How to Move and Copy files with Metadata Tags in SharePoint Site
People with a Microsoft 365 business-level subscription often ask how to move and copy files with metadata tags in SharePoint portal. This is because creating a site is quite straightforward, but replicating it is not. Even when admins can place SharePoint site content, they often struggle with the hidden meta details.
The absence of this critical information causes the new site to behave differently from its original copy. Not to worry as we have a tutorial to resolve this problem at once and for all. Moreover, there is a lot of confusion regarding moving and copying, to the average user, they may sound similar. Even some admins use these terms interchangeably, which is a wrong practice as both these tasks are quite different from each other. Let’s see how.
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Difference Between Moving and Copying files in SharePoint
SharePoint, without a doubt, is an essential part of many Office 365 plans. So any operation done within it should be attempted after thorough preparation. Other than that, the operations we are about to perform are as follows: Moving is nothing but pulling a document from its source and placing it at its destination. This means that the document no longer exists at its original location. Moreover, when admins check the document history it is exactly what it was at the source, every edit with its editor can be seen in a few clicks.
On the other hand, copying can be defined as burning a brand new instance of the document in its intended location. Data is duplicated so on the surface level, you have 2 copies of the same documents at different locations. Moreover, the document at the destination is essentially brand new so it does not have any historical record attached to it.
Now let us look at these so-called meta properties that cause so many problems during SharePoint site duplication or relocation.
SharePoint Meta Tags, and their Types Explained
Meta means information about information, while tags are markings used to categorize items. So metatags together reveal all the current information about the document.
Now that we know what metatags mean, look at how they influence our answer on how to move and copy files with metadata tags in SharePoint due to their typing.
Managed Meta tags: These are the predefined tags prest in SharePoint by default. Users can only enable/ disable them but can’t make any changes to how these underlying tags work. Examples of such tags are the Term Sets inside the “Modified” tag. Here you can view when this was last modified.
Custom Meta tags: If you want your tags to allow more freedom in the way they define a document’s role then you need to go for Custom Meta tags. These tags have the ability to add any keyword and segregate the documents accordingly documents. However, admins must not overuse these tags as they may make the meta structure of a document too complex. Thus bringing a whole lot of unwanted errors during the duplication or relocation.
Admins can rejoice as there are multiple ways to achieve the task they want. So let’s get an overview before selecting a preferential method.
Scenarios on Moving and Copying files with Metadata Tags in SharePoint
Remember that both the copy and the move operations are highly dependent on the source and destination structures. These are the scenarios that can exist
A source has no custom meta tags: This is the most simple type here; you need not worry about meta tag maintenance at all.
Source and destination meta tags match completely: Here too admins can copy or move without any issues.
When the Destination has no predefined meta tags: Now in this situation if you copy or move the SharePoint documents, you lose all the data present in custom meta tag columns. Recreating the tags post-transfer does not bring back the meta tags. In a copy operation, you can once again duplicate the original. However, in case of a move operation, all the meta properties are lost for good.
If the destination has tags but does not have the underlying categories: Before the document copies or moves replicate the source side meta tag columns carefully. Especially if they have hidden category filters, not doing so will end up creating a blank metadata tag.
The first method is to duplicate the Data in SharePoint itself.
How to Move and Copy files with Metadata Tags in SharePoint Directly
It can be thought of as a miniature version of the copy document library from one site to another task. here are the steps.
- Open SharePoint.
- Go where your Document is present.
- Hover over the Document and right-click.
- Choose Move to (relocates the data file) or Copy to (generates a second copy)
- Pick your destination and click on Copy here/Move Here.
Use Microsoft 365 Power Automate to Make a Document Management Flow
- Find the Power Automate portal and use the Automated cloud flow.
- Under the trigger select “When item is created or modified”.
- Confirm the metadata values as per the onscreen steps. Follow them to gather the term set values from the source to its equivalent destination library column. You can also ask the copilot to help you.
- Keep in mind that these steps are to be performed by the admin themselves. In case the admin is unavailable, a user with elevated privileges can also perform these steps.
Note: Power Automate may fail due to invalid input or incorrect setup, if it happens try out the following.
PowerShell Commands to Duplicate SharePoint Documents
In a new PowerShell module, load the PnP PowerShell instance
Here is the code you need to use:
#Connect to SharePoint Using cmdlets Connect-PnPOnline -Url of the site collection #copy the SharePoint file with metadata tags Copy-PnPFile -Path "Source Data file" -TargetFolder "destination data file" -Force #Move the SharePoint file Move-PnPFile -Path "Source Data file" -TargetFolder "Destination file" -Force
After this, you no longer need to ask how to move and copy files with metadata tags in SharePoint online anymore.
These PowerShell commands may seem easy to use at first, and it may be for some experienced professionals but for the vast majority, this is not true.
Extra caution needs to be taken; otherwise, users may lose not only the metadata but the source file as well.
Therefore, we need a solution that is both easy and efficient.
However, due to the presence of so many players admins might not know which one to choose. Moreover, the destination may be in a tenant where direct copy or relocation can’t be done. In this, situation we have a brilliant tool. So let’s learn more about it.
How to Move and Copy Files with Metadata tags in SharePoint Professionally
SysTools SharePoint Migration Tool is the answer that you are looking for. It comes with an industry-standard UI designed to remove all technical hurdles that users face in traditional methods. With special provisions to counter failed transfers as well as a delta migration feature admins can ensure the safety of their documents in any scenario. As soon as both the source and document folders are ready deploy the tool and transfer the data with the entire history intact.
This tool combines the best of both copy and move tasks in a single operation. Here are a list of steps that admins need to take to use this tool.
Steps to use the utility:
- Download the utility on the device you plan on using for the migration. Open the tool and Select Office 365 as both the endpoints.
- In the Workload Section Scroll till you see the Sites option, Mark them, and also put a check next to the underlying option. Then Apply a date filter if need be.
- Go to the Source tab Fill in the Admin details and validate. Likewise, repeat for the Destination as well.
- In the mapping screen first create and add the site list in one of three ways, first is direct fetch, second is Import CSV, third is Download, Edit and Upload CSV option.
- Then Visualise the Site List on the Preview screen, Validate, and Start Migration.
Soon all your Sorce documents will appear inside the target tenant
Conclusion
Here in this writeup, we gave admins all that’s required to answer how to move and copy files with metadata tags in the SharePoint application. We saw that these meta-properties play a major role in determining the behavior and functioning of a site. So to ensure a healthy duplication admins must have a solid way to maintain them. Among the available methods be it PowerShell Power Automate or the SharePoint Portal, none can match the easiness that the professional tool provides.