Top Issues in SharePoint Lists and Libraries- Best Practices, Expert tips and Solutions

Managing SharePoint lists and document libraries can be a daunting task, especially as the volume of items and documents grows. These tools are essential for storing and organizing vast amounts of data, but they come with their own set of challenges. This article explores common issues encountered with SharePoint lists and document libraries and provides detailed, step-by-step solutions to address them effectively with best practices to ensure optimal performance and user experience.?

Common Issues and Detailed Solutions?

1. Permissions and Access Control Problems?

Issue: Permissions in SharePoint are hierarchical and can become complex, leading to overly restrictive access or inconsistent permissions.?

Details: SharePoint permissions range from site collections to individual items, offering great flexibility but also creating complexity. Overly restrictive permissions can hinder users' ability to perform their tasks, while broken inheritance can lead to inconsistent access rights.?

Steps to Resolve:?

Regular Audits: Regularly audit SharePoint permissions to align access rights with user roles.?

Use SharePoint Groups: Simplify management by assigning permissions through groups rather than individual users.?

Minimize Breaking Inheritance: Only break inheritance when essential to maintain a consistent permission structure.?

2. List View Threshold?

Issue: SharePoint Online has a list view threshold of 5,000 items to ensure optimal performance. Exceeding this limit can cause errors and slow down the system.?

Details: This threshold prevents performance degradation when querying large lists. If a view tries to display more than 5,000 items, it can result in errors such as "The attempted operation is prohibited because it exceeds the list view threshold enforced by the administrator".?

Steps to Resolve:?

Create Indexed Columns:?

• Indexing columns helps SharePoint quickly locate and retrieve data, improving performance and allowing views to handle more items without hitting the threshold.?

• Navigate to your list or document library, click on Library Settings, under Columns, select Indexed Columns, and click Create a new index to choose the column to index.?

Use Filtered Views:?

• Filtered views limit the number of items displayed at one time, keeping the view under the 5,000-item threshold and preventing errors.?

• Go to Library Settings, click Create View, and set filters to limit the number of items displayed.?

Break Down Large Lists or Libraries:?

• Splitting large lists or libraries into smaller ones makes them more manageable and reduces the risk of performance issues.?

• Organize items or documents by categories or departments to create smaller, more focused lists or libraries.?

3. Performance Issues?

Issue: Performance can degrade with an increasing number of items or documents, leading to slower load times and difficulties in searching and sorting.?

Details: Large lists and libraries can strain SharePoint’s resources, causing delays in rendering pages and executing queries. This can be particularly problematic for users who need to access items or documents quickly and efficiently.?

Steps to Resolve:?

Optimize with Metadata:?

• Using metadata instead of folders helps SharePoint index and retrieve items or documents more efficiently, improving performance.?

• Go to Library Settings and create new columns for metadata to categorize and tag items or documents.?

Use Content Types:?

• Content types allow you to define and manage different types of content consistently, improving organization and searchability.?

• Go to Site Settings > Site Content Types and create new content types for different categories.?

Avoid Excessive Folders:?

• Excessive use of folders can complicate navigation and indexing, whereas metadata and views provide a more efficient way to organize items or documents.?

• Educate users on the benefits of metadata over folders and encourage its use.?

4. Sync Limitations?

Issue: Syncing large lists or libraries with OneDrive can be problematic, especially when the number of items exceeds recommended limits.?

Details: Microsoft recommends not syncing more than 300,000 items across all lists and OneDrive accounts. Exceeding this limit can lead to sync errors, increased network traffic, and potential data loss.?

Steps to Resolve:?

Selective Sync:?

• Selective sync allows users to sync only the necessary folders, reducing the number of items and improving sync performance.?

• In OneDrive, click on the OneDrive icon in the taskbar, go to Help & Settings > Settings, navigate to the Account tab, and click Choose folders to select only the necessary folders to sync.?

Regular Cleanup:?

• Regularly reviewing and cleaning up synced lists or libraries helps stay within recommended limits and ensures only relevant items are synced.?

• Periodically review and remove unnecessary items or folders from sync.?

5. Indexing and Search Issues?

Issue: Large lists or libraries can face indexing issues, affecting search efficiency.?

Details: When a list or library contains a large number of items or documents, the search index can become overloaded, leading to incomplete search results or slow search performance. This can hinder users from finding the items or documents they need quickly.?

Steps to Resolve:?

Review Search Schema:?

• Ensuring important columns are indexed and mapped to managed properties improves search relevance and performance.?

• Go to Site Settings > Search Schema and review the indexing and mapping of important columns.?

Use Managed Properties:?

• Managed properties enhance search capabilities by allowing more precise queries and better search results.?

• Create managed properties for important metadata and map crawled properties to managed properties in the search schema.?

6. File Name and Path Length Limitations?

Issue: SharePoint has limitations on file name and path lengths, which can cause errors and prevent items from being uploaded or accessed.?

Details: The maximum URL length in SharePoint Online is 400 characters. Exceeding this limit can result in errors such as "The specified file or folder name is too long". This can be particularly challenging for users who are accustomed to using long, descriptive file names.?

Steps to Resolve:?

Implement Naming Conventions:?

• Short, descriptive names help avoid exceeding the URL length limit and make files easier to manage.?

• Establish and enforce naming conventions for files and folders, and educate users on their importance.?

Use Metadata:?

• Storing additional information in metadata fields instead of long file names keeps file names short and manageable.?

• Create metadata columns in the list or document library for extra details and encourage users to use them.?

7. Migration Challenges?

Issue: Migrating large lists or document libraries can be complex, with potential issues such as incorrect metadata mapping and data loss.?

Details: During migration, differences in metadata fields and properties between the source and target environments can lead to data inconsistencies. Additionally, large volumes of data can increase the risk of errors and prolong the migration process.?

Steps to Resolve:?

Plan Migrations Carefully:?

• A detailed migration plan helps ensure all aspects of the migration are considered and reduces the risk of errors.?

• Create a migration plan that includes timelines, responsibilities, and tools that support large data volumes.?

Test Migrations:?

• Testing migrations in a staging environment helps identify and resolve issues before the final migration.?

• Perform test migrations, verify that metadata and permissions are correctly mapped, and make necessary adjustments before executing the final migration.?

Best Practices for Managing Large SharePoint Lists and Libraries?

1. Use Modern Experience: The modern experience in SharePoint offers better performance and usability compared to the classic experience.?
2. Regularly Review and Clean Up Lists and Libraries: Regular maintenance helps keep lists and libraries organized and efficient.?
3. Educate Users: User training ensures everyone understands best practices and follows them consistently.?
4. Implement Information Architecture: A well-planned information architecture improves navigation, searchability, and overall management.?
5. Monitor Performance: Regular monitoring helps identify and address performance issues before they become critical.?

Managing large lists and document libraries in SharePoint Online requires careful planning and implementation of best practices. By understanding common issues such as list view thresholds, performance degradation, sync limitations, and permission complexities, and by following the detailed solutions provided, you can ensure a smoother and more efficient user experience. Regular maintenance and user education are key to keeping your lists and document libraries optimized and functional.?