Understanding the SharePoint Lists and Libraries Limit per Site
Question details
The user needs clarification on the 2,000 lists and libraries limit per site collection in SharePoint, specifically regarding enforcement, performance issues, and bypassing the limit.
- Product
- SharePoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Managing a large-scale SharePoint environment or organizing extensive site collections with numerous lists, libraries, and subsites.
- Observed behavior
- Documentation states a 2,000 limit, but testing sometimes allows more to be created, causing confusion about whether the limit is strictly enforced or merely a recommendation.
Verify your current site architecture and count the total number of lists and libraries across your main site and all associated subsites before attempting to restructure your data.
Adhere to the 2,000 Lists and Libraries Limit and Restructure Sites
Understand why the limit exists and how to reorganize your SharePoint data to maintain optimal site performance.
While you may technically be able to create more than 2,000 lists and libraries in a single site collection, doing so is completely unsupported by Microsoft and will likely degrade performance over time.
The 2,000 limit encompasses both the main site and all of its subsites combined in order to protect the overall server infrastructure and maintain fast load times.
Review your existing site collection from the Site Contents page to calculate the combined total of active lists and document libraries across the root site and all subsites.
Instead of overloading a single site collection, distribute your lists and libraries into multiple distinct site collections to ensure you stay well under the 2,000 threshold limit.
If your organization's architecture strictly requires more capacity within a single site collection, consider submitting formal feedback to Microsoft via the Microsoft 365 admin center or SharePoint feedback channels.
Edit SharePoint Documents Easily with WPS Office
While SharePoint limits dictate how you organize your online libraries, editing the documents stored within them shouldn't be a hassle. WPS Office is a lightweight, highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office that allows you to open, edit, and save Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files seamlessly.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free office suite.
- 2. Open your downloaded files: Launch WPS Office and open the documents, spreadsheets, or presentations you downloaded from your SharePoint libraries.
- 3. Edit and save in standard formats: Make your edits and save the files in standard Microsoft formats to seamlessly upload them back to SharePoint without formatting loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I physically create more than 2,000 lists in a single SharePoint site?
Yes, testing sometimes shows that the system allows you to create more than 2,000 lists and libraries. However, performance is not guaranteed, and operating above this threshold is unsupported by Microsoft.
Does the 2,000 limit apply to subsites as well?
Yes, the 2,000 lists and libraries limit applies to the entire site collection. This includes the total count from the top-level main site and all of its subsites combined.
Is there a supported way to bypass this site collection limit?
No, there is no supported administrative setting or workaround to bypass the 2,000 limit. The recommended best practice is to split your lists and libraries across multiple separate site collections.
What happens to performance if my site exceeds the limit?
If you exceed the limit, you may experience significant degradation in site load times, search indexing issues, and potential errors when accessing or managing content, as the infrastructure is not optimized for such volumes.
