Filename Limits and Invalid Characters in OneDrive and SharePoint

There are special characters you cannot use in filenames because they serve other purposes within OneDrive and SharePoint. If you have a special character in your filename, OneDrive and SharePoint will not be able to sync.
 
The best thing to do is rename/avoid using these special characters. Don’t use the following characters in filenames on OneDrive or SharePoint:

          " * : < > ? / \ |

If you have a file or folder with invalid characters, just rename the file, and syncing your account should allow you to continue.

OneDrive and SharePoint Have File Path Limits

  • The file path limit for OneDrive and SharePoint is 400 characters
  • The limit for a file or folder name is 255 characters.
  • Try to exclude spaces from file and folder names. A space in a file path will be replaced by %20 in OneDrive, which is now three characters instead of a single space as you see it. Try using the underscore _ in place of a space.

If you are having issues with a OneDrive or SharePoint file, start with renaming the file in question. If you still need to free up space, start with a top-level parent folder to prevent issues in the future.

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Article ID: 133369
Created
Mon 5/24/21 4:21 PM
Modified
Thu 4/25/24 3:45 PM

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