SharePoint is Microsoft's document management and collaboration platform — the place where files, folders and shared knowledge actually live in a Microsoft 365 organisation. Most teams use a fraction of what it can do. They store files in it the way they used to store files on a network drive, and wonder why collaboration is still awkward.
This guide covers how to use SharePoint properly: how document libraries work, how to organise files so people can find them, how SharePoint integrates with Microsoft Teams, what the platform's limits actually are, and how to handle archiving without creating a mess.
What SharePoint document libraries actually are
A document library is the core unit of SharePoint storage. It's not a folder — it's a list with versioning, metadata, permissions, and sync capabilities built in. Understanding the distinction changes how you set up and use SharePoint.
→ Getting started with SharePoint document libraries: a beginner's guide
File organisation in SharePoint
The most common mistake in SharePoint is replicating a traditional folder hierarchy and calling it done. Folders have their place, but metadata, views and content types give you organisation that scales — across teams, devices and time.
→ Best practices for file organisation in SharePoint
SharePoint and Microsoft Teams
Most Microsoft 365 teams use Teams as their daily interface. What they often don't realise is that every Teams channel has a SharePoint document library behind it — and that understanding this relationship is the key to making both tools work better.
→ How SharePoint document libraries integrate with Microsoft Teams folders
OneDrive vs SharePoint: which one to use
OneDrive is for your personal files. SharePoint is for files your team needs to access, collaborate on and find. The decision of where to put something isn't a matter of preference — it has real consequences for who can see it, how it syncs, and what happens when someone leaves the organisation.
→ If you're using OneDrive for collaboration, you're doing it wrong
SharePoint as a network drive replacement
Teams migrating off legacy file servers often ask whether SharePoint can replace a network drive. The short answer is yes — with caveats around path lengths, file types, sync behaviour and offline access that are worth understanding before you start.
→ Can SharePoint be used like a network drive for file storage?
Understanding SharePoint's limits
SharePoint Online has a 5,000-item list view threshold that catches teams off guard when libraries grow. Knowing where the limits are — and how to work around them with indexed columns, filtered views and folder structure — prevents the performance problems before they happen.
→ Understanding SharePoint Online's large list and library limits
Archiving strategies
Files don't go away. Projects end, clients leave, compliance requirements stack up. A deliberate archiving strategy — separating active from inactive content, applying retention policies, moving older material to lower-cost storage — keeps your SharePoint environment navigable over time.
→ Folder archiving strategies for Microsoft 365 & SharePoint
Further reading
If you're using SharePoint alongside monday.com, the complete guide to Microsoft 365 SharePoint integration with monday.com covers how the two platforms connect — automated folder creation, document generation, Excel sync and embedded file views.
