How to Move a SharePoint Document Library to Another Tenant (Using Only Microsoft Tools)

How to Move a SharePoint Document Library to Another Tenant (Using Only Microsoft Tools)

Dainty Purple Ram

7 0

2025/06/01

4 mins read

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Migrating a SharePoint document library to another Microsoft 365 tenant can be necessary during company mergers, tenant consolidations, or organizational changes. Since Microsoft 365 tenants are logically isolated, there is no built-in feature to directly move a library between tenants. However, this task can still be accomplished using native Microsoft tools such as OneDrive sync, PowerShell, and manual configurations.

This guide walks you through a reliable, native approach to move a SharePoint Online document library from one tenant to another.

Key Considerations Before Migration

Before starting the migration process, ensure the following:

You have administrative access to both source and destination tenants.
You’ve reviewed the structure and size of the document library.
You’ve accounted for metadata, versioning, permissions, and content types.
You’ve created a target document library in the destination tenant that mirrors the source.

Related article: Delete Column in SharePoint List

Step-by-Step Guide to Move a Document Library to Another Tenant

Step 1: Set Up the Target Document Library

In the destination tenant:

Go to the SharePoint Admin Center.
Create or identify the target site where the document library will be placed.
Create a new document library with the same name and structure as the source.
Manually add any required columns, content types, views, or library settings.

Also read: How to Create a Blog in SharePoint Online

Step 2: Download Content from the Source Library

There are two primary Microsoft-supported methods to extract content from the source tenant:

Option A: OneDrive Sync

Open the source document library in the browser.
Click Sync from the command bar to start syncing the library using the OneDrive client.
Allow the sync to complete and verify that all content is available in your local machine under the synced folder.

Option B: PowerShell (PnP PowerShell Module)

Install PnP PowerShell.
Run the following commands to download files:

Connect-PnPOnline -Url "https://sourceTenant.sharepoint.com/sites/YourSite" -Interactive

Get-PnPFolderItem -FolderSiteRelativeUrl "Shared Documents" | ForEach-Object {
    Get-PnPFile -Url $_.ServerRelativeUrl -Path "C:\ExportedLibrary" -FileName $_.Name -AsFile -Force
}

This method allows you to download files from the document library programmatically.

Step 3: Upload Content to the Destination Tenant

You can now upload the downloaded files to the destination tenant using one of the following approaches:

Option A: OneDrive Sync

Open the target SharePoint site and navigate to the new document library.
Click Sync to create a local folder synced with the destination library.
Copy the files from the source library’s local folder into the target library’s folder.
Let OneDrive sync the files automatically.

Option B: PowerShell Upload

Use the following commands to upload files using PowerShell:

Connect-PnPOnline -Url "https://destinationTenant.sharepoint.com/sites/TargetSite" -Interactive

Get-ChildItem "C:\ExportedLibrary" | ForEach-Object {
    Add-PnPFile -Path $_.FullName -Folder "Shared Documents"
}

This ensures all files are uploaded to the appropriate document library in the destination tenant.

Also read: Move Documents from One SharePoint Site to Another

Step 4: Recreate Metadata and Settings

Document libraries often include more than just files. After transferring the files, manually restore the following:

Metadata columns (such as Date, Department, etc.)
Views (Grouped by, sorted columns, filters)
Version settings
Content types and custom document templates

You can also use PowerShell scripting to apply metadata during or after upload if you have structured exports.

Step 5: Apply Permissions in the Destination Tenant

Permissions do not carry over during this type of migration. You must:

Identify the required permission levels from the source tenant.
Assign permissions manually in the target document library using SharePoint's Permissions settings.
Use Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) to add users or groups, if applicable.

Also read: SharePoint Tenant to Tenant migration

Optional: Export and Import List Metadata (Advanced)

For more complex document libraries with extensive metadata, you can export metadata to a CSV file and reapply it using PowerShell.

Export Example:

Get-PnPListItem -List "Documents" | Select FieldValues | Export-Csv "C:\LibraryMetadata.csv"

Import Example:

Import-Csv "C:\LibraryMetadata.csv" | ForEach-Object {
    Set-PnPListItem -List "Documents" -Identity $_.ID -Values @{
        "ColumnName1" = $_.ColumnName1
        "ColumnName2" = $_.ColumnName2
    }
}

This ensures metadata consistency after content upload.

Post-Migration Validation Checklist

After completing the migration, validate the results:

Confirm that all documents are present and accessible.
Check file integrity and metadata accuracy.
Verify permissions for each user or group.
Review version history if applicable.
Ensure library views and settings are correct.

Summary

While there is no direct built-in feature to move a SharePoint document library from one tenant to another, it can be accomplished using Microsoft tools such as OneDrive sync and PowerShell. This method requires more manual effort but provides full control over the process, avoids external dependencies, and supports secure data handling within Microsoft 365.

By following this guide, administrators can efficiently migrate document libraries while maintaining structural consistency and content integrity between tenants.

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