Microsoft 365 Migration

Fix SharePoint Migration Tool Content Type Not Found Errors

Anum Mushtaq Oct 23, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user encounters errors stating an item's content type was not found during the initial scan using the SharePoint Migration Tool.

How to Fix SharePoint Migration Tool Content Type Not Found Errors

Product: SharePoint Migration Tool
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Migrating files and document libraries to Microsoft 365 / SharePoint Online using the official migration tool.
Observed behavior: The migration tool halts or flags errors during the pre-migration scan, reporting that specific items have a missing or invalid content type.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Collection Administrator privileges on both the source and destination SharePoint environments to properly review and modify library content types.

Solution 1Recommended

Review and Update Source Library Content Types

Verify that the content types assigned to the affected files exist and are correctly configured in your source SharePoint environment.

Often, files are tagged with custom content types that have since been deleted or become corrupted. Reassigning these files to a default or valid content type resolves the scan failure.

Access Source Settings

Navigate to your source SharePoint site, open the affected Document Library, and click on 'Library Settings' from the ribbon.

Check Content Types

Scroll down to the 'Content Types' section to ensure the assigned content types for the library are active and properly configured.

Update File Properties

Locate the specific files flagged by the SPMT scan logs. Edit their properties to use a valid, active content type (such as the default 'Document' content type).

Retry the Migration Scan

Open the SharePoint Migration Tool and re-run the initial scan to confirm the content type errors are resolved.

Review and Update Source Library Content Types

Tip: You can use a PowerShell script to bulk-update the content types of multiple affected files in the source library before retrying the scan.

Solution 2

Consult the Dedicated SharePoint Q&A Community

If standard metadata corrections do not resolve the issue, gather your migration logs and escalate the issue to Microsoft engineers.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the SharePoint Migration Tool say a content type is missing?

This usually happens when a document in the source library is assigned a custom content type that has been deleted, corrupted, or is otherwise inaccessible during the migration scan.

How can I find which specific files are causing the content type error?

You can review the failure summary report or the detailed item-level scan logs generated by the SharePoint Migration Tool. These logs will pinpoint the exact file paths and names causing the interruption.

Does the destination site need the exact same content types configured?

While the migration tool attempts to map or recreate content types, complex or heavily customized source content types may require manual creation in the destination site before running the migration to avoid mapping failures.

Migration & Recovery