Microsoft 365 Migration

How to Move SharePoint Online Files to Azure Blob Storage

Algirdas Jasaitis Oct 10, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to migrate files from SharePoint Online to Azure Blob Storage while accurately preserving the existing folder hierarchy.

How to Move SharePoint Online Files to Azure Blob Storage

Product: SharePoint Online and Azure Blob Storage
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Transferring cloud-hosted document libraries from a SharePoint environment into a scalable Azure Blob Storage container.
Observed behavior: Files must be systematically copied over, and because of how Azure handles storage, the destination folder paths must be explicitly created during the transfer.

Before you start

Verify that you have administrative access to the source SharePoint Online site and the appropriate contributor roles assigned for the target Azure Blob Storage account.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Power Automate to Copy Files and Preserve Folders

Ideal for small to medium-sized migrations, this method uses a Power Automate flow to enumerate SharePoint folders and dynamically generate matching Azure Blob paths.

Power Automate connects SharePoint and Azure Storage seamlessly. However, because Azure Blob Storage utilizes a flat namespace instead of traditional folders, your automated flow must explicitly construct the destination path in the blob name to simulate folders.

Create an automated or manual flow

Sign in to Power Automate and create a new flow. Select a manual trigger to run a batch process, or use the SharePoint trigger 'When a file is created or modified' depending on your requirements.

List folder contents from SharePoint

Insert the SharePoint 'List folder' or 'Get files (properties only)' action to systematically retrieve all files and directories you need to move.

Construct the destination Azure path

Use dynamic content expressions to capture the relative folder path of each file from SharePoint and use this structure as part of your target Azure Blob name.

Create the corresponding blob

Add the 'Create blob' action located under Azure Blob Storage. Configure the blob name field with your mapped path, and populate the blob content with the file contents generated by SharePoint.

Use Power Automate to Copy Files and Preserve Folders

Community Templates Available: The Microsoft Power Automate Community frequently shares pre-built flow templates designed to handle SharePoint to Azure Blob migrations. Searching the community forums can save you time building complex paths.

Solution 2

Employ Azure Scripts or Migration Tools

The recommended approach for enterprise-scale or large volume file migrations, circumventing Power Automate flow limitations.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move files to Azure Blob Storage without losing my SharePoint folder structure?

Yes, but because Azure Blob Storage uses a flat architecture instead of real folders, the folder structure must be explicitly recreated by mapping your SharePoint folder paths directly into the Azure Blob file names during migration.

Why should I use an Azure script instead of Power Automate for large migrations?

While Power Automate is excellent for smaller workflows, it can encounter API throttling, timeouts, or flow execution limits when handling massive datasets. Dedicated tools like AzCopy or custom PowerShell scripts handle bulk transfers far more efficiently.

How do I verify that all my SharePoint files migrated successfully?

After your migration completes, compare the total file counts and total data sizes between your source SharePoint library and the destination Azure Blob Storage container. Always check error logs generated by your migration tool or flow to spot missing files.

Migration & Recovery