This doc covers how to move documents out of SharePoint and into Document Library Pro. You handle the import in two stages: Download the files from SharePoint, then import them into your library. A sync is not the right tool for this move, because syncing would keep the documents dependent on SharePoint.
Download your files from SharePoint
For a few hundred files, use SharePoint in your browser. Open the document library in SharePoint, select the files or folders you want, and choose Download. SharePoint packages them into a zip file.
Microsoft publishes these limits for downloading files and folders from OneDrive or SharePoint.
- 250GB per file
- 10,000 files in a single download
- 10,000 files per folder
- 10GB per zip file where the contents are already compressed, and 20GB overall
- OneNote notebooks cannot be downloaded. You get an error file instead.
- You cannot bulk download from the Shared view. You need to download from the library itself.
- SharePoint Server 2019 on-premises cannot do multi-file download at all.
For larger libraries, use the OneDrive sync app. Microsoft’s own recommendation above 10,000 files is to sync the library to a computer, wait for OneDrive to finish downloading everything, and then copy the folder somewhere outside OneDrive. You need enough disk space for the whole library, and the process can take a long time.
Keep the folder structure intact when you copy the files. Do not flatten the folders into one place, because the folders become categories later.
What does not come across
SharePoint metadata columns, version history, and permissions do not travel with the downloaded files. You get the files and the folder structure. Categories and tags in Document Library Pro cover what most libraries used metadata columns for.
Plan your categories before you import
Folders become categories in Document Library Pro. Categories drive the filters visitors use, and nested categories are supported. Write a child category as Parent > Child, for example Reports > Board minutes.
Decide which documents belong in a protected library before you import. This affects how you publish the finished library.
Import your documents
You can import documents from the Import page in two ways. Both methods are available on the Advanced plan.
The first method is to drag a batch of files onto the Bulk Upload page. One document is created per file, using the file name as the title, with the extension dropped and dashes turned into spaces. For example, board-minutes-march.pdf becomes board minutes march. SharePoint filenames are often untidy, so check them before importing instead of renaming documents afterwards.
The second method is to import a spreadsheet as a CSV file. This is usually the better choice after SharePoint, because you can set titles and categories for every document before anything goes live. Build the spreadsheet from the folder listing, with one row per document, one column per field, and a header row across the top.
Upload the CSV file on the Bulk Upload page. Your column headings are matched to our fields automatically. Check the matches, adjust any that are wrong, and then run the import.
You can include the columns below.
- Name is required. This is the title of the document.
- Content is the document description, as plain text or HTML.
- Excerpt is a short summary of the document.
- File URL is a public web address of a file to pull into the library, so it is hosted and downloadable.
- Direct URL is a web address that stays an external link rather than being imported.
- Featured Image URL is a public image address, downloaded and set as the thumbnail.
- File Size is only needed for linked documents, since the size of anything hosted for you is worked out automatically.
- Categories and Tags are created during the import if they do not exist, and Parent > Child nests them.
- Document Authors is the author name shown against the document.
- Published is TRUE or FALSE. This controls whether the document goes live or stays as a draft.
See Bulk Upload for the full import reference.
Publish the library and set access
- Open Publish Library in the dashboard.
- Copy the embed code. It includes an iframe and a small resize script.
- Add the site you are embedding on to the allowed domains box.
- Paste the embed code into your page.
Your library also works as a standalone page at your-slug.documentlibrary.app, or on your own branded address.
For libraries that should not be public, use password protection or embed the library inside a site that already has its own login. See publishing your library for the full publishing steps.
Check your scanned documents
Search covers the text inside PDF, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. A scanned PDF is an image of a page, so there is no text inside to index. It can only be found by its title, description, and categories.
Identify scanned documents during the import where possible. Give them clear titles and descriptions, so visitors can still find them. See document library search for more about what search includes.
Further reading: See migrating away from SharePoint for a fuller walkthrough of planning a move away from SharePoint.