File Size Limits
- By default, the maximum upload file size in SharePoint On-Premises is 50 MB per file.
- This limit can be increased manually via Central Administration settings (for example, up to 2 GB or more depending on your SharePoint version and server configuration).
- To increase the limit:
- Go to Central Administration.
- Navigate to Web Application General Settings.
- Adjust the Maximum Upload Size parameter.
- Note: Increasing the upload size limit may cause timeouts during large file uploads. You may also need to increase IIS timeout settings for stability.
Number of Files Limits
- Maximum number of items (files and folders) in a single document library can be up to 30 million.
- List View Threshold: By default, SharePoint limits views and queries to return no more than 5,000 items at once without proper indexing and filtering.
- File path length (including file name) should not exceed 400 characters.
Additional Considerations
- Unique permissions: Libraries with more than 100,000 items cannot break permission inheritance at the library or folder level, only at individual file level.
- Versioning: SharePoint supports up to 50,000 major versions and 511 minor (draft) versions per document.
Recommendations
- Actual limits depend on your SharePoint version and server setup (e.g., SharePoint 2016/2019 often supports larger upload sizes).
- When migrating thousands of files, it’s best to upload in batches to avoid performance issues.
- Use indexed columns and filtered views to manage large libraries efficiently.
Summary:
The default maximum file upload size in SharePoint On-Premises is 50 MB, but it can be increased via Central Administration. Libraries can hold millions of files, but practical limits like the 5,000-item view threshold and path length restrictions apply. For bulk uploads, batching files and monitoring server performance is recommended.
If you are using the Virto Multiple File Upload App, consider these SharePoint limits when deciding batch sizes for uploading thousands of files.