Create a Folder in SharePoint Document Library

We use folders to organize files or items in SharePoint. We create folders in a SharePoint document library to organize and manage files. In this tutorial, I will explain how to create a folder in a SharePoint document library and show you how to disable folder creation options in a SharePoint document library.

You will get this requirement if you are working on any SharePoint development project. Here, let me explain in detail with an example.

Table of Contents

Create a New Folder in SharePoint Document Library

Suppose you want to store policy documents for your organization like HR, WFH, and Travel policies-related documents. We can create folders to organize those documents in the SharePoint library.

For this, the first thing is you can create a SharePoint document library as “Policy Documents,”.

For this, open your SharePoint site, and from the home page, click on the + New button in the command bar and then click on the “Document library” option.

Then it will ask you to provide a Name and Description for the document library like below:

Now, you can see the SharePoint document library created like the screenshots below:

Create a folder in SharePoint document library

Now, we can create folders inside the document library. By default, creating folder option is enabled in SharePoint Online document libraries.

Follow the below steps to create folders inside a SharePoint document library. You can also follow The same steps in a document library in SharePoint on-premises versions.

1. Open the SharePoint document library and click on the + New button -> Folder in the command bar.

Create a Folder in SharePoint Online Document Library

2. Next, it will ask you to enter a folder name. Then click on the Create button.

create a new folder in a SharePoint document library

3. Once the folder is created in the SharePoint Online document library, it looks like the screenshot below:

create a new folder in a SharePoint Online document library

In the same way, you can create multiple folders inside the same document library. You can see the document library with folders looks like below:

This is how to create a new folder in a SharePoint document library.

Disable folder creation in SharePoint

By default, folder creation is enabled in SharePoint, and sometimes, you may want to disable folder creation in SharePoint.

We can disable folder creation in SharePoint at the library level.

Follow the below steps to disable folder creation in SharePoint.

1. Open the SharePoint library or list. Then click on the Gear or Settings icon. Then, Select Library settings and click on the Advanced settings under the General Settings.

Disable the New folder command in SharePoint Document Library

2. Then navigate to the Folders section and choose No option for “Make “New Folder” command available?”. Then click on OK.

Disable the New folder command in SharePoint Online Document Library

Once you click on OK, when you open the SharePoint document library, and click on the + New button, you will not see the Folder creation option like below:

How to disable the new folder command in SharePoint document library

This is how to disable folder creation in SharePoint, and it works the same for both SharePoint lists and libraries.

Conclusion

I hope you got an idea of how to create a folder in a SharePoint list or document library to store and organize files or items. Also, I have explained how to disable folder creation in the SharePoint library or list.