Backup SharePoint Online to Local Storage Step by Step – Quick 4 Methods

SharePoint Online is great for collaboration, but what if a file is deleted permanently or corrupted? According to CBS News, the Microsoft cloud platforms were down for almost the entire day. In that case, a local copy will save you and ensure data continuity. Unfortunately, Microsoft 365 doesn’t offer any solution to backup SharePoint Online to local storage. Now, the question is how to take a backup of SharePoint Online?

To answer this, I researched and found the most appropriate solutions, which I will explain step by step in this guide.

Here you’ll find:

• Why Backup SharePoint Locally
• Top 4 Backup Methods
  • #Method 1. Use OneDrive Sync
  • #Method 2. PowerShell
  • #Method 3. Manually Downloading SharePoint Files
  • #Method 4. Automated Tool
• Final Words
• FAQ’s

Why SharePoint Online Backup is Necessary?

Although Microsoft is known for its robust security. Still, a backup of SharePoint Online is needed because:

• Microsoft’s retention policies don’t guarantee full data recovery after accidental deletion.
• Ransomware or malware attacks can encrypt or damage your SharePoint files.
• Human errors, such as overwriting or deleting files, are not always recoverable from the recycle bin.
• Version history limits can result in the loss of older document versions if they exceed the SharePoint site storage limit or version quotas.
• Backups provide business continuity during Microsoft service outage issues.
• SharePoint Online tenant to tenant migration or restructuring projects are smoother when you have a local copy of your SharePoint content.

If your data is cleared from the Recycle Bin, then you can’t restore a deleted SharePoint site until you have a backup in your local storage. That’s why in the next section, I will show how to save a SharePoint site locally.

Backup SharePoint Online to Local Storage – Step-by-Step Solutions

Making a replica of the SharePoint data locally needs proper planning and appropriate methods. Additionally, if you’re handling a large set of data, then you have to give it a proper time to SharePoint Online backup. Otherwise, you find an error.

When you plan properly:

• Check how many sites, libraries, and files need to be backed up so you can estimate backup time.
• Check permissions and access.
• Create a folder structure for backup.
• Choose the right backup method, especially for large datasets can take hours or even days; plan downtime or schedule backups during low-usage periods.
• Make sure your hard drive or NAS has enough space for the backup.

Let’s move to the solutions to take a backup of SharePoint Online simultaneously in a few clicks:

#Method 1. Use OneDrive Sync Client for SharePoint Online Backup

As mentioned in Microsoft’s official guide on syncing SharePoint files with the OneDrive sync app, we can use the OneDrive sync client to backup SharePoint Online to local storage. Basically, we will connect our SharePoint to OneDrive, which syncs data in real-time locally. Afterwards, you can access them from the File Explorer. To do so:

1. Sign in to the SharePoint account.
2. Open the Site Library to sync.
3. Hit the Sync button.
4. Click on Sync now in the opened prompt.
5. You can open the Show my files… from the wizard to open the synced library in File Explorer.

This method is not a long-term solution for backup of SharePoint Online, as this is not a download or export; it syncs real-time data or changes. After a while, you need to remove some old files from OneDrive because of storage issues.

#Method 2. Backup SharePoint Online to Local Storage Via PowerShell Script

You can use the WebDAV approach for SharePoint Online backup. But make sure you are well-versed in the PowerShell scripts to get the expected results:

$Download_Path= "d:\Downloads\SharePointOnline"
$webDavUrl = "entere here”
#Create a Local Folder if it doesn't exist
If(!(Test-Path $Download_Path))
{
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $Download_Path | Out-Null
}
#Get all files from the Site and backup them to a local folder
Get-ChildItem -Path $webDavUrl -Recurse | ForEach-Object {
$Destination_Path = Join-Path -Path $Download_Path -ChildPath (Split-Path $_.FullName -NoQualifier).Replace($webDavUrl,'');
Copy-Item $_.FullName -Destination $Destination_Path -Force
Write-host -f Green “Files are successfully copied to the $Destination_Path”
}

#Method 3. Download All Files to Backup SharePoint Online to Local Storage

If you only want to back up some files from the document library, then you can download each file individually. You can also copy it into the other external hard drive for future reference. It is a manual approach and requires a lot of time. Due to this, most of the admins avoid this process.

But still, it is free and effective for a small set of data. That’s why I’m explaining the steps for this one also:

1. Open SharePoint Online with the appropriate credentials.
2. Move to the Document Library to back up the files.
3. Select the file, and press right-click.
4. Press the Download button to back up your SharePoint lists and libraries to local storage.

Using these approaches, you can successfully backup SharePoint Online to local storage. However, managing local backups isn’t always simple, as you will face storage issues if you do not regularly monitor.

As an alternative, you can also backup of SharePoint Online to another site or tenant in the cloud. This option is especially useful if you need to access your files from a different country or device without relying on a single local drive. Let’s see how to copy document library to another SharePoint site or tenant simultaneously in the next section!

#Method 4. Backup SharePoint Online at a Different Tenant or Site

Backing up SharePoint Online locally is ok, but what if you want to access your data from another country or with a new device? For those cases, I suggest opting for a professional solution, which can create a replica of your data in another SharePoint site or tenant automatically.

For the same, I tried many solutions, and among them, I found the SysTools SharePoint Migration Tool is the most reliable one. I highly recommend trying this at least once, as it offers an intuitive interface, preserves metadata and permissions, and ensures the SharePoint data is replicated accurately without data loss. Give it a try today!

Download Now Purchase Now

I’m personally using its full version for SharePoint Online backup to another site, and I found these benefits:

• No technical skills needed
• Cost-effective
• Easy-to-follow steps
• Zero chances of data loss
• Preserves metadata, permissions, version history, and site templates.
• Offers multiple advanced filters to migrate only relevant data without hassle.

After getting these benefits, I recommend all my users to opt for this for a successful transition. When you take its full version, follow the steps to make a replica of your SharePoint data to another site or tenant:

• Step 1. Download the tool on your machine. Activate it and start providing the details.
• Step 2. Provide both Source and Destination platforms as Microsoft 365.

• Step 3. Click on the Sites option from the workload section. Apply the integrated Date filter for filtering of sites (if needed).

• Step 4. Now, add the credentials of the source and target accounts. After that, validate them and move to the next step.

• Step 5. Load the Sites and Users into the tool by choosing the suitable option, either Import Users or Download Template, to manually add users.

• Step 6. Finally, click on the Start Migration button for SharePoint Online backup to another account.

Author’s Verdict

Today, I shared some of my experiences on how to backup SharePoint online to local storage. For the same, I explained the best solutions with step-by-step instructions clearly. So, opt for any now, and safeguard your data from cyberthreats. 

However, relying on local storage is not a good practice. So, you can also backup your SharePoint data to another SharePoint account for robust data security.

People Also Ask

Q1. Can I use PowerShell to backup SharePoint Online locally?

A – Yes, you can use PowerShell to store all the SharePoint files locally by running the Copy-Item $_.FullName -Destination $Destination_Path -Force command. But use this method only if you have expertise in the PowerShell commands.

Q2. How to download the documents from the SharePoint document library?

A  – For downloading the SharePoint documents locally, you need to:-

1. Open the Document Library.
2. Select the file that you want to download.
3. Press right-click on it and then Download.

Q3. Can I move SharePoint files to another account as a backup?

A – Yes, you can migrate SharePoint list to another site or tenant to store and access it whenever required. 

Q4. How do I use OneDrive sync for SharePoint Online backup?

A – You just need to open the SharePoint document library and hit the sync button.

Q5. What is the most cost-effective way to backup SharePoint Online to local storage?

A – The most cost-effective way to back up SharePoint data is to use the OneDrive Sync client for small teams or manual downloads.