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Why SharePoint List Not Showing All Items? Reasons & Fixes

  author
Written By Mohit Jha
Anuraag Singh
Approved By Anuraag Singh
Published On January 7th, 2025
Reading Time 5 Minutes Reading

Encountering the issue of “SharePoint list not showing all items” can disrupt an organization’s workflow. SharePoint lists are heavily used in organizations, offering a systematic way to manage the records. However, encountering the issue of missing all items from the SharePoint list can leave users frustrated.

This common issue can arise from various causes. But it can be resolved with the right approach. Whether the issue is related to hidden settings, permissions, or other factors, you can view all of the list items in the SharePoint list.

In this guide, we will explain why your SharePoint list does not show all items. Also, provide the solutions to troubleshoot the issue. Let’s get started.

Common Causes of Missing Items in SharePoint Lists

What are the reasons behind the SharePoint list not showing all items? Explore all of them one by one.

1. View Filters and Sorting

One of the major culprits is the filter. If you have applied filters in your list, it might exclude some items from it. Just like filtering, sorting of items can also push some items to different pages.

2. Item-Level Permissions

Permissions play a major role in SharePoint. Users can use the granular permissions at the item level. It can result in some users not seeing all list items. For instance, if an item’s permissions are restricted to a specific use or a SharePoint group. Then it won’t appear in the search results. This issue also confused users about whether our SharePoint search not working.

3. List View Threshold Limits

By default, SharePoint imposes a list view threshold of showing 5,000 items only. It is used to maintain the SharePoint performance. But while your list exceeds its limit, then you may notice some of the items of your SharePoint list are missing.

4. Content Approval and Draft Items

SharePoint lists in which the content approval feature is enabled can hide items. Whether the missing items can be moved to the “Pending” or “Draft” status. Due to this, users who do not have the appropriate permissions won’t see these items.

5. Column Indexing Issues

In large SharePoint lists, where the columns are not indexed properly, this can lead to performance bottlenecks. Due to this, you might encounter some of the list items are fail to load or display.

6. Browser Cache and Display Problems

It is not compulsory that the issues only be with SharePoint. There might be a chance that the issue is at your end. A browser’s cache or cookies issue can also prevent your list from showing all items appropriately.

7. SharePoint List Deletes

If the SharePoint list items get deleted whether intentionally or mistakenly. Then it is obvious you cannot able to view the SharePoint list items.

Solution For SharePoint List Not Showing All Items Issue

After finding the cause of the missing items from the SharePoint list. It’s time to explore the solutions to resolve this issue effortlessly.

1. Check and Modify View Settings

Initiate the troubleshooting by validating the view settings.

  1. Open List and then click on the Settings > Views.
  2. Explore the “Filter” section to identify the condition that excludes list items. Remove that if exists.
  3. Now, review the sorting rules to ensure items aren’t pushed to unintended pages.

2. Review Permissions

Permissions can be the frequent culprit behind the missing items on the SharePoint list. So, execute the below steps to fix this issue.

  1. Move to the list’s settings and then choose the Permissions for this List.
  2. Find out any item-level permissions applied and fix it if found.

3. Manage the List View Threshold

Let’s find the steps to handle the list view threshold if it is the culprit behind the SharePoint list not showing all items issue.

  1. Create indexed columns to enhance the user’s search response. Open the List Settings and move to the Indexed Columns.
  2. Then add indexes for fields frequently used in filters or sorting.
  3. After that, divide your SharePoint list into smaller views that display less than 5,000 items.
  4. Also, modify the number of items displayed per page.

4. Approve Pending Items

List items can be in the Drafts or Pending which could hide items from general visibility.

  1. From the SharePoint list, enable the Content Approval column.
  2. Go through the items marked as “Pending” or “Draft.”
  3. Now, approve or publish these list items to make them visible to all users.

5. Reindex the List

Reindexing your list can help resolve display issues caused by improper indexing.

  1. Open your List Settings and then the Advanced Settings.
  2. Choose the Reindex List option.
  3. Now, SharePoint will automatically rebuild the index and store the missing items in views.

6. Clear Browser Cache

Browser-cached data can also be the reason for the SharePoint list not showing all items.

  1. Open the browser Settings and then Privacy and Security.
  2. Clear your browser’s cache and refresh the SharePoint page again.

7. Restore Deleted Items

If the deleted list items are still in the recycle bin and you know how to restore a deleted SharePoint site, you can recover them. However, if you deleted them more than 30 days ago, you cannot recover them.

Conclusion

Encountering issues such as the SharePoint list not showing all items can be frustrating. However, understanding the common reasons and executing the right steps can resolve the issue effortlessly.

  author

By Mohit Jha

Mohit is a writer, researcher, and editor. Cyber ​​security and digital forensics are the two subjects that keep Mohit out of his seat. In addition, he hopes that the well-researched and thought-out articles he finds will help people learn.