SharePoint Document Issues

How to Understand _vti_rb Paths in SharePoint External User Reports

Aamir Naveed Akram Oct 10, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users need to understand and resolve unrecognizable _vti_rb resource paths found in SharePoint External User Reports.

How to Understand _vti_rb Paths in SharePoint External User Reports

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Reviewing External User Reports in SharePoint and attempting to track accessed document links.
Observed behavior: The report generates internal resource paths containing '_vti_rb' (such as sites/NewZealand/_vti_rb/1/844654) which fail to open as normal URLs in a web browser.

Before you start

Verify that you have Microsoft 365 administrator privileges, as investigating backend tenant paths requires raising an official ticket through the admin center.

Solution 1Recommended

Escalate the Issue to Microsoft Online Support

Since there is no public documentation for _vti_rb paths and they cannot be resolved locally, opening a support ticket is necessary to have Microsoft engineers inspect your tenant.

The '_vti_rb' segment is an internal SharePoint system path. While it looks similar to recycle bin directories, Microsoft clarifies that these paths do not necessarily represent recycle bin files. Because forum support and end-users lack backend inspection rights, the tenant must be reviewed directly by Microsoft.

Log in to the Admin Center

Go to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and log in using your global or SharePoint administrator credentials.

Navigate to Help & Support

Look at the left-hand navigation pane and click on 'Support', then select 'Help & support' to open the service request pane.

Create a New Service Request

Briefly describe the issue by typing 'SharePoint External User Report shows unopenable _vti_rb paths' and press Enter. If the suggested articles do not help, click on 'Contact support'.

Provide Detailed Report Information

Fill out the ticket details. Make sure to include the exact paths you are seeing (e.g., sites/NewZealand/_vti_rb/1/844654) and attach a sanitized copy or screenshot of the External User Report.

Submit the Ticket

Submit your request. A Microsoft Online Support engineer will contact you and use their backend tools to identify the specific tenant resources tied to those paths.

Escalate the Issue to Microsoft Online Support

Admin Access Required: Standard users cannot open Microsoft 365 support tickets. If you are an end-user experiencing this report issue, please contact your organization's IT department to submit the request.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does the _vti_rb folder mean in SharePoint?

There is no official public documentation detailing exactly what the _vti_rb path represents. Although the 'rb' abbreviation often leads users to assume it stands for 'recycle bin', Microsoft Support explicitly states that these paths do not always point to recycle bin files.

Why won't the _vti_rb links open when I click them?

The _vti_rb links are internal backend resource paths generated by SharePoint's logging and reporting system. They are not formatted as standard, front-end web URLs, so your browser cannot navigate to them directly.

Can I fix the _vti_rb path issue without being an admin?

No. Because these paths are undocumented and inaccessible from the user interface, diagnosing them requires Microsoft to inspect the tenant's backend. Only Microsoft 365 administrators have the necessary permissions to authorize this inspection by opening a support ticket.

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