Rename a file, folder, or link in a document library (2024)

FAQs

Rename a file, folder, or link in a document library? ›

If you have a link to a file on your hard drive, then change the folder name, any links to the previous folder will break since that folder no longer exists.

If you have a link to a file on your hard drive, then change the folder name, any links to the previous folder will break since that folder no longer exists.

Open the Document Library in “File Explore View” (or Windows Explorer view!). Navigate One Level Up in the Explorer >> Select the Document Library to Rename. Press “F2” (or Right Click and choose “Rename”) >> Enter the new Name for your document library >> Hit “Enter”.

To rename a file or folder:

Right-click on the item and select Rename, or select the file and press F2 . Type the new name and press Enter or click Rename.

Make sure user has Edit or Full control permissions on the folder so that they can rename it (somehow "delete" permissions are also required to rename folders/files in SharePoint - it comes automatically with Edit & Full control permissions).

In fact, the link will remain valid regardless of whether the file name has changed. You can even remove the file name from the link and it will still work.

With SharePoint Online, if you send someone a sharing link, those people will still be able to access the same file using that link, even after you rename it. But if you previously sent them a direct link, they will not be able to access the file anymore.

If you're in thumbnail view, click the top right corner of the file, folder or link to select it. to open the information pane. Click the value of the property you wish to edit under the property name, type the new value, and then press Enter on your keyboard. Your change will automatically save.

Change a site address in the new SharePoint admin center

To open the details panel, select the site name. On the General tab, under Site address, select Edit. Enter the new site address, and then select Save.

How do I rename a file in SharePoint? ›

A file is the common storage unit in a computer, and all programs and data are "written" into a file and "read" from a file. A folder holds one or more files, and a folder can be empty until it is filled. A folder can also contain other folders, and there can be many levels of folders within folders.

Invalid file or folder names

These names aren't allowed for files or folders: .lock, CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM0 - COM9, LPT0 - LPT9, _vti_, desktop.ini, any filename starting with ~$.

Answer: Changing site name does not affect the URL. For example, if you have a site named “Test” and the URL appears as https://tenant.sharepoint.com/sites/Test, now if you change the site name to “NewTest”, it will still have original URL. Your team members can still access the site with the URL they already have."

In SharePoint, organizing content using a high volume of folders with deep folder structures has downsides. It's: Harder to govern. Creates a less than optimal user experience.

"Name" is what uniquely identifies the SPFile underlying the document. So you can think of Title as pretty arbitrary; you can change it just like you would change any other property (description, etc.) but if you change the Name, it is akin to moving the file. Names must be unique in folders/webs.