Filename Limits and Invalid Characters in OneDrive and SharePoint

Summary

Don't use these characters when naming OneDrive or SharePoint files or folders.

Body

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.

Details

Details

Article ID: 133369
Created
Mon 5/24/21 5:21 PM
Modified
Fri 11/22/24 4:14 PM

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