Document library's "Upload -> Folder" option doesn't actually upload an empty folder

Question

One of our SharePoint Online clients raised this issue.

So what happens is that when a user tries to upload a folder to a document library in SharePoint online, only subfolders with contents inside are showing up, but not empty subfolders. They are using the "drag and drop" upload feature as a workaround to this issue to be able to upload empty folders as well.

However, I wonder if uploading a replica of a folder can be allowed in SharePoint by running a PowerShell. ( regardless of whether there are contents inside subfolders )

Kindly advise.

The same question was asked here: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/document-librarys-upload-folder-option-doesnt/49b52a11-c909-4cad-9f58-4b5140f084da

Answer 1

Hello @Syed Hasan Abbas Naqvi ,

Welcome to Q&A Forum!

Please run the below PowerShell to upload a Folder to SharePoint Online (Including Folder, Sub-Folders, and Files):

Note: FolderBBB is an empty subfolder.

#Load SharePoint CSOM Assemblies  
Add-Type -Path "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\16\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.dll"  
Add-Type -Path "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\16\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Runtime.dll"  
   
#Function to Check if Folder Exists. If not, Create the Folder  
Function Ensure-SPOFolder()  
{  
    param  
    (  
        [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)] [string] $FolderRelativeURL  
    )  
   
    #Check Folder Exists  
    Try {  
        $Folder = $Web.GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl($FolderRelativeURL)  
        $Ctx.Load($Folder)  
        $Ctx.ExecuteQuery()  
    
        #Write-host -f Green "Folder Already Exists!"  
    }  
    Catch {  
        #Create New Sub-Folder  
        $Folder=$Web.Folders.Add($FolderRelativeURL)  
        $Ctx.ExecuteQuery()  
        Write-host -f Green "Created Folder at "$FolderRelativeURL  
    }  
}  
   
#Function to Upload a File to a SharePoint Online  
Function Upload-SPOFile()     
{  
    param  
    (  
        [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)] [string] $SourceFilePath,  
        [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)] [string] $TargetFileURL  
    )  
       
    #Get the file from disk  
    $FileStream = ([System.IO.FileInfo] (Get-Item $SourceFilePath)).OpenRead()  
    #Get File Name from source file path  
    $SourceFileName = Split-path $SourceFilePath -leaf  
      
    #Upload the File to SharePoint Library  
    $FileCreationInfo = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.FileCreationInformation  
    $FileCreationInfo.Overwrite = $true  
    $FileCreationInfo.ContentStream = $FileStream  
    $FileCreationInfo.URL = $TargetFileURL  
    $FileUploaded = $TargetFolder.Files.Add($FileCreationInfo)  
     
    $Ctx.ExecuteQuery()   
    #Close file stream  
    $FileStream.Close()  
    Write-host "File '$TargetFileURL' Uploaded Successfully!" -ForegroundColor Green  
}  
    
#Main Function to upload a Local Folder to SharePoint Online Document Library Folder  
Function Upload-SPOFolder()  
{  
    param  
    (  
        [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)] [string] $SourceFolderPath,  
        [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)] [Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Folder] $TargetFolder         
    )  
   
    #Get All Files and Sub-Folders from Source  
    Get-ChildItem $SourceFolderPath -Recurse | ForEach-Object {  
        If ($_.PSIsContainer -eq $True)  
        {  
            $FolderRelativeURL = $TargetFolder.ServerRelativeURL+$_.FullName.Replace($SourceFolderPath,[string]::Empty).Replace("\","/")  
            If($FolderRelativeURL)  
            {  
                Write-host -f Yellow "Ensuring Folder '$FolderRelativeURL' Exists..."  
                Ensure-SPOFolder -FolderRelativeURL $FolderRelativeURL  
            }   
        }  
        Else  
        {  
            $FolderRelativeUrl = $TargetFolder.ServerRelativeURL + $_.DirectoryName.Replace($SourceFolderPath,[string]::Empty).Replace("\","/")  
            $FileRelativeURL = $FolderRelativeUrl+"/"+$_.Name  
            Write-host -f Yellow "Uploading File '$_' to URL "$FileRelativeURL  
            Upload-SPOFile -SourceFilePath $_.FullName -TargetFileURL $FileRelativeURL  
        }  
    }  
}  
   
#Set parameter values  
$SiteURL="https://domain.sharepoint.com/sites/sitename"  
$LibraryName="Documents"  
$SourceFolderPath="C:\temp\file"  
    
#Setup Credentials to connect  
$Cred= Get-Credential  
$Credentials = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.SharePointOnlineCredentials($Cred.Username, $Cred.Password)  
    
#Setup the context  
$Ctx = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ClientContext($SiteURL)  
$Ctx.Credentials = $Credentials  
         
#Get the Target Folder to Upload  
$Web = $Ctx.Web  
$Ctx.Load($Web)  
$List = $Web.Lists.GetByTitle($LibraryName)  
$Ctx.Load($List)  
$Ctx.Load($List.RootFolder)  
$Ctx.ExecuteQuery()  
    
#Call the function to Upload All files & folders from local folder to SharePoint Online  
Upload-SPOFolder -SourceFolderPath $SourceFolderPath -TargetFolder $List.RootFolder  

Here is my test:

Thanks,
Echo Du

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