Steps to Sync SharePoint Document Library to Local Folder

Read time: 5 minutes

In the ever-changing digital realm of today, effective teamwork and easy information access are vital for both businesses and individuals. As remote work establishes itself as the standard, it becomes imperative to have a centralized hub for all your documents and files. Whether you’re part of a multinational corporation or a freelancer, Microsoft SharePoint is the trusted choice for managing documents, fostering team collaboration, and providing storage solutions. Yet, what if you need offline access to these files or seek a local backup for crucial data? This is where the synchronization of a SharePoint Document Library to a local folder becomes invaluable.

This guide will walk you through a simple, step-by-step process to seamlessly synchronize your SharePoint Document Library with a local folder. This ensures that you can access your SharePoint files offline and have a convenient local backup of your essential documents.

Whether you are an IT administrator, business owner, or an end-user looking for ways to better manage your SharePoint Online files, we have got you covered. Alright, let’s kick off the journey to unleash the full capabilities of SharePoint Document Libraries. Enable your team to collaborate seamlessly from any location or device by synchronizing these libraries with a local folder.

Set up Syncing of SharePoint Document Library to a Local Folder

Synchronizing SharePoint with a local folder is a straightforward task that requires just a few minutes. By following these distinct steps, you can establish a setup where all documents are conveniently stored in a unified location, accessible both online and offline. Simply follow the steps outlined below.

1. Find the app launcher icon for Microsoft 365 situated in the upper left corner of the web browser window, then give it a click.
2. Look for the navigation menu on the screen. Select the SharePoint option, then navigate to and pick the particular site that holds the files you want to synchronize.
3. After reaching the site, you can either select the Documents tab or manually explore to locate the particular subfolder housing the files you wish to synchronize.
4. Locate the Sync button and click on it to kickstart the synchronization process.
5. If your web browser asks for permission to utilize “Microsoft OneDrive,” be sure to provide the necessary access.
6. Once you’ve effectively synchronized your SharePoint document library with a local folder, the files from SharePoint will be duplicated to a predetermined folder on your computer. This folder has the name of your organization (e.g.,%userprofile%\Contoso) & will be automatically integrated into the left navigation pane of the File Explorer.

Note: If you’d like to synchronize the SharePoint library with a network folder on another computer, simply follow these steps once more.

You’ve likely encountered the OneDrive app on your Windows taskbar, a useful tool for syncing files between a SharePoint Online Document Library and your local folder. But what if you need to switch the folders for that sync or halt the syncing of all files? Discover the steps to take in order to do just that.

1. Open the OneDrive application in the Windows taskbar notification area by selecting the blue cloud icon.
2. Proceed to select OneDrive Settings and then click on Settings.
3. Navigate to the Account tab to view a comprehensive list of all your syncing sites.
4. To adjust the folders currently in sync, pick “Choose folders for that library” and then select the specific folders you want to synchronize with your local folder for the SharePoint document library. If you want to stop syncing, locate it in the list and click on “Stop sync” next to it.

Alongside synchronization choices, transferring your SharePoint document library to a local folder can be a smart strategy for securely storing and easily accessing your content. Picking the appropriate software is crucial for a smooth transition, and Kernel Migration for SharePoint stands out as a noteworthy option to explore.

This versatile and user-friendly tool allows you to back up and migrate your entire SharePoint or specified data using advanced filters, providing the option to choose a suitable storage location as per your preferences for better SharePoint document management. It has distinctive features to ensure a seamless and efficient migration experience:

• Full Backup: Effortlessly secures your SharePoint assets by efficiently backing up documents, lists, and libraries across all sites and subsites.
• Wide Platform Support: Provides backup solutions for both OneDrive for Business and Google Drive data, addressing the comprehensive cloud storage requirements of organizations.
• Office 365 Integration: Effortlessly transfers Office 365 public folder information to the local file system, enhancing streamlined data storage and administration.
• Flexible Data Management: Enables the effortless transfer of backed-up files to any destination, streamlining the management of data storage and retrieval across diverse platforms.
• File Filtering: Enhanced filters empower you to safeguard particular data or documents, granting comprehensive control over data retrieval while minimizing the time and effort required for migration.
• Audit Log Maintenance: Maintains a comprehensive record of every action executed throughout the migration process, facilitating straightforward tracking and reference.

The Bottomline

Syncing a SharePoint document library to a local folder becomes a breeze with the right guidance. This comprehensive blog provides step-by-step instructions to guide you through the process. Beyond facilitating document sharing among users, it significantly streamlines file access, making it quicker and more convenient. Maintaining regular synchronization with your SharePoint libraries is crucial to ensuring that all shared documents remain current and easily accessible.

Further, if you are looking for a hassle-free SharePoint Migration process, then consider investing in SharePoint Migrator tool that offers more efficiency as it requires fewer efforts for moving files from one platform to another. With this guide, even beginners can easily sync their document library with their local drive folders and work efficiently with those files.