Link After Moving It

Huma Ashraf Ch Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to restore the original sharing link of a SharePoint folder after it was moved between sites, causing the existing links to become invalid.

How to Restore an Old SharePoint Folder Link After Moving It

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Moving a folder from one SharePoint Online site to another, which breaks all previously generated sharing links for that folder.
Observed behavior: Moving an item deletes existing sharing links, and simply moving the item back to the original site does not automatically restore those broken links.

Before you start

Verify that the folder move occurred recently enough (typically within 93 days) so that the original folder might still reside in the source site's Recycle Bin.

Solution 1Recommended

Restore the Original Folder from the SharePoint Recycle Bin

Use the source site's Recycle Bin to recover the original folder, which may successfully restore its initial sharing links.

When files or folders are moved between SharePoint Online sites, they are technically deleted from the source site and recreated in the destination site. This is why shared links are deleted, and moving them back does not natively restore those links.

As a workaround, you can retrieve the originally deleted folder from the Recycle Bin. If successful, this process brings back the original item and often reactivates its tied sharing permissions.

Rename the moved-back folder

If you have already moved the folder back to the original source site, right-click it and rename it. This prevents file name conflicts when you restore the original folder.

Open the source site's Recycle Bin

Navigate to the original SharePoint site where the folder lived before the move. In the left-hand navigation pane or the Settings menu, click on 'Recycle bin'.

Locate the original folder

Scroll through the list of deleted items or use the search bar to find the original folder that was automatically deleted during the site-to-site move.

Restore the item

Check the circle next to the original folder's name, then click 'Restore' in the top command bar. Check if your original sharing link functions again.

Recycle Bin Limitations: This workaround is only viable if the original item has not been permanently deleted or purged from the primary and secondary Recycle Bins.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do SharePoint folder links break when moved between sites?

Moving a folder across different SharePoint sites fundamentally changes its web address and site collection hierarchy. The system treats it as a new file creation, automatically invalidating the sharing links tied to the previous location.

Does moving the folder back automatically fix the broken links?

No. When you move the folder back to its original site, SharePoint treats it as a brand-new upload. The old links will remain dead unless you restore the actual original instance from the Recycle Bin.

How long do items stay in the SharePoint Recycle Bin?

By default, deleted items (including the shadow copies of folders moved to other sites) are retained in the SharePoint Recycle Bin for 93 days before they are permanently purged.

What if the folder is no longer in the Recycle Bin?

If the item has exceeded the 93-day retention period or was manually purged from both the primary and second-stage Recycle Bins, the original link cannot be restored. You will need to generate and distribute a new sharing link.

Document & File Issues