SharePoint FAQs

SharePoint sites have a limit of 100GB. Additional quota can be purchased in 100GB increments. Note that it is not possible to redistribute unused quota from one site to another.

The maximum file size that you can upload to SharePoint Online is 250GB. Note that each site comes with a default storage capacity of 100GB. You will be able to purchase additional storage space if necessary.

Microsoft enforces a 400 character limit on the total decoded file path, including file name. Site owners should avoid deeply nested folders and excessively long file names before migration.

External access is strongly discouraged. If external access is needed, we recommend that a UBC Faculty and Staff members sponsors the Guest and then grants access to the site.

To grant access to an external user, a faculty or staff member must sponsor a Guest account using Access UBC and then submit a ticket to the IT Service Centre to grant access to M365. Please provide the CWL username assigned and request a “FASmail Manual Provision Role”. An M365 account will be provisioned with a mailbox, and access will be granted to the UBC M365 environment.

UBC’s SharePoint Data is stored in Canada.

First, review the costs, eligibility and limitations. If you wish to process, please submit a Service Now ticket and the team will get back to you: https://ubc.service-now.com/selfservice. Please include as much information as possible.

You can submit a ticket to the IT Service Centre and explain how you got the error and provide screenshots if possible.

Please note the cost and if you wish to proceed, submit a ticket to the IT Service Centre. Someone from the SharePoint team will follow up with you.

If you are a Site Collection Administrator, navigate to your SharePoint site.

• Click the Gear icon to access Site Settings
• Select Site Information
• Click View all site settings
• Under Site Collection Administration, click Storage Metrics

Log into https://ubcca.sharepoint.com

1. Recycle Bin (First-Level Recovery)

• When a file, folder, or list item is deleted, it goes to the Recycle Bin
• Retention: 93 days
• How to restore:
  1. Go to your SharePoint site
  2. Click Recycle Bin (left navigation)
  3. Select item > Restore

2. Second-Stage Recycle Bin (Site Collection)

• When deleted from the user Recycle Bin, the file then moves to Second-stage Recycle Bin
• Accessible by Site Collection Admins only
• How to access:
  1. Open Recycle Bin
  2. Click Second-stage recycle bin (bottom of page)
  3. Restore items

3. Version History (For File Changes)

• SharePoint automatically keeps versions of files
• Restore previous version:
  1. Go to the file in a document library
  2. Click … (ellipsis) → Version history
  3. Select a version → Restore

Microsoft training and help resources linked on this page provide guidance on SharePoint Online basics, document libraries, lists, pages, sharing, and site management. Please refer to the Usage Guides section.