SharePoint Online: How to Move a Folder using PowerShell?
Requirement: Move a Folder to Another Library or Another Site in SharePoint Online.
How to Move a Folder in SharePoint Online?
Moving a folder in SharePoint Online modern experience is quite simple.
- Navigate to your SharePoint Online library >> Select the Folder to move
- From the Toolbar, click on the “Move to” button
- Select the destination location you want a move the folder. You can even choose a different site collection or subsite. Use “Browse Sites” to see a full list of sites that you can move to.
- You can also create a new folder in the destination. Click on the “Move here” button to start moving the folder.
This moves the folder with all its files to the selected destination. Please note, the “Move To” is not available in SharePoint Online classic experience.
SharePoint Online: Move folder using PowerShell
We can also use PowerShell to move a folder in SharePoint Online. Let’s move folder up a level.
#Load SharePoint CSOM Assemblies
Add-Type -Path "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\16\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.dll"
Add-Type -Path "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\16\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Runtime.dll"
#Function to Move a Folder
Function Move-SPOFolder([String]$SiteURL, [String]$FolderSourceURL, [String]$FolderTargetURL )
{
Try{
#Setup the context
$Ctx = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ClientContext($SiteURL)
$Ctx.Credentials = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.SharePointOnlineCredentials($Cred.Username, $Cred.Password)
#Move the Folder
$MoveCopyOpt = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.MoveCopyOptions
#$MoveCopyOpt.KeepBoth = $True
[Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.MoveCopyUtil]::MoveFolder($Ctx, $FolderSourceURL, $FolderTargetURL, $MoveCopyOpt)
$Ctx.ExecuteQuery()
Write-host -f Green "Folder Moved Successfully!"
}
Catch {
write-host -f Red "Error Moving the Folder!" $_.Exception.Message
}
}
#Set Config Parameters
$SiteURL="https://crescent.sharepoint.com/"
$FolderSourceURL="https://crescent.sharepoint.com/ProjectDocs/Active/2018"
$FolderTargetURL="https://crescent.sharepoint.com/ProjectDocs/2018"
#Get Credentials to connect
$Cred= Get-Credential
#Call the function to Move the Folder
Move-SPOFolder $SiteURL $FolderSourceURL $FolderTargetURL
Similarly, You can move a folder to another folder, another library or even another site or site collection. The same methods described above are applicable when you want to Copy a folder in SharePoint Online!
PnP PowerShell to Move a Folder in SharePoint Online:
You can use the Move-PnPFolder cmdlet to move a folder to a different library or to the same library in SharePoint Online.
#Config Variables
$SiteURL = "https://crescenttech.sharepoint.com/sites/marketing"
$SourceFolderURL= "Shared Documents/2018/Active"
$TargetFolderURL = "Shared Documents"
#Connect to PnP Online
Connect-PnPOnline -Url $SiteURL -Credentials (Get-Credential)
#sharepoint online powershell move folder
Move-PnPFolder -Folder $SourceFolderURL -TargetFolder $TargetFolderURL
This moves the folder “Active” to the same library’s root. You can use this cmdlet to move a folder to another folder, move folder to another library!
I am receiving File NOT Found error message when i try to move Sharepoint folder to a library in a different site collection. is this is a limitation or i am i missing something? Can someone help me on this?
I am getting the below error message. please advice
—————————————————————–
PS C:UsersAdministratorDownloads> .copyfolder.ps1
cmdlet Get-Credential at command pipeline position 1
Supply values for the following parameters:
Credential
Error Moving the Folder! Exception calling “ExecuteQuery” with “0” argument(s):
“The destination file already exists.”
——————————————————————
As the error message says, The destination folder already exists, Set $MoveCopyOpt.KeepBoth = $True to move the folder to destination – SharePoint automatically renames the newly moved folder!