Add Shortcut to OneDrive vs Sync: What's the Difference?
Preview
In this blog, you'll learn:
How Add Shortcut to OneDrive and Sync work differently
The benefits and limitations of each approach
Our recommended method for accessing SharePoint files across devices
For years, one of the most common questions we've heard from users is, "How do I access my SharePoint files from File Explorer?"
The traditional answer was simple: click Sync.
Today, Microsoft is increasingly steering users toward a different option: Add Shortcut to OneDrive. In fact, Microsoft now recommends OneDrive shortcuts as the more versatile option when available, highlighting benefits such as cross-device access and improved performance.
At first glance, the two features seem very similar. Both make SharePoint files available through File Explorer, and both use the OneDrive client behind the scenes. So what's the difference, and which one should you use?
The shift from sync to shortcuts
Historically, organizations trained users to sync document libraries to their computers. This created a local connection between a SharePoint library and a specific device.
Add Shortcut to OneDrive takes a different approach. Instead of creating a device-specific sync relationship, it adds the library or folder to your OneDrive. Those shortcuts then follow you wherever you sign in to OneDrive, whether that's on another computer, the web, Teams, or a mobile device.
Add shortcut button on a SharePoint library
Microsoft's Add Shortcut to OneDrive feature gives users the familiar File Explorer experience they're looking for, without many of the challenges that come with syncing entire SharePoint libraries to a device. As organizations continue modernizing their Microsoft 365 environments, we're increasingly recommending Shortcut as the default approach for day-to-day work.
Example of a library added as a Shortcut to OneDrive. The status column indicates files that are available locally on-demand.
Why Add Shortcut to OneDrive is preferred
For most business users, Shortcut delivers what they're looking for:
A familiar File Explorer experience
Easy drag-and-drop of files
Access to SharePoint content from OneDrive
Availability across multiple devices
Support for offline scenarios in an “on-demand” model to reduce local storage usage
Many organizations find this creates a cleaner experience than managing multiple synced libraries on multiple devices.
What about desktop applications?
This is an area where Add Shortcut to OneDrive can be especially useful.
Some applications work best when opening and saving files through a traditional file system experience. Engineering, design, and document-heavy applications such as AutoCAD or Adobe products are common examples. Using a OneDrive shortcut allows users to access SharePoint content through familiar folders in File Explorer while still storing and managing the content within Microsoft 365.
We've seen organizations use shortcuts to simplify scenarios such as:
Uploading files into third-party applications
Downloading files from external systems into SharePoint-managed locations
Working with applications that expect local file paths
Reducing the need to manually download and re-upload files between systems
SharePoint does still matter
One thing to remember is that when working with files through File Explorer, you're viewing a different experience than the SharePoint web interface. SharePoint remains the best place for document management features. SharePoint is needed to:
Configure library settings
Create and manage views
Work with metadata and document management features
Manage sharing and permissions
Access the full capabilities of document libraries
Think of Add Shortcut to OneDrive as a convenient way to work with files from your desktop, while SharePoint remains the primary destination for managing the content itself.
Is sync going away?
At the time of writing, Microsoft has not announced any plans to retire or deprecate Sync. Sync remains a supported feature and is still available in SharePoint document libraries.
However, Microsoft's messaging and product updates suggest that Add Shortcut to OneDrive is becoming the preferred experience. Recent user interface changes have even moved the Add Shortcut command ahead of Sync in the SharePoint and OneDrive experience.
Rather than thinking about Sync as "old" or "obsolete," it's more accurate to view it as an alternative approach that many organizations no longer need as their default.
A few tips for users
Whether you're using a shortcut or a synced library, remember:
Changes made in File Explorer affect the files stored in SharePoint.
Deleting files from a shortcut or synced location may also delete them from the SharePoint library.
If you no longer need access through File Explorer, remove the shortcut or stop syncing rather than simply deleting folders
Our recommendation
If you're modernizing how users access SharePoint files, start by teaching Add Shortcut to OneDrive.
It gives users the familiar File Explorer experience they're looking for, works across devices, supports offline access through Files On-Demand, and aligns with the direction Microsoft appears to be taking for file access.
For most users, that's all they need.
And when they need to manage content, configure a library, or take advantage of SharePoint's richer document management capabilities, they're only a click away from the SharePoint web interface.
More reading
Sync SharePoint files and folders | Microsoft Support
