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SharePoint No Move to Option Issue!
Sharepoint has no option to move files
Hello, So I am currently using the "new/modern experience" version of Sharepoint. Based on the research I've done, it says that this version should have the Move To option available in the menu with the 3 dots (as opposed to classic). There are other users at my company who are also using the same version of Sharepoint who do have this option available in that menu most of the time. They lose it occasionally, but then they refresh the browser window and it reappears. When I refresh the window, it does not appear for me, however. Is there another setting somewhere that can reinstall this option? Thank you.
- Question from answers.microsoft.com
SharePoint is a web-based collaboration platform developed by Microsoft that allows organizations to store, manage, and share information across teams and departments. It is primarily used for content management, document sharing, and team collaboration, offering powerful tools for both internal and external communication.
If you are stuck in SharePoint no move to option problem, don’t panic, you can find reasons and solutions in this post. Then, we will show you another easier way to move files between SharePoint sites.
Why No Option to Move Files in SharePoint?
If there is no option to move files in SharePoint, there are some factors should be responsible for this issue:
⭕ File Type or Library Restrictions: Some file types or document libraries may not support the "Move" functionality due to restrictions or settings in SharePoint.
⭕ Classic or Modern Experience: Depending on whether you're using the Classic or Modern SharePoint experience, the "Move" option may act differently.
⭕ File Sync Problems: If OneDrive for Business is being used to sync the document library to your local device, there may be a sync problem that is preventing files from being transferred.
⭕ Large files and foldres. Moving large files or folders in SharePoint can occasionally result in errors, particularly if there are several things involved or if the file size is larger than what SharePoint allows.
⭕ Document Library Settings: Certain settings in the document library, like unique permissions or folder settings, might prevent moving files.
⭕ Move Across Sites or Tenants: If you're attempting to move a file between different SharePoint sites or tenants, SharePoint doesn't support this functionality directly.
After getting the reasons why SharePoint no move to option, now let’s fix it quickly and migrate files smoothly.
Fix the "SharePoint No Move to Option" Problem | 5 Ways
Now that we've examined some of the causes, let’s dive into practical solutions. Here are multiple effective ways to resolve the "SharePoint no move to option" issue.
Solution 1: Ensure Proper Permissions
Inadequate permissions are the most frequent source of the "no move to option in SharePoint" problem. You may not have the required access rights if you are unable to transfer a file or folder. You can change user access levels thanks to SharePoint's granular permission controls.
How to check permissions step-by-step:
1. Go to the SharePoint location where the file is kept.
2. Choose Site Settings by clicking the gear icon in the upper right corner.
3. Choose Site Permissions from the Users and Permissions menu.
4. Click on the Check Permissions option to see what rights a user has. If the user does not have "Edit" permissions, they won’t be able to move files.
5. If necessary, add the user to a group with Edit permissions, or manually assign the correct permissions.
6. Once updated, ask the user to refresh their browser and try moving the file again.
This solution directly addresses the issue by ensuring users have the right level of access to perform the file move action.
Solution 2: Switch to Modern SharePoint Experience
Another frequent cause of the "no option to move files in SharePoint" issue is the use of the Classic SharePoint experience. In the Classic experience, the "Move to" option is less intuitive, and some features may be hidden or function differently.
Switch to Modern Experience:
1. Go to the SharePoint document library where the issue is occurring.
2. At the bottom of the library page, you may see an option to Switch to Modern View (depending on the current settings).
Tip: Enable Modern Experience if not available: go to Site Settings > Site Collection Administration> Site collection, enable Modern SharePoint Experience.
3. Once in the Modern experience, try selecting a file and checking if the "Move to" option appears in the toolbar.
The Modern interface is much more user-friendly and supports the latest features, including improved file management and movement. This solution ensures that you are using an up-to-date version of SharePoint that fully supports the "Move to" function.
Solution 3: Allow This Site to Appear in Search Result
Some users report that if your subsite is not configured to appear in search results, SharePoint no move to option will occur. So you can enable “Allow this site to appear in search result” to show the move to option.
Here it is:
1. Please go to Site Settings.
2. Choose Search > Search and offline availability.
3. In the Allow this site to appear in search results section, set it as Yes.
4. Then save the changes, then go back to Search and offline availability to reindex the site.
5. Wait for over an hour, then the move to option should be occur, and move files from one SharePoint to another library.
Solution 4. Expand SharePoint List View
There is another way to fix SharePoint no move to option, that’s expand all SharePoint list view. Here is how to show the move to option in SharePoint:
1. Go to your SharePoint site, and see the documents in a list view as a widget.
2. Click the “see all” link on the right of the documents widget.
3. It will show another list view of the document. You can see the “Move to” option in SharePoint.
Solution 5: Move Smaller Files or Reduce the File Size
Try moving smaller batches of files or reduce the size of the files to see if that resolves the issue. Additionally, check SharePoint's storage limits and quotas.
How to Migrate Files from one SharePoint Site to Another?
Way 1. Using SharePoint Built-in Move To Feature
After fixing no move option in SharePoint, you can migrate files between SharePoint sites with the following steps:
To move a file in Modern SharePoint, follow these steps:
1. Go to the library where your file is stored.
2. Select the file(s) you want to move. tap the three-dots icon.
3. Click the "Move to" button in the top toolbar.
4. Choose the destination folder or library and confirm.
SharePoint Online “Move to” limitations:
- The Site Pages Lirbrary does not allow the "Move to" option.
- If you try to move the document across libraries and the destination contains mandated unique values, the Move to operation will fail.
Way 2. Move Folders Between SharePoint Sites
Except for the above solution to move files between SharePoint sites, you can also try the comprehensive web-based multiple cloud storage manager - MultCloud to make it.
You can get benefits from MultCloud:
- 40+ clouds and services. MultCloud supports almost all clouds in the market, including Google Drive, Google Photos, OneDrive, OneDRive for Business, SharePoint Online, Box, Box for Business, Amazon S3, pCloud, ownCloud, Wasabi, WebDAV, FTP/SFTP, NAS, MySQL, Baidu, iCloud Drive, iCloud Photos, and many more.
- Direct Migration. You can migrate files from one cloud to another cloud directly without downloading and taking up local disk space.
- Flexible ways. You have different ways to perform SharePoint to SharePoint migration, like cloud to cloud backup, sync, transfer, share, copy to, copy, and so on.
- Strong Security. MultCloud deploys 256-bit AES encryption and a OAuth authorization system to safeguard your files online.
To show you how to move folders between SharePoint sites with MultCloud, check the below detailed steps:
1. Log in to your MultCloud account after signing up.
2. Hit Add Cloud > SharePoint Online, then follow the on-screen instructions to add. Then add another SharePoint Online site.
3. Click Cloud Transfer, choose files and folders in one SharePoint site as the source and a location in another SharePoint site as the destination.
Tips:
- Select Schedule > Daily, Weekly, or Monthly to configure the job to run automatically.
- You may set up Email and Filter in Options to make the process go more easily. If you'dlike, you can use file extensions to migrate certain files using Filter.
- Please upgrade if you have a lot of files to move in order to take use of all the premium features, such as scheduling, filtering, increased data traffic, and many more. Try to have fun.
4. Press the Transfer Now button to move folders between SharePoint sites.

- Smart Share: Share cloud files via public, private, or source mode.
- One-key Move: Quick data transfer, sync, and backup among clouds.
- Email Archive: Protect emails to other clouds or local disks.
- Remote upload: Effectively save web files to clouds via URL.
- Save Webpages as PDF/PNG: Keep them locally or online.
- Instagram Download: Archive Instagram materials locally or online.
Conclusion
After reading here, you might have fixed SharePoint not move to option issues. Besides, if you would like to move files between SharePoint sites, or move OneDrive to SharePoint Online, MultCloud is your best choice. Just try and enjoy now.
MultCloud Supports Clouds
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Google Drive
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Google Workspace
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OneDrive
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OneDrive for Business
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SharePoint
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Dropbox
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Dropbox Business
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MEGA
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Google Photos
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iCloud Photos
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FTP
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box
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box for Business
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pCloud
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Baidu
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Flickr
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HiDrive
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Yandex
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NAS
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WebDAV
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MediaFire
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iCloud Drive
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WEB.DE
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Evernote
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Amazon S3
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Wasabi
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ownCloud
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MySQL
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Egnyte
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Putio
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ADrive
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SugarSync
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Backblaze
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CloudMe
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MyDrive
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Cubby