Troubleshoot a SharePoint Online data import

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Here's how to address common issues you might encounter when setting up a data import.

Only admins can create a new connection

If you get a Only admins can create a new connection error, do the following checks:

  1. Ensure that the Global Administrator role in the Microsoft account that you used for connection is directly assigned to the user in Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory).
  2. Verify the direct role assignments inherited through group membership.

If you're still getting the same error, try the following:

  1. Connect to the Microsoft Graph API using the Microsoft SharePoint Online username that you've been using: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/graph-explorer

  2. Run the following command:

    GET https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/transitiveMemberOf/$/microsoft.graph.directoryRole

  3. In the outputted JSON file, check that the following TEMPLATE ID is present: 62e90394-69f5-4237-9190-012177145e10

    For details, go to Microsoft Entra built-in roles.

Can't start an import

If you get a To start import, you must have super admin privileges and complete all previous steps error, make sure that a super administrator for your Google Workspace account starts the import. Learn more

Need permission to access resources error

If you get a Needs permission to access resources in your organization that only an admin can grant error, make sure that you're using a valid Global Administrator account to connect to the Microsoft account. For details, go to Import files from a SharePoint Online account.

User account issues

Before you begin an import, you have to set up the user accounts in Google Workspace. For details on setting up user accounts, go to Options for adding users.

A user account that is not set up or set up incorrectly, can cause the following issues in the reports:

Report message How to fix
Google Drive isn't enabled for the User
  • Set up a Workspace account for the user if they don't already have one.
  • Enable access to Drive for the account.
Microsoft SharePoint Online is not enabled for the User
  • Confirm that the SharePoint Online source account in your list of source users is correct.
  • Confirm the SharePoint Online source account in your identity map is correct.

Error uploading import file for sites & site collections

When you upload the file for your sites and site collections, you might get one of the following errors:

  • Upload sensitive CSV failed.
  • Validate CSV failed.
  • Bulk action initiation failed.
  • Your CSV includes duplicate sites. Check for duplicates, including subsites listed with their parent sites, then try again.
  • Your CSV has too many site URLs. Update it to include 100 or fewer and try again.

To troubleshoot, confirm the following items are correct and then upload the file again:

  • The file has the right header names: Source SharePoint URL, Target Drive FolderID, Target GUser.
  • The file contains rows other than the headers and each row is filled with all mandatory values.
  • Each SharePoint Online site URL is only listed once.
  • No more than 100 SharePoint Online site URLs are in the file.
  • The file has parent sites or subsites in the parent site, but not both.

Import completes with failed items

  1. Click View data import logs.
  2. Identify items that didn't import and the reasons for their failure. For details, go to Understand a SharePoint Online import report.
  3. Fix the issues and then run a delta import for SharePoint Online.

Missing files, folders, or permissions

If you have a missing files, folders, or permissions after an import, follow these steps:

  1. Make sure the sites and site collections file includes the correct URLs for the SharePoint Online sites of the missing items. Learn more about how to create a file for the sites & site collections to import.
  2. Verify that your identity map contains the correct list of users. For details, go to Create an identity map from SharePoint Online to Workspace.
  3. Make sure that at least one owner of the source file or folder has a user account in Workspace.
  4. Export the import report. For details, go to Access the Report.
  5. In the report, search for the missing file using the file name. File names are part of the Source URL in the import report.
  6. If the error message shows as failed in the report, locate the error code in Understand a SharePoint Online import report. Then, follow the instructions to troubleshoot the error message.
  7. Run a delta import.


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