Forum Discussion
Editing or updating URL of link file saved in Sharepoint document library
FYI - Response from Microsoft Support
In a SharePoint on-premises environment, the vti_shortcuturl property contains the URL value of an item. However, this value does not update when the file is replaced. This behavior was previously logged as a bug but rejected because the URL is considered content, not a property. Since replacing a file doesn’t change its content, the URL remains unchanged. Additionally, SharePoint lacks a URL editor to modify this value directly, making it unlikely for this issue to be accepted as a new bug.
Steps Taken to Reproduce the Issue:
- Added a link in the document library, creating an item with the .url extension.
- Created a link item named "Google," pointing to https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.google.com__;!!NLW3fF9v!N931r89Nx45wJUWgcRQIZZjckTGV3dKr2Pnec1Ofz79pkTxYKnP4OD3Cqvlu10lQ5XRSB1_SPIIBsAWm2avSnll9Ogs$.
- Created a shortcut file in File Explorer with the same name, "Google," but pointed the URL to a different address (e.g., https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.youtube.com__;!!NLW3fF9v!N931r89Nx45wJUWgcRQIZZjckTGV3dKr2Pnec1Ofz79pkTxYKnP4OD3Cqvlu10lQ5XRSB1_SPIIBsAWm2avS4_IHrMQ$).
- Uploaded the File Explorer shortcut to the same document library, which prompted a message that a file with the same name already exists.
- Selected the option to replace the existing file with the new one.
- Expected behavior: Replacing the file should redirect to https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.youtube.com__;!!NLW3fF9v!N931r89Nx45wJUWgcRQIZZjckTGV3dKr2Pnec1Ofz79pkTxYKnP4OD3Cqvlu10lQ5XRSB1_SPIIBsAWm2avS4_IHrMQ$.
- Actual behavior: The file still redirected to the old reference, https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.google.com__;!!NLW3fF9v!N931r89Nx45wJUWgcRQIZZjckTGV3dKr2Pnec1Ofz79pkTxYKnP4OD3Cqvlu10lQ5XRSB1_SPIIBsAWm2avSnll9Ogs$.
Observations:
- Versioning was enabled in the document library. Upon reviewing version history:
- Version 2.0 (new file) downloaded and redirected to https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.youtube.com__;!!NLW3fF9v!N931r89Nx45wJUWgcRQIZZjckTGV3dKr2Pnec1Ofz79pkTxYKnP4OD3Cqvlu10lQ5XRSB1_SPIIBsAWm2avS4_IHrMQ$.
- Version 1.0 referred to the old URL, https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.google.com__;!!NLW3fF9v!N931r89Nx45wJUWgcRQIZZjckTGV3dKr2Pnec1Ofz79pkTxYKnP4OD3Cqvlu10lQ5XRSB1_SPIIBsAWm2avSnll9Ogs$.
- Repeated similar steps independently with identical results.
- Tested replacing the .url file through the browser to rule out File Explorer or OneDrive issues; the same behavior persisted.
- Observed the same issue in both modern and classic SharePoint experiences.
- The Edit Properties option for the URL item did not display the link or URL it redirects to.
- Tested on SharePoint On-Premises 2019 and SharePoint Subscription Edition (SPSE), reproducing the same behavior.
We just ran into this this morning. We have nearly 100 links that need to be changed, and we cannot edit them. The amount of work required to redo all of the titling and meta-data is frustrating, and this functionality seems like a no-brainer since you can edit everything else. Microsoft - can you please check into this?
I encounter this all the time. I have to update URL links in our SharePoint database and I always have to recreate the file every time the URL changes. It's baffling that no one's considered this an important feature.
