Forum Discussion
Sharepoint Library Folder Depth - filename/path limits
I have two questions regarding SharePoint library limits (or best practices?).
A couple of years ago we were advised to limit our folder depth in SharePoint libraries to no more than 3 folder/subfolders deep. We were told there wasn't a folder limit specifically, but either there was a limit (or maybe just issues) if the filename/path was too long. As I said it's been at least two years since we were advised this and I didn't know if this was still an issue.
1. We now have a use case where a department is moving several thousand files into a SP Library and the documents are in a nested folder structure that's definitely more than 3 folders deep. There's nothing to prevent them from doing this. What are the potential consequences/issues of this type of a library?
2. And on a related note, is there an update to the recommended limitation of 5000 docs in a library (or is it a limit per folder)? And what are the potential consequences/issues of a library with more than 5000 docs?
3 Replies
SharePoint libraries often hit folder depth and filename/path limits. The LongPathTool program is a handy option to manage and fix these issues effectively.
SharePoint often runs into filename/path length problems. The LongPathTool program is really useful for handling these issues quickly.
Hi TandyWine, For this kind of information, I usually refer back to the page where SharePoint platform limits are listed. I haven’t tested all of the limits myself, but I can see that one of them is that the entire decoded file path, including the file name, cannot exceed 400 characters link.
I don’t see anything about the maximum folder depth, but as you mentioned, with more levels, you can reach the 400-character limit more easily.
Regarding the files, you can store more than 5,000, but you need to watch out for the list view threshold limit. link1, link2
Maybe you could consider using Document Libraries instead of folders. That would save you one folder level.
I am not sure if you use unique permissions per folder but the recommendation is 5k per library link
