Microsoft 365 Migration

How to Fix SharePoint Migration Tool Unique ID and Field-Type Errors

Rana Garcia Sep 29, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users need to resolve SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) failures caused by Unique ID errors, field-type mismatches, restricted hidden fields, and lookup field incompatibilities.

How to Fix SharePoint Migration Tool Unique ID and Field-Type Errors

Product: SharePoint Migration Tool
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Migrating files, lists, and metadata from a source SharePoint environment to SharePoint Online using SPMT.
Observed behavior: The migration fails for certain documents or libraries, returning errors regarding missing folder names, incompatible lookup fields, duplicate items in the recycle bin, or rejected metadata like Restricted and Originator ID.

Before you start

Ensure you are running the latest version of the SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) and have full administrative permissions to both the source SharePoint site and the destination SharePoint Online environment.

Solution 1Recommended

Review the SPMT Failure Summary Report

Use the built-in SPMT reporting tools to identify exactly which fields, files, or metadata types are causing the migration to fail.

SPMT generates detailed logs during every migration pass. The StructureFailureSummaryReport.csv file will pinpoint the exact reason for skipped files, such as mismatched required fields or incompatible lookup settings.

Open the migration logs

Navigate to the SPMT log directory on your machine and open the StructureFailureSummaryReport.csv file.

Compare field types

Review the specific columns that failed and manually compare the field types and 'required field' settings between your source and destination SharePoint libraries.

Test a small batch

Create a test migration task with a small set of no more than ten files to verify if adjusting the destination field types resolves the issue.

Check Recycle Bins: If the report indicates an item already exists, ensure the files are not hidden in either the site collection recycle bin or the second-stage recycle bin.

Solution 2

Disable Information Rights Management (IRM)

Remove IRM protection from the source library to strip hidden system metadata fields that SPMT cannot migrate.

Solution 3

Bypass Lookup Field Validation via PowerShell

Use PowerShell parameters to alter how SPMT handles missing or incompatible lookup references during migration.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does SPMT complain about hidden system fields like 'Restricted'?

If Information Rights Management (IRM) was enabled on the source SharePoint library, it creates hidden metadata fields such as 'Restricted' or 'Originator ID'. The destination SharePoint Online environment may reject these unrecognized fields, causing the migration to fail.

What should I do if SPMT says a folder name cannot be found?

This error often occurs if the folder or item was moved, deleted, or still resides in the site's recycle bin. You must permanently delete the item from the source recycle bin or restore it to its proper location before retrying the migration.

How can I bypass lookup field errors during migration?

You can use SPMT PowerShell parameters such as `-LookupReferencePolicy SKIP_AND_CONTINUE` to bypass the errors. Alternatively, make sure that both the source and destination lists have identically configured lookup columns, and always migrate the referenced list before the dependent library.

Where can I find specific error codes for my SPMT failure?

Detailed error codes and failure reasons are logged in the `StructureFailureSummaryReport.csv` file, which is automatically generated by SPMT and saved in your designated migration log folder.

Migration & Recovery