How to Sync a SharePoint Online Document Library to a Local Folder?

There might come a time when you need to sync a SharePoint Online document library to your local computer. Maybe you’re working on a project with others and want to have an offline copy of the files, or perhaps you want easier access to your files and keep everything in one place. Whatever the reason, It’s easy to sync your SharePoint Online document library with a local folder and ensure you always see updates in the right places. This article will show you how to do this syncing process. Let’s get started!

Sync SharePoint Online with a local folder using OneDrive Client

Microsoft recommends using the Sync option through the OneDrive client, instead of File Explorer view or mapped drives, for faster performance and data consistency-reliability reasons. The View in File explorer or mapped drive options uses a temporary folder to open a SharePoint Folder in File Explorer. Once your session expires, it may no longer exist. In contrast, the Sync features create a permanent folder that you may utilize to sync regularly using the OneDrive sync. All content that you add, edit or remove from either the online SharePoint library or the desktop folder automatically syncs to the other location.

Follow these steps to sync the SharePoint Online Document library to your local folder:

1. Open the SharePoint site in your web browser and Navigate to the SharePoint document library or folder you’d like to sync locally
2. Click on the Sync button from the command bar. If prompted, enter your Microsoft 365 credentials and click Sign In.

   

3. Click Allow when prompted by the OneDrive app permission pop-up window.
4. In the Choose where to sync your SharePoint files pop-up window that appears, select a location on your computer and click Start sync.
5. Once the wizard finishes setting up the sync, you’ll find the folder locally from the file explorer left-hand tree view.

   

6. Your SharePoint document library will now sync with the selected folder on your computer, and any changes made in either location will be reflected in the other (i.e., if you add or delete files from one location, those changes will be replicated in the other location).

If you no longer need the sync, You can click on Stop sync from OneDrive client settings to prevent any further changes from being replicated between the two locations.

You can also use the “Add Shortcut to OneDrive” option – which uses the OneDrive sync app, which adds the specific SharePoint Online folder inside the “OneDrive” folder in File explorer.

Syncing a SharePoint Online document library to your local folder is an easy way to keep your files up-to-date in both locations. By following the steps outlined above, you can ensure that any changes made to files in one location will be reflected in the other location as well. This makes it easy to collaborate with team members and keep offline copies of your files.

Don’t want users to sync and have local copies to their local machines? Well, you can turn off sync! How to Disable sync in SharePoint Online?