When syncing, moving, or creating files in OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, or SharePoint, you may receive an error that says:

“The file path exceeds the limit.”

This article explains what that means and how to fix it.

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What Is a File Path?

A file path is the full location of a file on your computer. It includes:

1. The root location

2. Every parent folder

3. Any child folders

4. The file name

A parent folder contains files or other folders.
Folders inside a parent folder are called child folders.

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Example File Path

C:\Users\jdoe\OneDrive - Upper Iowa University\Information Technology\Knowledge Base Articles\Employee Technology Guides\Laptop Setup Instructions\UIU Laptop Setup Guide 2025.pdf

This example is 190+ characters long.

Even though it may not look long, special characters increase the total character count behind the scenes.

Special Character Example

A folder named:

Employee’s Test Folder

Is actually stored as:

Employee%27s%20Test%20Folder

Spaces and apostrophes add hidden characters.

A cleaner version:

Employees_Test_Folder

No added characters — much shorter overall.

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OneDrive / SharePoint Limits

• Maximum full file path length: 400 characters
• Maximum individual file or folder name: 255 characters

Example Breakdown

Section	Example	Character Limit
Root	C:\Users\jdoe\OneDrive - Upper Iowa University\	Counts toward 400
Folders	Information Technology\Knowledge Base Articles\Employee Technology Guides\Laptop Setup Instructions\	Counts toward 400
File Name	UIU Laptop Setup Guide 2025.pdf	255 max
Total Allowed Path	—	400 characters max

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How to Fix the Error

1. Shorten File Names

Remove unnecessary words or repeated information.

Before:

UIU Laptop Setup Guide 2025 Final Version.pdf

After:

UIU_Laptop_Setup_2025.pdf

Shortening file names saves characters immediately.

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2. Rename Folders (Best Option)

Renaming folders has the biggest impact because it shortens the path for every file inside that folder.

Example:

Before:

Knowledge Base Articles

After:

KB_Articles
(Alternate Example) TrainingPlan

This change reduces characters for all files stored inside that folder.

Tip:

1. Avoid spaces

2. Avoid special characters (&, ’, %, #, etc.)

3. Use underscores instead

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3. Move Folders Closer to the Root

If you have deeply nested folders, consider moving them higher in the structure.

What Is the Root?

The root is the top-level location — before you click into any folders.

For UIU users, this is typically:

OneDrive - Upper Iowa University

How to Move a Folder in OneDrive (Web)

1. Go to: https://m365.cloud.microsoft/apps/ and sign in with your UIU account

2. Open OneDrive

3. Click My Files

4. Locate the folder

5. Right-click the folder

6. Select Move to

7. Choose a higher-level location (closer to the root)

8. Click Move here

9. Moving a folder higher reduces the total file path length for everything inside it.

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Best Practices for Upper Iowa University

Keep folder structures simple

Avoid unnecessary subfolders

Use clear but concise naming

Replace spaces with underscores

Avoid special characters

Review deeply nested Teams/SharePoint libraries regularly