Integrations
Mirroring documents to your own folder
Also having in SharePoint or Drive what comes in here, without ending up with two archives that disagree.
Many companies want what comes in here to appear in their corporate folder too: because some people work there, because their backups run through it, or simply because they have used that structure for years. It can be done, and it pays to understand exactly what it does and does not do.
What the mirror does
| Aspect | How it works |
|---|---|
| Direction | One way only: from here to your folder |
| Structure | It reproduces the hierarchy: folder, process and document |
| Versions | If the document is already mirrored, it updates that same file rather than creating another |
| When | Immediately, daily or weekly, as you choose |
| Scope | Everything, or only the modules you specify |
Important
The first row must be crystal clear before setting it up: **it goes one way**. A document someone drops into the SharePoint folder **does not come in here**. If your team starts saving things there assuming they sync, you will have two archives that look alike and disagree, which is worse than having one.
When it is worth it and when not
What to decide before switching it on
- 1
What gets copied
Everything or one module. Copying what nobody will look at only fills the folder.
- 2
How often
Immediately if someone needs it now; daily or weekly if it is for archiving.
- 3
Who wins if something changes in both places
This platform does, because the copy does not come back. Say it out loud to the team.
- 4
And what happens to older material
The mirror starts when you switch it on; anything earlier is moved separately if needed.
Watch out
A detail you only discover once it is running: SharePoint does not accept certain characters in names (`\ / : * ? " < > | # %`), so they are replaced with spaces when copying. The file is the same, but **the name in your folder may not be identical to the one here** — worth knowing if you search there by exact name.
Worth knowing
Each replication is an action and consumes: one per sync request. With "immediate" frequency and high volume, that shows in the breakdown — which is the argument for daily or weekly when the copy is for archiving rather than working.
›Can I work in the copy?
You can open it, but what you do there does not come back. The original lives here.
›What if I delete something in the corporate folder?
It is not deleted here. They are two separate places with the same content.
›Does it count as a backup?
As an additional copy yes; as a recovery plan, review it with whoever owns your policy.
A real case
The situation
A company switches on the SharePoint mirror and its team starts leaving documents there.
What you do
- Explains to the team that the mirror is one way
- Makes clear new material comes in here and the folder is read-only in practice
What you get
Documents that exist in the corporate folder but not in the file stop appearing.
The situation
A copy of everything is wanted in the corporate folder and it is done by hand.
What you do
- Configures the automatic copy on approval
What you get
The folder maintains itself.
The situation
Everything is copied and the folder grows without criteria.
What you do
- Copies only what is approved or final
What you get
The folder stays usable.
The situation
The copy loses the context of which file it belongs to.
What you do
- Reproduces the file structure when copying
What you get
It is found equally well in both places.
The situation
The copy is edited and stops matching the original.
What you do
- Treats the copy as an archive, not a workplace
What you get
The original remains the reference.
The situation
The copy fails for a week and nobody notices.
What you do
- Sets an alert if copying stops
What you get
The gap is caught before it is needed.
This article answers
- sync documents with sharepoint
- copy files to google drive
- also keep documents in our own folder
- mirror documents to onedrive