Microsoft List large data reach threshold

Question

I have a large Microsoft list that has reached its threshold. I have index columns but I will eventually reach that limit. Will dividing the data up into folders within the list help the threshold?

I created a folder for the year 2023 then when I click a row of 2023 data and then click move to, the circle icon keeps on circling and will not load. Therefore, I am unable to move the data into folders.

I tried this exact process on another smaller Microsoft list (that has no indexing) by moving rows into folders and there are no issues, the data is able to move into the folder.

What is the issue with the larger list and movingr rows of data into folders. Does this in fact help reduce the threshold?

Thank you!

Answer 1

Dear @Kaitlin Devine, 

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.   

I understand how inconvenient it is when a large Microsoft List stops responding, especially when you're trying to move items into folders. 

Microsoft Lists is built on top of SharePoint, and the platform uses a List View Threshold of roughly 5,000 items per database operation. This limit cannot be raised in SharePoint Online. When any action requires the system to process more than 5,000 items at once, SharePoint begins to throttle or block the request to protect overall service performance. This is why actions such as “Move to” may freeze or continue spinning when executed within a large list. 

Regarding your main questions, here are some points that can help clarify the situation: 

1/ Does placing items into folders reduce the threshold? 

Placing items into folders does not reduce the 5,000‑item threshold. The limit still applies to the entire list. However, working inside a folder can reduce the number of items displayed in a view, which can help with performance. 
For long‑term stability, using indexed columns and filtered views is often more effective than relying on folders. 

2/ Why does the “Move to” action freeze in the large list but works normally in the smaller list? 

Even when only one item is selected, SharePoint evaluates the entire view. Performance issues can occur when: 

• The view returns more than 5,000 items. 
• Filters use non‑indexed columns. 
• Sorting or grouping is applied on unindexed fields. 
• The view contains many lookup‑type columns such as Person, Lookup or Managed Metadata. 

Any of these can trigger throttling. 

3/ Based on your current configuration of 5,865 items and 9 indexed columns 

Your list exceeds the 5,000‑item limit, so any view that is not built on indexed filters may still run into threshold errors. SharePoint Online supports up to 20 indexed columns, giving you flexibility to index additional fields you frequently use. 

Here are several steps you can take to move items smoothly: 

• Create a filtered view that returns fewer than 5,000 items 

Confirm the column you plan to filter on is already indexed, such as Year or Created. 

Build a view that filters items to a smaller set, for example by year. 

Use this reduced dataset when performing actions like “Move to”. 

• Temporarily simplify the view you are using  

Remove all sorting and grouping. 

Reduce the number of columns displayed, especially lookup‑type fields.  

• Try the move again from within the simplified, filtered view  

Open the filtered view. 

Select the items. 

Run the “Move to” operation again. With fewer items to process, the action is more likely to complete successfully. 

• Consider whether folders are necessary  

Folders are fine to use, but SharePoint generally performs better when metadata and indexed filters are used as the primary way to organize data. If you already have a Year column, you may not need to physically move items into folders at all. Filtering by Year can serve the same purpose while avoiding the overhead of moving items. 

• Plan for long‑term list growth  

Prioritize indexing the fields used most often in your key views. Design default views that always return fewer than 5,000 items by using indexed filters such as Year or Created date ranges.  

Keep lookup‑type columns to a minimum in administrative views.  

If your list continues to grow significantly each year, you may also consider storing older data in an archive list or splitting data by year. This is optional, but it can make ongoing maintenance and performance much easier. 

Additional information is available in the following resources:  

Overview of large lists and libraries - Microsoft Support 

Working with the List View Threshold limit for all versions of SharePoint - Microsoft Support 

Living Large with Large Lists and Large Libraries | Microsoft Learn 

Add an index to a list or library column - Microsoft Support 

As community moderators, we kindly ask for your understanding that our access to internal development details is limited. Our primary role is to guide users toward the appropriate resources and support channels. While we may not have visibility into performing deeper backend analysis, we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.  

I hope this information is helpful. If you have any questions or need further support, please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

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Answer 2

I have already indexed 9 out of 24 columns with 5,865 rows of data. It is still freezing up when I try to move 1 row of data into a folder

Answer 3

Creating folders within a Microsoft list can indeed help manage the view threshold by organizing items and keeping the number of items displayed in any single view to 5,000 or fewer. However, if you're experiencing issues moving items into folders in a larger list, it may be due to the list exceeding the threshold limit, which can lead to performance issues and prevent actions from completing successfully.

The fact that you can move items into folders without issues in a smaller list suggests that the larger list's size is causing the problem. When a list reaches its threshold, operations like moving items may timeout or fail to load properly.

To effectively manage large lists and avoid hitting the threshold, consider the following:

• Utilize indexed columns and filtering to limit the number of items in views to 5,000 or less.
• Ensure that the structure of your folders keeps the number of items within each folder manageable.

If the issue persists, you may need to explore further strategies for managing large lists in SharePoint, as well as reviewing any specific limitations or configurations that might be affecting your ability to move items.