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SharePoint Online: Get Files and Sub-Folders Count on Each Folder in a Document Library using PowerShell

Salaudeen Rajack 7 Comments , , , , , ,

Requirement:  Get the count of files and sub-folders at each folder in a SharePoint Online document library

How to Get the Number of Files and Sub-Folders at Each Folder of a Document Library?

When a document library has multiple folders, sub-folder, and files, you can get the number of files and sub-folders at each level by adding “Folder Child Count” and “Item Child Count” fields to the view. Follow these steps to show the number of files in a folder:

  • Navigate to the document library >> Click on View drop-down menu >> “Edit Current View”
  • Select “Folder Child Count” and “Item Child Count” columns and Click on OK.
sharepoint online get number of files folders at each level

Now, the view shows the number of sub-folders and the number of items at the top level of each folder.

Get Files, Sub-Folders Count at Each Folder in a Document Library using PowerShell

Here is the PowerShell to find the number of files and sub-folders at each folder in a SharePoint Online document library using PnP PowerShell:

#Parameters
$SiteURL = "https://crescent.sharepoint.com/sites/marketing"
$ListName = "Project Documents"

#Function to get number of Sub-folder and Files count recursively
Function Get-SPOFolderStats
{
  [cmdletbinding()]

    param
    (
        [Parameter(Mandatory=$true,ValueFromPipeline=$true)][Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Folder]$Folder
    )
    #Get Sub-folders of the folder
    Get-PnPProperty -ClientObject $Folder -Property ServerRelativeUrl, Folders | Out-Null

    #Get the SiteRelativeUrl
    $Web = Get-PnPWeb -Includes ServerRelativeUrl
    $SiteRelativeUrl = $Folder.ServerRelativeUrl -replace "$($web.ServerRelativeUrl)", [string]::Empty

    [PSCustomObject] @{
        Folder    = $Folder.Name
        Path      = $Folder.ServerRelativeUrl
        ItemCount = Get-PnPFolderItem -FolderSiteRelativeUrl $SiteRelativeUrl -ItemType File | Measure-Object | Select -ExpandProperty Count
        SubFolderCount = Get-PnPFolderItem -FolderSiteRelativeUrl $SiteRelativeUrl -ItemType Folder | Measure-Object | Select -ExpandProperty Count
    }
    
    #Process Sub-folders
    ForEach($SubFolder in $Folder.Folders)
    {
        Get-SPOFolderStats -Folder $SubFolder
    }
}

#Connect to SharePoint Online
Connect-PnPOnline $SiteURL -Credentials (Get-Credential)

#Call the Function to Get the Library Statistics - Number of Files and Folders at each level
$FolderStats = Get-PnPList -Identity $ListName -Includes RootFolder | Select -ExpandProperty RootFolder | Get-SPOFolderStats | Sort Path
$FolderStats

#Export to CSV 
$FolderStats | Export-Csv -Path "C:\Temp\DocLibStats.csv" -NoTypeInformation

This script outputs the data on the screen and also generates a CSV file!

powershell to get number of files and folders count in sharepoint online document library

An Alternate approach to count items in Larger Document Libraries

While the above script works perfectly fine for smaller document libraries, it gets a “The attempted operation is prohibited because it exceeds the list view threshold.” error as the Get-PnPFolderItem doesn’t have the capacity to handle libraries with more than 5000 items as of today! So, here is the alternative approach to get files and folders count on each folder in a given document library.

#Parameters
$SiteURL = "https://crescent.sharepoint.com/sites/marketing"
$ListName = "Branding"
$CSVFile = "C:\Temp\FolderStats.csv"

#Connect to SharePoint Online
Connect-PnPOnline $SiteURL -Interactive
 
#Get the list
$List = Get-PnPList -Identity $ListName

#Get Folders from the Library - with progress bar
$global:counter = 0
$FolderItems = Get-PnPListItem -List $ListName -PageSize 500 -Fields FileLeafRef -ScriptBlock { Param($items) $global:counter += $items.Count; Write-Progress -PercentComplete `
            ($global:Counter / ($List.ItemCount) * 100) -Activity "Getting Items from List:" -Status "Processing Items $global:Counter to $($List.ItemCount)";}  | Where {$_.FileSystemObjectType -eq "Folder"}
Write-Progress -Activity "Completed Retrieving Folders from List $ListName" -Completed

$FolderStats = @()
#Get Files and Subfolders count on each folder in the library
ForEach($FolderItem in $FolderItems)
{
    #Get Files and Folders of the Folder
    Get-PnPProperty -ClientObject $FolderItem.Folder -Property Files, Folders | Out-Null
    
    #Collect data
    $Data = [PSCustomObject][ordered]@{
        FolderName     = $FolderItem.FieldValues.FileLeafRef
        URL            = $FolderItem.FieldValues.FileRef
        FilesCount     = $FolderItem.Folder.Files.Count
        SubFolderCount = $FolderItem.Folder.Folders.Count
    }
    $Data
    $FolderStats+= $Data
}
#Export the data to CSV
$FolderStats | Export-Csv -Path $CSVFile -NoTypeInformation

Salaudeen Rajack

Salaudeen Rajack is a SharePoint Architect with Two decades of SharePoint Experience. He loves sharing his knowledge and experiences with the SharePoint community, through his real-world articles!

7 thoughts on “SharePoint Online: Get Files and Sub-Folders Count on Each Folder in a Document Library using PowerShell”

  • Getting an error:
    Get-SPOFolderStats : The input object cannot be bound to any parameters for the command either because the command
    does not take pipeline input or the input and its properties do not match any of the parameters that take pipeline
    input.
    At C:\temp\test3.ps1:39 char:107
    + … lder | Select -ExpandProperty RootFolder | Get-SPOFolderStats | Sort …
    + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Folder:PSObject) [Get-SPOFolderStats], Par
    ameterBindingException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InputObjectNotBound,Get-SPOFolderStats

    Get-PnPProperty : Cannot bind argument to parameter ‘ClientObject’ because it is null.
    At C:\temp\test3.ps1:15 char:35
    + Get-PnPProperty -ClientObject $Folder -Property ServerRelativeUrl …
    + ~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (:) [Get-PnPProperty], ParameterBindingValidationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationErrorNullNotAllowed,PnP.PowerShell.Commands.Base.EnsureProper
    ty

    Folder Path ItemCount SubFolderCount
    —— —- ——— ————–
    0 23

    Reply

      • Thanks! That got me a little further. Now I’m getting a list view threshold error (see below), which is why I need the numbers so I can find where I’m over the threshold.

        Get-PnPProperty : The attempted operation is prohibited because it exceeds the list view threshold.
        At C:\temp\test4.ps1:15 char:5
        + Get-PnPProperty -ClientObject $Folder -Property ServerRelativeUrl …
        + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        + CategoryInfo : WriteError: (:) [Get-PnPProperty], ServerException
        + FullyQualifiedErrorId : EXCEPTION,PnP.PowerShell.Commands.Base.EnsureProperty
        Get-PnPFolderItem : The attempted operation is prohibited because it exceeds the list view threshold.
        At C:\temp\test4.ps1:24 char:21
        + … ItemCount = Get-PnPFolderItem -FolderSiteRelativeUrl $SiteRelativeUrl …
        + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        + CategoryInfo : WriteError: (:) [Get-PnPFolderItem], ServerException
        + FullyQualifiedErrorId : EXCEPTION,PnP.PowerShell.Commands.Files.GetFolderItem
        Get-PnPFolderItem : The attempted operation is prohibited because it exceeds the list view threshold.
        At C:\temp\test4.ps1:25 char:26
        + … lderCount = Get-PnPFolderItem -FolderSiteRelativeUrl $SiteRelativeUrl …
        + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        + CategoryInfo : WriteError: (:) [Get-PnPFolderItem], ServerException
        + FullyQualifiedErrorId : EXCEPTION,PnP.PowerShell.Commands.Files.GetFolderItem
        The collection has not been initialized. It has not been requested or the request has not been executed. It may need
        to be explicitly requested.
        At C:\temp\test4.ps1:29 char:13
        + ForEach($SubFolder in $Folder.Folders)
        + ~~~~~~~~~~
        + CategoryInfo : OperationStopped: (:) [], CollectionNotInitializedException
        + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.CollectionNotInitializedException

        Reply

        • Yes! This is because the Get-PnPFolderItem cmdlet doesn’t have the capacity to handle libraries with more than 5000 items as of today! So, use the another script under “Alternative approach”

          Reply

          • Thank you! I’m almost there. The only count I do not see is the count from the root folder. Would you be able to help me out with that?

            Reply

  • My CSV is blank with no data.

    Reply

  • I cannot get this script to report sub-folders Past the top level. Something might be broken with the latest PnP module. I get the following output.

    Folder Path ItemCount SubFolderCount
    —— —- ——— ————–
    Test Library /Test Library 0 2
    Forms /Test Library/Forms 0 0
    Document /Test Library/Forms/Document 0 0
    Level 1 /Test Library/Level 1 0 0
    Level 2-1 /Test Library/Level 1/Level 2-1 0 0
    Level 3-1 /Test Library/Level 1/Level 2-1/Level 3-1 0 0
    Level 2-2 /Test Library/Level 1/Level 2-2 0 0

    Reply

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