Egnyte to SharePoint Online, step by step
Egnyte and SharePoint both keep files in folders with permissions, but they do not think about access the same way. Egnyte grants a role per folder; SharePoint works with sites, libraries and groups. The migration works when that translation is explicit and nobody ends up seeing more than before.
What does not map one to one
| Permission levels | Egnyte folders use Viewer, Editor, Full and Owner, and some plans add Viewer Only. SharePoint uses levels such as Read, Contribute, Edit and Full Control. The pairs are close, not identical. |
|---|---|
| Inheritance | Egnyte subfolders inherit their parent’s permissions unless inheritance is turned off. In SharePoint every break creates unique permissions: up to 50,000 per library, and Microsoft recommends staying under 5,000. |
| Private folders | Egnyte can give users a Private folder named after them. Personal files usually belong in that person’s OneDrive, not in a shared site. |
| Shared links | Links created in Egnyte point to Egnyte. The ones still in use have to be created again in SharePoint or OneDrive. |
| Names and paths | SharePoint’s rules apply on arrival: no " * : < > ? / \ | in names, blocked names such as CON or desktop.ini, and 400 characters for the full path. |
Sources: Egnyte and Microsoft, as published in October 2026. Egnyte Permissions API, SharePoint limits and Restrictions and limitations in OneDrive and SharePoint
The migration, step by step
- 1
Take an inventory without changing anything
Folders and sizes, who has which role where, where inheritance is broken, private folders, shared links and names SharePoint will reject. Nothing gets decided before this.
- 2
Decide where each folder goes
Top-level shared folders often become sites or libraries; deep project trees may be better split. Private folders are candidates for each person’s OneDrive.
- 3
Translate the roles, never wider
Each Egnyte role maps to the closest SharePoint level that does not grant more. Where the closest option would open access, the folder waits for a decision instead.
- 4
Let the folder owners decide
Egnyte Owners already know who should see their folders. Ask them to confirm the plan, and keep a record of who decided.
- 5
Migrate in incremental passes
Copy while people keep working in Egnyte, then repeat: each pass copies only what is new or changed. Only the last pass and the switch need a short window.
- 6
Verify, recreate links, then cut over
Compare every file with its original and read permissions back from SharePoint. Create again the shared links that are still needed, move people over and make Egnyte read-only before you retire it.
How Sendero does it
Sendero connects to Egnyte without writing anything, explains what it found and proposes how each folder and role maps to SharePoint Online and OneDrive, as rules you can read. Folder owners confirm, someone with authority approves, and Sendero migrates and checks every file against the original. Nothing ends up more open than it was in Egnyte.
Questions
Do Egnyte permissions carry over to SharePoint Online?
Yes, translated. Viewer, Editor, Full and Owner map to SharePoint permission levels, with one rule: nobody gets more access than before. Where there is no safe equivalent, Sendero holds the folder until an owner decides.
What happens to Egnyte private folders?
Sendero proposes moving each one to its owner’s OneDrive. You approve or change that before anything moves.
Do Egnyte shared links keep working?
No, they point to Egnyte. List them during the inventory so the ones still needed can be created again in SharePoint or OneDrive.
Can people keep working in Egnyte during the migration?
Yes. Incremental passes copy while Egnyte is in use; only the last pass and the switch need a short window.