Copy Document Library from One Site to Another using Indigenous Ways

Synopsis: This guide is specially curated for users who are actively looking for a reliable way to copy Document Library from one Site to another. In this write-up, we have described the different ways that users can follow to execute this task with flying colors. So, without any further ado, let’s get into it!

If you are working with one of the most popular business productivity suites i.e.  Microsoft 365, and in particular SharePoint sites, then there must be a time when you needed to move document library from one Site to another.

Table of Content

• Reasons Behind Moving Document Library from One Site to Another
• How to Move Document Library from One Site to Another SharePoint Online
• Method 1. Using Most Reliable Software
• Method 2. Via “Save As” or “Download” and “Upload”
• Method 3. Using SharePoint Online Modern Experience
• Reasons Why You Should Choose Automated Software Over the Manual Methods
• Bringing It All Together

What Could Be the Reasons Behind Moving Document Library from One Site to Another?

The reasons could be anything such as: 

• SharePoint Site Restructuring, 
• Undergoing data migration in SharePoint, 
• Consolidation of two SharePoint Sites,
• Access control changes in SharePoint Library,
• For creating a new test Environment,
• For SharePoint backup and recovery.

There might be several reasons for this but the elephant in the room is how to copy Document Library from one Site to another easily.  

How to Move Document Library from One Site to Another SharePoint Online?

There are no direct methods offered by Microsoft. However, you can use some of the indirect manual workarounds to perform this task and you can also utilize reliable software to perform this task efficiently:

Let’s discuss each of them step by step in the coming section.

Method 1. Copy Document Library from One Site to Another Using the Most Reliable Software

Since there are no direct methods to complete this task, hence, it is suggested to switch to a professional software solution such as SysTools SharePoint Online Migration Tool. It ensures maximum data security and integrity throughout the entire migration process.

It comprises several smart features such as:

• Effortless migration between SharePoint Sites with metadata.
• Transfer Document Library from one SharePoint Site to another.
• Batch migration supported for efficiently moving multiple SharePoint Sites.
• Smooth migration of document sets and document Folders.
• Smart Date-based filtering for targeted migration of SharePoint Site contents.
• Ability to match permission settings from source users to destination users.
• Built-in dashboard for Real-time tracking of migration progress.
• Delta migration feature to transfer only new data from SharePoint Sites.
• Option to pause ongoing migration as needed.
• Detailed and Summary Reports provided for migration.
• Compatibility with Windows 11, 10 (64-bit), Windows Server 2012, 2016.

Software Steps to Move Document Library from One Site to Another SharePoint Online

Step 1. Click on the below Download button to download and install the software on your computer. 

Download Now Purchase Now

Step 2. Choose Office 365 as the source and destination platform. And move to the workload selection screen.

Step 3. Now check the Sites option, it will enable Document Library and Generic List. Now apply the date filter if you want to move document library from one site to another selectively and click on Next.

Step 4. Move to the next tab which is the Source tab, here you have to log in with the source Office 365 admin account credentials. Click on the validate button to validate the provided details. Click on the Next button.  

Step 5. Moving to the Destination tab, like the last step you have to log in to the software using the destination Office 365 admin account credentials. Click on the validate button to validate the provided details. Click on the Next button. 

Step 6. Now navigate to the Resources tab, here you you can see we have different options to add users to the software. You can use any methods provided such as Fetch Users, Import Users, or Download templates.

Step 7. Similar to the user you can add all the sites by using any of the methods provided such as Fetch Sites, Import Sites, or Download templates. 

Step 8. Select the source and destination site URL and click on the validate button to validate the required permissions regarding sites. Lastly, click on the Start button to initiate the process.

Method 2 – Using “Save As” or “Download” and “Upload” Feature of SharePoint

• Step 1. Access the source document library.
• Step 2. Choose the files or folders for copying.
• Step 3. Employ the “Download” or “Save As” feature to store these files/folders locally.
• Step 4. Go to the destination SharePoint site and library.
• Step 5. Perform an upload of the saved files/folders.

Method 3 – Copy Document Library from One Site to Another Using SharePoint Online Modern Experience

• Step 1. Login to the Source Site account and navigate from where you want to move the Document Library data to the destination site.
• Step 2. Now open that library >> Hit the Gear icon provided in the top-right corner.
• Step 3. From the dropdown menu select the Site Contents option.
• Step 4. Hit the 3 dots beside the Document Library that you want to copy or move to the destination SharePoint site.
• Step 5. A Copy to dialog box will appear; enter the Site URL where you want to copy the document.
• Step 6. Lastly, you have to select the Document Library in the destination site and hit the “Copy” button.

Reasons Why You Should Choose Automated Software Over the Manual Methods

• The manual methods are time-consuming and error-prone.
• It can not be efficient for handling large-scale tasks and it lacks scalability.
• You can face several challenges in maintaining consistency throughout the migration.
• It might end up with higher operational costs than the automated one.
• It lacks migration monitoring and tracking capabilities.
• With manual methods, you have an Increased risk of data loss and dependency on individual skills.
• It also increases security concerns with the potential for human errors leading to data exposure.

Also Read: How to Migrate OneDrive For Business to Another Tenant?

Bringing It All Together

While working with SharePoint sites there can be several scenarios where a user need to copy Document Library from one Site to another SharePoint Online. But when it comes to moving document library from one Site to another, there is no direct way offered by Microsoft. Hence, we have illustrated different ways in this guide to accomplish this task efficiently. You can use one as per your choice and requirements.