A single file in SharePoint Online can now be as large as 250 GB. Microsoft raised most per-file upload and API limits in 2024, but the limits vary by upload method - and many admins still apply policies based on the older 100 GB or 15 GB ceilings. This reference covers the current limits across every major upload path.
All figures reflect Microsoft's documented specifications as of mid-2026. Verify against the SharePoint Online limits page on Microsoft Learn for the most current values before building tooling or policies around them.
Upload and storage limits by method
| Upload method | Max file size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Browser drag-and-drop or file picker | 250 GB | Single file limit. Multiple simultaneous uploads supported; individual file cap still applies. |
| OneDrive sync client (Windows or macOS) | 250 GB | Per-file. Files over 100 GB can take many hours depending on connection speed. The sync client queues and resumes automatically after interruption. |
| Microsoft Graph API - direct PUT | 4 MB | The PUT /drive/items/{id}/content endpoint. For larger files, initiate an upload session instead. |
| Microsoft Graph API - upload session | 250 GB | Uses POST /drive/items/{id}/createUploadSession. Required for any file over 4 MB when using the Graph API. Supports resumable uploads. |
| SharePoint REST API - direct request | ~2 MB (practical) | Simple PUT to the file endpoint. HTTP request size limits restrict reliable use to small files. Use chunked upload for anything larger. |
| SharePoint REST API - chunked upload | 250 GB | Uses the StartUpload / ContinueUpload / FinishUpload pattern. Chunk size is typically 10 MB per segment. |
| SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) | 250 GB | Microsoft's official migration tool. Handles large files natively. Throttling limits still apply; see the migration throttling reference. |
| Power Automate (HTTP or SharePoint connector) | varies | Depends on the connector and action. The SharePoint connector's "Create file" action supports chunking for large files, but practical limits depend on the Power Automate plan and the action configuration. |
| Blocked file types (such as .exe, .dll, .bat, .cmd, and others on Microsoft's default block list) cannot be uploaded regardless of size, unless an admin explicitly removes the restriction in the SharePoint admin centre. | ||
Online editing and co-authoring constraints
| Scenario | Practical threshold | Behaviour above threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Open a Word document (.docx) in Office for the web | ~100 MB | Larger files may open in read-only mode or prompt the user to open in the Word desktop app. No hard cutoff; network conditions also affect the threshold. |
| Open an Excel workbook (.xlsx) in Office for the web | ~100 MB | Very large workbooks with many formulas may time out during load in the browser. Excel for the web offers a subset of features compared to the desktop app. |
| Open a PowerPoint presentation (.pptx) in Office for the web | ~100 MB | Presentations with many embedded high-resolution images may need the desktop app for smooth editing even below this threshold. |
| Co-authoring in Word or PowerPoint desktop app via SharePoint | No hard limit | Co-authoring performance degrades with file size and network latency. Files over 2 GB may show slower sync and save times during collaborative sessions. |
| Video playback from SharePoint (Microsoft Stream) | 250 GB (upload) | Files can be uploaded up to the 250 GB maximum. Streaming quality depends on bitrate and network; very large video files benefit from adaptive bitrate encoding before upload. |
| PDF preview in browser | No published limit | SharePoint renders PDF previews in the browser. Very large PDFs (hundreds of pages or over 500 MB) may be slow to preview but are not blocked. |
File naming and path constraints
| Constraint | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum file name length | 256 characters | Applies to the file name alone, not the full path. This includes the file extension. |
| Maximum full URL length | 400 characters | The complete URL including the protocol, domain, site path, library path, folder path, and file name. Long nested folder structures reduce the space available for the file name. |
| Characters not allowed in file names | " * : < > ? / \ | | SharePoint also blocks names starting or ending with a space or a period, and names consisting entirely of periods. |
| File name cannot start with | ~ $ . (space) | Temporary Office lock files (~$filename.docx) are filtered out automatically by the sync client but blocked at upload via the browser. |
| Blocked system file names | desktop.ini, thumbs.db, ehthumbs.db | Windows system files that the sync client filters automatically. Attempting to upload them via the browser returns an error. |
| Maximum OneDrive sync path length (Windows) | 260 characters | Applies to the local path on the Windows machine after syncing. Files that sync correctly in SharePoint may still fail to sync locally if the Windows path limit is exceeded. Enable long path support in Windows 10/11 to raise this. |
Large files are often the primary driver of unexpected storage consumption in SharePoint Online, particularly when version history is enabled. Each major version of a 250 MB file adds 250 MB to the site's storage quota. Before uploading very large files into high-traffic libraries, review the library's versioning settings. ShareMaster's Space Master includes a Version Trimmer that can identify and remove old versions of large files, and the version storage calculation reference covers how to estimate the quota impact of your current versioning configuration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum file size I can upload to SharePoint Online?
The maximum file size for SharePoint Online is 250 GB per file. This applies to uploads via the browser, the OneDrive sync client, and the Microsoft Graph API using a resumable upload session. Microsoft raised the limit from 100 GB to 250 GB in 2024.
Can I upload a file larger than 4 MB using the SharePoint REST API?
Yes, but not with a simple direct PUT request. The REST API's direct endpoint handles files up to approximately 2-4 MB reliably. For anything larger, use the chunked upload pattern (StartUpload, ContinueUpload, FinishUpload) or the Microsoft Graph API's upload session endpoint, both of which support files up to 250 GB.
Why won't a large Word or PowerPoint file open for editing in the SharePoint browser?
Office for the web has practical limits on file size for editing. Files over approximately 100 MB often open in read-only mode or prompt the user to open the desktop application. The exact threshold varies by file complexity, embedded content, and network speed. For very large Office files, the desktop app is the reliable path for editing.
Learn how Space Master manages version storage for large files