MC1478966 - SharePoint: Improved site metadata size reporting

What and Why:

Microsoft is improving how site metadata size is reported in SharePoint. The calculation will include document library field data, giving admins a more complete view of a site’s metadata usage.

Nothing about your content changes. No content is added, moved, or removed, and the site metadata size limit remains 1 TB per site.

Because the calculation is more complete, reported metadata size may be higher for some sites. For most sites, the difference will be small and nothing else will change. Some sites may show a size at or above the 1 TB limit once the updated calculation is applied.

Rollout Schedule:

• General Availability, Worldwide: We will begin rolling out on October 20, 2026.
• Sites already identified as expected to reach or exceed the 1 TB metadata limit will be excluded from the initial rollout to provide additional time to reduce their metadata usage before the correction is applied.

Impact on Your Organization:

Who is affected:

• SharePoint admins who monitor site storage and metadata usage.
• Organizations with SharePoint sites that are close to or above the 1 TB site metadata limit.
• Site owners and users of sites that receive metadata warnings or enforcement messages.

Platforms/Services:

• SharePoint Online.
• SharePoint Storage Metrics.
• SharePoint document libraries and lists.

What will happen:

• Most organizations will see no change in behavior.
• The visible difference is that reported site metadata size may be higher than before because document library field data is included in the calculation.
• For sites that cross the 1 TB metadata limit after the correction, the site is blocked from adding new metadata until usage is brought back under the limit.
• Existing content stays in place and remains accessible.
• SharePoint shows a warning or error message when the site is close to, or has reached, the metadata limit.
• For sites that reach 80% of the metadata limit, admins can review the metadata size breakdown on the Storage Metrics page.

Action Required/Recommendations:

No action is needed for most organizations.

If you see a metadata warning for a site, review its metadata usage and take steps to reduce it:

• Check the Storage Metrics page for the site. For sites at or above 80% of the metadata limit, the metadata size breakdown is available on this page.
• Delete unneeded items from your lists and document libraries.
• Delete older file versions in your document libraries.
• Remove duplicate files across lists and libraries.
• Follow the steps provided in the in-product warning message.
• Re-check the Storage Metrics page after making changes.

If a site remains over the 1 TB metadata limit after the correction is applied, the site will be blocked from adding new metadata until usage is reduced below the limit. Existing content will remain accessible.

Compliance considerations:

Does the change alter how existing customer data is processed, stored, or accessed?	Yes. SharePoint metadata size reporting will include document library field data, giving admins a more complete view of site metadata usage. Content is not added, moved, or removed.
Does the change modify, interrupt, or disable retention policies, holds, or deletion workflows?	Yes. Sites that exceed the 1 TB metadata limit can be blocked from adding new metadata until usage is reduced below the limit, which may affect creation or update actions that add metadata.
Does the change alter how admins can monitor, report on, or demonstrate compliance activities?	Yes. Admins will see a more complete metadata size calculation on the Storage Metrics page and may see warning or error messages when a site is close to or over the limit.