You can't share this folder because there are too many items in the folder. Learn more at "https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2160727".

Dian Rahmawan 0 Reputation points
2026-10-07T02:59:39.61+00:00

You can't share this folder because there are too many items in the folder. Learn more at "https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2160727".
Data Sanitized

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For business | Windows
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  1. Kai-Ex 1,575 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-07T03:42:46.8233333+00:00

    Hi,

    I really appreciate you letting me know about the trouble you’ve had sharing your folder in OneDrive.

    The message “You can’t share this folder because there are too many items in the folder” appears when OneDrive reaches its design limits. Folders with more than 50,000 items (including files and subfolders) or too many unique permissions can’t be shared as one large folder. Microsoft uses these limits to keep performance stable, but I know they can sometimes get in the way of day‑to‑day work.

    Here’s how you can fix it and prevent it from happening again:

    1. Reorganize the large folder into smaller parts. Move files by project, year, or category so each subfolder has fewer items.
    2. Simplify permissions. Use link‑based sharing such as Copy link or People in your organization instead of many separate permissions.
    3. Share the smaller subfolders instead of the main folder. This will make sharing smoother and help OneDrive process permissions more quickly.

    If you often need to work with large folders like this, I encourage you to share your feedback through the Feedback Hub. Microsoft actively reviews user suggestions, and yours could help improve how OneDrive handles larger folder sharing in the future.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-07T02:59:54.8+00:00

    This error means the folder has exceeded the supported sharing scope.

    For SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business:

    1. If the folder and its subfolders contain more than 50,000 items, the folder can’t be shared as a folder.
    2. If the library or list has too many uniquely permitted items, sharing can also fail.
    3. If a folder, library, or list contains more than 100,000 items, permission inheritance can’t be broken or restored at that level.

    Supported limits called out in the documentation:

    • 50,000 unique permissions per list or library supported
    • 5,000 unique permissions recommended as a general limit

    Ways to fix it:

    1. Reduce the number of items in the folder
      • Move some files or subfolders out of the folder.
      • Then try sharing the folder again.
    2. Share individual files instead of the whole folder
      • This is recommended when the folder contains too many sub-items.
    3. Reduce uniquely permitted items in the library or list
      • Too many unique permissions can block sharing or inheritance changes.
    4. If inheritance changes are involved, move some items out first, break or restore inheritance, and then move them back.

    If the error appears together with “Sorry, we're unable to reach the server right now”, also check whether the site has enough storage and whether the list or library has reached the unique security scope limit.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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