Why are some links in Excel sheets updated without \sites\sitename\ in the URL when migrating from file server to SharePoint?

Question

Why are some links in Excel sheets updated without \sites\sitename\ in the URL when migrating from file server to SharePoint?

Paul Murray 20

I am migrating data from a file server to SharePoint and was surprised to find links in the sheets translated from: F:\folder\subfolder\child.xlsx to https:\companyname.sharepoint.com\sites\sitename\libraryname\folder\subfolder\child.xlsx automatically.

It turned out that many links had been translated omitting \sites\sitename\libraryname from the URL.

Why are only some links translated correctly and how can I get all of them correct?

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Answer 1

Jayden-P 4,195 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi @Paul Murray

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

Based on the information you have provided, looks like you want to migrate Excel links without breaking them.

Unfortunately, there is no available migration tool to migrate linked excel files without breaking them.

You can Publish a workbook to a SharePoint site in Excel for Windows - Microsoft Support. To ensure the links remain functional, consider using relative links or updating them manually after migration.

You can find more details at:

Tool to auto fix broken excel links after migration to SharePoint online | Microsoft Community Hub

Migrate Excel files with a lot of links to SharePoint Online? | Microsoft Community Hub

If you think this feature can be handy for you and colleagues, please provide your valuable ideas via Ideas · Community

Our dev team will listen and consider making it a feature in the future. Any ideas will be appreciated.

I hope this information helps.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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Jayden-P 4,195 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-07-07T07:37:22.11+00:00

Hi @Paul Murray

Have you checked the provided answer?

Please reach out if you have other questions.
Paul Murray 0 Reputation points

2025-07-07T09:34:53.42+00:00

Hi Jaden-P,

It is accepted wisdom that the Microsoft SharePoint Migration tools don't translate links. I was surprised to find that they did, as I detailed in my original question.

You have just reposted an answer to an old question that does not answer the question I actually asked.
Jayden-P 4,195 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-07-07T11:07:59.6833333+00:00

Hi @Paul Murray

I'm sorry for the misunderstanding.

Can you please provide the URL path with the corrected file and the file missing \sites\sitename\libraryname?

Additionally, are those missing URL files stay in the same location as the corrected URL files?

Can you open the missing URL files in SharePoint Online?

Answer 2

Paul Murray 0

Hi Jayden,

The links are:

F:\Year End Audit\Year End Audit 2024_Excel Versions_[FUN 2023-24.xlsx]FUN TB Mar 23 is correctly converted to

https://companyname.sharepoint.com/sites/FinanceDepartment/Small Test/Excel Versions/[FUN 2023-24.xlsx]FUN TB Mar 23

whereas:

F:\Year End Audit\Year End Audit 2024_Supporting Schedules_[Service charges & Voids.xlsx]Service Charge and Voids 2024 is incorrectly converted to

https://companyname.sharepoint.com/Year End Audit/Year End Audit 2024/Supporting Schedules/[Service charges & Voids.xlsx]Service Charge and Voids 2024

In the sheet I am looking at all the links to sheets in the same folder are correctly converted, all those to adjacent folders omit the /sites/FinanceDepartment site specifier.

In testing I found links to a subfolder also were converted correctly, surprisingly even if the sheet was encrypted or the cells were protected.

All files are migrated together so are in the same relative position. All files can be accessed in SharePoint.

Jayden-P 4,195 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-07-08T06:41:36.29+00:00

Hi @Paul Murray

Thanks for the detailed information.

After doing some research, SharePoint migration tool (SPMT) sometimes behaves inconsistently, it will rewrite the URL path based on the link first when generated.

Links within the same document library or direct subfolders often work because SharePoint's relative path is clearer, so they were transited correctly.

Adjacent folders can be ambiguous, perhaps SPMT lost the path so it will rewrite with higher level URL and omit the site specifier.

Please correct me if my understanding is wrong.

Currently, SPMT does not natively include a feature to automatically repair or update broken links after migration.

You can manually update the link post-migration but that would be lots of work if you have a huge number of files.

You can consider reading 2 articles in my previous answer for more details.
Paul Murray 0 Reputation points

2025-07-08T07:52:40.52+00:00

Hi Jayden,

You describe the symptoms well.

It is a shame that the "confusion" SPMT experiences results in the removal of a critical piece of the URL. A drive letter in a document must always translate to the same library unless the related documents are deliberately separated. I regard it not doing so as a bug.

It would be easier to resolve if no translation happened at all; at least then I could perform a simple search and replace. As it is now I have to also check that the search hit is not a correct translation before inserting the missing part of the URL.

Thanks for the response. I'd better get on changing those spreadsheets.
Jayden-P 4,195 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-07-08T08:04:53.0033333+00:00

Hi @Paul Murray

As I mentioned, you can contribute to make SPMT better by raising your ideas in Feedback Portal

We will try our best to enhance customers' experience.

If you think my answer is helpful, please mark it as accepted answer.

This will help other facing similar issue in the community.
Paul Murray 0 Reputation points

2025-07-08T08:16:25.86+00:00

Stumped as how to mark an answer as accepted. Can find a control for this anywhere.
Jayden-P 4,195 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-07-08T08:25:03.9066667+00:00

Hi @Paul Murray

Please click here to accept an accepted answer.
Paul Murray 0 Reputation points

2025-07-08T08:32:02.9066667+00:00

That is exactly what I do not see.
Jayden-P 4,195 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-07-08T08:39:19.2333333+00:00

Hi @Paul Murray

I see why you cannot see it, only the author of this post can mark accepted answer.

Please use the account posted the thread to mark it.

Warm thanks.

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Why are some links in Excel sheets updated without \sites\sitename\ in the URL when migrating from file server to SharePoint?

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