Add-PnPFolder fails for folder names containing a hash (#)

Question

I want to create a folder with hashtag(#) in the name in SharePoint Online using PowerShell pnp and following command fails with error message "The argument must be a single folder name and cannot contain path characters". (From SharePoint Online UI, it allows to create folders/files with #).

Add-PnPFolder -Name "Test # Lists" -Folder "ABC/"

The Same error occurs when uploading a file with the name containing a # using Add-PnPFile

I have tried escaping (`#) but it's giving the same error. Also tried encoding # with '%23', but it creates a folder with %23 in the name instead of #.

Any solution or a workaround is much appreciated.

Amos Amos · Accepted Answer · 2020-09-11T02:50:56

Not all APIs support creating files/folders with # or %.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/dev/solution-guidance/supporting-and-in-file-and-folder-with-the-resourcepath-api

https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/office/blogs/upcoming-changes-to-sharepoint-and-onedrive-for-business-apis-to-support-and-in-file-names/

You could use SharePoint Online Powershell to create a folder with "#" in name.

Add-Type -Path "C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Web Server Extensions\16\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.dll"  
Add-Type -Path "C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Web Server Extensions\16\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Runtime.dll"  

$SiteUrl = "https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/dev"
$ListURL="/sites/dev/lib"
$FolderName="Reports#"
$UserName="[email protected]"
$Password ="Password"
  
#Setup Credentials to connect
$Credentials = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.SharePointOnlineCredentials($UserName,(ConvertTo-SecureString $Password -AsPlainText -Force))
 
Try {
    #Set up the context
    $Context = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ClientContext($SiteUrl)
    $Context.Credentials = $credentials
   
    #Get the List Root Folder
    $ParentFolder=$Context.web.GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl($ListURL)
 
    #sharepoint online powershell create folder
    $Folder = $ParentFolder.Folders.Add($FolderName)
    $ParentFolder.Context.ExecuteQuery()
 
    Write-host "New Folder Created Successfully!" -ForegroundColor Green
}
catch {
    write-host "Error: $($_.Exception.Message)" -foregroundcolor Red
}

Add-PnPFolder fails for folder names containing a hash (#)

3 Answers