SharePoint user adds random metadata to files
I have a SharePoint Library where we add procedures and documents. There is relevant metadata included (Owner, modified date, keywords, department, etc.), but for one individual contributor, every time she uploads it places oddly specific default values in these metadata fields. I have confirmed on the library settings that there are no column defaults (In this folder or the root folder) and the problem does not occur with any other user. We did have her clear cache and log out and back in, but she is still the only user with this problem. What are we missing?
Moving Files from a Shared Drive to a SharePoint site
Hi, I've seen the moving of files from a Shared Drive to a SharePoint site can be tricky, depending on the size of the files that are to be moved. What is the best and most effective way to move folder, files. I'm not sure yet of the number of folders and size of the files that will need to be moved? Can anyone provide an advise on this, please.. Regards Chris
SharePoint file links are not working
Recently we have noticed that when you copy the link and share with others (even ourselves), the link fails to open. If we use the path link under details, that works 100% of the time. The only difference we see is there are more gibberish in the link path. Initially, we thought the PDF files were having issues but it can be any file type. Our thought is the issue is with the SharePoint site.
Document Sets - Want Subfolders (not just files) to inherit metadata
Trying to get subfolders (the actual subfolder) in a document set to inherit metadata. We have files and files in subfolders inheriting correctly but currently subfolders in the set do not inherit data. We are using the metadata column for view filter between active/pending/completed job status. What happens is the subfolders don't show in the filtered view so you cant traverse the subfolder structure. Show flat structure is not suitable as its hundreds of files. The shared columns settings in library settings, says it syncs for all 'documents' in the set. This excludes folders. Have tried power automate, but it doesn't seem to work applying the metadata to a folder object. We need to able to change a document set from Active > Pending and all the metadata change. Any ideas on how we can get the subfolders in inherit (and update) the metadata of the document set. Thanks in advance.Sharing with an external user who has changed their email
I have had an issue with trying to share a folder with somebody who changed their email from, for illustrative purposes only, mailto:email address removed for privacy reasons to mailto:email address removed for privacy reasons. because his company EW had merged with Elsewhere. I believe that the second email was an alias for the first as both his actual addresses will reach him. The issue was that when I went to share a folder with his new email it would default back to his original email every single time. Eventually our IT department deleted all trace of his original email from Sharepoint which then recognised and allowed me to share with his new email. My question is - how does Sharepoint know these two different emails are the same person? Is it randomly deciding there is enough similarity in the email addresses- which in my view would be very dangerous, or does it know that both domains are registered to the same organisation?MGDC for SharePoint FAQ: How to List SharePoint Webs or Subsites?
1. Introduction SharePoint uses a known object hierarchy to store your files, including, in order: Site Collection (site, SPSite) Web (site, subsite, SPWeb) List (SPList, Document Library, SPDocumentLibrary) Folder (SPFolder) List Item (documents, files, SPListItem, SPFile) If you are not familiar with all those, you can read more about them at What is in the Permissions dataset? 2.What we have in MGDC for SharePoint The SharePoint Sites dataset in Microsoft Graph Data Connect offers a list of all sites (site collections) in your tenant. The SharePoint Files will give you details about each file (document). However, there are no MGDC datasets that will give you one object per SharePoint Web (subsite) or SharePoint List (library). There is a workaround, though. If you pay attention to the schema for the SharePoint Sites and SharePoint Files datasets in MGDC, you will find that Sites includes a few interesting details about the Root Web (the main web in the site collection) and the total number of webs (subsites) in each site. Also, the Files dataset includes details about the web (subsite) and the list (library) where the file lives. You could group on these columns to expose more information about webs and lists. 3. One Web These days, if you create a modern SharePoint site, you will get one web (called the Root Web) and no obvious mechanism to create subsites or additional webs. For any sites created in the last few years, you likely have no additional webs outside the Root Web. Your SharePoint might have existed for many years and your company could have sites using old templates with multiple subsites. If you’re trying to find out if that’s the case for your tenant, the information is available in MGDC, if you are willing to dig a little deeper. 4. Finding Old Subsites The main task here is to create a custom query to join the Sites and Files datasets. You would then group that in a particular way to enumerate each subsites (Webs). You might also tag the Webs that are a Root Web, so that you can identify subsites that are not at the top of the Site hierarchy. If you pulled the Sites and Files datasets into a SQL Server or a Lakehouse in Microsoft Fabric, this is what that query could look like: SELECT Webs.SiteId, Sites.RootWeb.Title AS SiteTitle, Sites.Url AS SiteUrl, Sites.WebCount, Webs.WebId, CASE WHEN Root.RootWeb.Id IS NOT NULL THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS IsRootWeb, Webs.FileCount, Webs.TotalSize, Webs.TotalSizeWithVersions FROM ( SELECT SiteId, WebId, COUNT(*) AS FileCount, SUM(SizeInBytes) AS TotalSize, SUM(SizeInBytesWithVersions) AS TotalSizeWithVersions FROM Files GROUP BY SiteId, WebId ) AS Webs LEFT JOIN Sites AS Sites ON Webs.SiteId = Sites.Id LEFT JOIN Sites AS Root ON Webs.SiteId = Root.Id AND Webs.WebId = Root.RootWeb.Id 4. Empty Webs, Web properties This technique will get you a nice list of Webs, but there are a few problems. First, if a specific web has no files, we won’t see that web in the Files dataset and therefore the query will fail to list that particular web. You would still see that Web counted in the WebCount property of the Sites dataset, but there would be no listing of that web in the query proposed above, since it has no files. Another problem is that there is no way to find in MGDC the details properties of the Web, like the Title. You get some of those for the Root Web in the Sites dataset, but not for the other Webs. For that, you would have to query the Web object using another source like the Graph API or PowerShell. 5. Conclusion I hope this article helped you find details about enumerating SharePoint Webs using the Microsoft Graph Data Connect. For recent deployments of SharePoint Online, you should have only one web per site and the Sites dataset (with Root Web details) should give you plenty of details. However, this might come in handy if you want to manage some of the old subsites of a slightly older SharePoint deployment. Finally, if you’re looking for a challenge, I would suggest adapting the SQL code above to enumerate all the document libraries using the Files dataset. It can be done following a similar pattern…MGDC for SharePoint: Increased Changes in SizeInBytesWithVersions
We noticed recently a change in behavior for the SizeInBytesWithVersions column in the SharePoint Files dataset exposed by Microsoft Graph Data Connect (MGDC). This column used to change only when there were changes to the file. It is now possible for this column to be changed when internal processes in the SharePoint infrastructure optimize the storage of file metadata, without a matching change in any other column exposed via the MGDC SharePoint Files dataset. This change is generally not a concern, but it could cause a larger number of SharePoint Files objects to show in MGDC as updated. This would in turn cause an increase in the size of deltas (a feature of MGDC where only changed objects are pulled) and a corresponding increase in cost for pulling SharePoint File deltas. If this becomes a concern, there is a simple workaround. In the copy task definition for the MGDC SharePoint Files dataset, in the Source tab, under the Output columns list, you can delete the SizeInBytesWithVersions column to filter it out of the results. This way, the deltas will see a corresponding reduction.MGDC for SharePoint: New Columns in September 2026
The MGDC for SharePoint team continues to improve the available datasets. This time around, we are introducing additional columns to some of our existing datasets. Here is a summary based on the different scenarios they support: Archive – Extends support for the SharePoint Archive feature. Includes a site property for size of archived files and a file property to indicate that the file is archived. E-signature – Supports the E-signature by adding a file to indicate there is a digital signature and the provider’s name. Filtering – The RootWebTemplateId was added to SharePoint Groups and SharePoint Permission dataset to facilitate filter by type of site, like it is currently available for Sites, Files and File Actions. Hub Site – Extends support for Hub Sites, introducing a column for ParentHubSiteId, to represent a hub site hierarchy. Restricted – Multiple columns indicating restricted flags in sites, including Restricted Access Control (RAC), Restricted Content Discovery (RCD) and Restricted Content Org-wide Search Policy. Retention – Support a set of file properties about Retention Labels, including label name, type, who applied it and when it was applied. Sharing – Extends the SharePoint Permissions properties to support the new sharing model. This includes information about the Main Link and Variants. Versions – Extends support for versions, including version storage metrics and version history policy. Here is a summary of all 26 columns in 4 datasets (Sites, Groups, Permissions and Files): Dataset Column Data type Description Sites ArchiveStorageUsed Number Total size of all archived storage in bytes Sites IsRestrictContentOrgWide SearchPolicyEnforcedOnSite Boolean Restricted Content Org-wide Search Policy Sites IsRestrictedAccess ControlPolicyEnabled Boolean Restricted Access Control Sites IsRestrictedContentDiscovery forCopilotAndAgentsEnabled Boolean Restricted Content Discovery Sites ParentHubSiteId String, GUID Parent hub site for this hub site Sites StorageMetrics, VersionCount Number Number of versions Sites StorageMetrics, VersionSize Number Total size of versions in bytes Sites StorageMetrics, VersionMetadataSize Number Total size of version metadata in bytes Sites VersionHistoryPolicy String Version history policy. Possible values: None, Automatic, Manual. If manual, uses “major version limit”. Sites MajorVersionLimit Number Limit for number of major versions Groups RootWebTemplateId Number Root web template id Groups Description String Description of the group Permissions RootWebTemplateId Number Root web template id Permissions SharingVariant String Sharing link variant. Possible values include: None, PasswordProtected, TrackLinkUsers, Embeddable, Ephemeral, RestrictToExistingRelationships, MainLink, NonDurableRedeem. Multiple values can be set at once. Permissions MainLinkAudience String Main link audience. Possible values include: Organization, Empty (people with existing access). Permissions MainLinkRole String Main link role. Possible values include View, Edit, others. Files RetentionLabel Object Retention label Files RetentionLabel, AppliedByEmail String Email of user who applied retention label Files RetentionLabel, AppliedByName String Name of user who applied retention label Files RetentionLabel, AppliedTime DateTme Time when retention label was applied Files RetentionLabel, Name String Name of retention label Files RetentionLabel, Type String Type of retention label. Possible values: Normal, Record or Regulatory Record Files HasDigitalSignature Boolean File has a digital signature Files DigitalSignatureProvider String Name of digital signature provider if digital Signature exist Files IsFileArchived Boolean File is Archived These changes are non-breaking, which means that your existing pipelines will continue to run. We also let this change sit for 21 days, so that delta datasets are also not impacted. Anyone starting fresh with MGDC for SharePoint will automatically get the new columns in their pipelines. If you have existing pipelines and want to use the new columns, you will need to update your MGDC application, get that update approved and then update your pipeline to pull the new schema. For more details about updating your pipelines to include new columns, or to see how these can be leveraged in specific scenarios, see these articles: Helpful blog on schema changes: MGDC for SharePoint FAQ: How to deal with schema changes Main MGDC for SharePoint article: https://aka.ms/SharePointData Updated schema for SharePoint datasets in MGDC: https://aka.ms/SharePointDatasetsMGDC for SharePoint and SharePoint Embedded
1. MGDC for SharePoint and SharePoint Embedded In this post, we’ll discuss how to use data from Microsoft Graph Data Connect (MGDC) for SharePoint to understand how SharePoint Embedded is being configured and used in your tenant. If you’re new to MGDC, get an overview at https://aka.ms/SharePointData. If you’re not familiar with SharePoint Embedded, check this Overview of SharePoint Embedded. 2. Introduction SharePoint Embedded is an API-only solution to use the power of the Microsoft 365 file and document storage platform. You can use it to build applications that expose Microsoft 365 features including those from Office, Purview and Copilot. The SharePoint Embedded files are stored in “File Storage Containers”, created by your enterprise applications or a third-party application. 3. MGDC for SharePoint and SharePoint Embedded One important detail is that MGDC for SharePoint sees these containers and files used by SharePoint Embedded. You can see the Containers (under Sites), the permissions granted and even each individual file inside the Containers. 4. Web Template Id To filter sites for SharePoint Embedded containers, just look for SharePoint Sites in MGDC that have the RootWeb.WebTemplateId of 70. This is used to differentiate this scenario, in the same way that OneDrives are sites with the RootWeb.WebTemplateId of 21. You can also check for the RootWeb.Template, which shows as “CSPCONTAINER” for SharePoint Embedded. A typical container for SharePoint Embedded will show in the SharePoint Sites datasets like this: { "ptenant": "00000001-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "Id": "00000002-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "Url": "https://tenantname.sharepoint.com/contentstorage/CSP_00000009-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "ArchiveState": "None", "RootWeb": { "Configuration": 0, "Id": "00000003-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "Title": "Ideas", "WebTemplate": "CSPCONTAINER", "WebTemplateId": 70, "LastItemModifiedDate": "2025-01-10T22:55:18.000Z" }, "WebCount": 1, "StorageQuota": 27487790694400, "StorageUsed": 149186, "StorageMetrics": { "MetadataSize": 8506, "TotalFileCount": 2, "TotalFileStreamSize": 41924, "TotalSize": 149186 }, "GroupId": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "GeoLocation": "CAN", "IsInRecycleBin": false, "RecycleBinItemCount": 0, "RecycleBinItemSize": 0, "SecondStageRecycleBinStorageUsage": 0, "IsTeamsConnectedSite": false, "IsTeamsChannelSite": false, "TeamsChannelType": "None", "IsCommunicationSite": false, "IsHubSite": false, "HubSiteId": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "IsOneDrive": false, "BlockAccessFromUnmanagedDevices": false, "BlockDownloadOfAllFilesOnUnmanagedDevices": false, "BlockDownloadOfViewableFilesOnUnmanagedDevices": false, "IsExternalSharingEnabled": true, "ShareByEmailEnabled": true, "ShareByLinkEnabled": true, "SensitivityLabelInfo": {}, "IBMode": "Open", "RelatedGroupId": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "Owner": { "Name": "System Account" }, "SecondaryContact": {}, "ReadLocked": false, "ReadOnly": false, "CreatedTime": "2025-01-09T22:54:50Z", "LastSecurityModifiedDate": "2025-01-09T22:57:11Z", "Operation": "Full", "LastUserAccessDate": "2025-01-09T22:54:51Z", "SnapshotDate": "2025-01-11T00:00:00Z" } Note: In all the sample JSON objects shown in this post, ids were redacted with zeros. You can learn more about how SharePoint uses WebTemplateId to identify the type of site at MGDC for SharePoint FAQ: Is OneDrive included? 5. Permissions The SharePoint Permissions dataset includes all the permissions granted for all the several types of SharePoint content, including OneDrive, Teams-connected sites, and SharePoint Embedded containers. Granular permissions by folder and individual files are also included. Here’s a typical object from the SharePoint Permissions dataset: { "ptenant": "00000001-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "SiteId": "00000002-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "WebId": "00000003-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "ListId": "00000004-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "ItemType": "File", "ItemURL": "contentstorage/CSP_00000009-0000-0000-0000-000000000000/Document Library/LoopAppData/ProjectBlue.loop", "FileExtension": "loop", "RoleDefinition": "Contribute", "LinkId": "00000005-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "ScopeId": "00000006-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "LinkScope": "Organization", "SharedWithCount": [], "SharedWith": [], "Operation": "Full", "SnapshotDate": "2025-01-11T00:00:00Z", "ShareCreatedBy": { "Type": "User", "Name": "Test User", "Email": "test@tenantname.onmicrosoft.com", "UPN": "test@tenantname.onmicrosoft.com" }, "ShareCreatedTime": "2025-01-09T22:55:51Z", "ShareLastModifiedBy": { "Type": "User", "Name": "Test User", "Email": "test@tenantname.onmicrosoft.com", "UPN": "test@tenantname.onmicrosoft.com" }, "ShareLastModifiedTime": "2025-01-09T22:55:51Z", "ListItemId": 4, "UniqueId": "00000007-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" } Note: The example above shows a single Contribute permission to a Loop file using a sharing link. Loop uses SharePoint Embedded to store files and it’s something you can easily configure and test in your tenant. MGDC for SharePoint will show all permissions granted in SharePoint Embedded containers, included permissions granted at various levels of the SharePoint hierarchy (site, web, library, folder, or file) and diverse types of security principals (users, SharePoint groups and Entra ID groups, internal or external). You can learn more about it at MGDC for SharePoint FAQ: What is in the Permissions dataset? 6. Files Finally, you can get a complete list of every file inside the SharePoint Embedded containers, including details like file name, size, author, last modifier and more. Here’s a typical object from the SharePoint Files dataset: { "ptenant": "00000001-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "SiteId": "00000002-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "Author": { "Name": "Test User", "Email": "test@tenantname.onmicrosoft.com" }, "DirName": "Document Library/LoopAppData", "Extension": "loop", "FileName": "ProjectBlue.loop", "IsLabelEncrypted": false, "ItemId": "00000008-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "ListId": "00000004-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "ListServerTemplate": "DocumentLibrary", "MajorVersion": 4, "MinorVersion": 0, "ModifiedBy": { "Name": "Test User", "Email": "test@tenantname.onmicrosoft.com" }, "Operation": "Full", "ScopeId": "00000006-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "SensitivityLabelInfo": {}, "SiteUrl": "https://tenantname.sharepoint.com/contentstorage/CSP_00000009-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "SizeInBytes": 24301, "SizeInBytesWithVersions": 57765, "TimeCreated": "2025-01-09T22:55:08Z", "TimeLastModified": "2025-01-09T22:56:13Z", "WebId": "00000003-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "WebTemplateId": 70, "SnapshotDate": "2025-01-11T00:00:00Z" } Note: SharePoint Embedded does not support minor versions, so the “MinorVersion” column in the Files dataset will always show zero in this scenario. For details, check the schema for the SharePoint Files dataset. 7. Filtering You can easily download entire datasets and use Azure Data Tools to filter for rows where WebTemplateId is 70. For Sites and Files, there is also a mechanism to filter at the source, so you pull from Microsoft Graph Data Connect only the data related to SharePoint Embedded. The same filtering mechanism can be used to pull data just for a specific site, filtered by Id. For details, check this article about Filtering SharePoint dataset at the source. 8. Conclusion I hope this post helped you understand how to use MGDC for SharePoint to gather information about SharePoint Embedded containers and files. For more information, visit https://aka.ms/SharePointData.
