How to Check the Size of SharePoint Storage?

Managing storage effectively in SharePoint is essential for ensuring optimal performance and staying within allocated limits. Whether you're using SharePoint Online or an on-premises SharePoint environment, monitoring storage usage is a key task for administrators.

Why Monitor SharePoint Storage Usage?

1. Stay Within Allocated Quotas: Avoid hitting storage limits set by your SharePoint subscription or organization.
2. Identify Excessive Usage: Locate sites or libraries consuming excessive storage.
3. Optimize Performance: Prevent slowdowns caused by bloated storage.
4. Plan for Expansion: Determine when additional storage may be needed.

How to Check SharePoint Storage in SharePoint Online

SharePoint Online provides easy access to storage usage details through the Admin Center.

Steps to Check Storage Usage in the SharePoint Admin Center

1. Log in to Microsoft 365 Admin Center:
   • Navigate to admin.microsoft.com and sign in with your administrator credentials.
2. Access the SharePoint Admin Center:
   • Select Admin Centers from the navigation menu.
   • Click SharePoint to open the SharePoint Admin Center.
3. View Storage Usage:
   • In the Admin Center, select Active Sites under Sites.
   • The storage usage for each site will be displayed in the Storage Used (GB) column.
   • To see a graphical overview of storage usage, click on Settings > Storage Metrics for a specific site.
4. Check Total and Available Storage:
   • In the SharePoint Admin Center, navigate to Settings > Site Storage Limits to view your total storage allocation and remaining storage.

How to Check Storage Usage in On-Premises SharePoint

In an on-premises SharePoint deployment, storage monitoring involves accessing the Central Administration site or using PowerShell.

Using Central Administration

1. Open Central Administration:
   • Access Central Administration from the server hosting SharePoint.
2. Navigate to Site Collection Quotas and Locks:
   • Go to Application Management and click Site Collection Quotas and Locks under the Site Collections section.
3. View Storage Usage:
   • Select a site collection and view the current storage usage in the quota details.

Using PowerShell

For administrators comfortable with scripting, PowerShell provides detailed storage metrics.

1. Open PowerShell as an administrator.

2. Run the following command:This command lists all site URLs along with their current storage usage (in MB).

   Get-SPOSite -Limit All | Select-Object URL, StorageUsageCurrent
   

Best Practices for Managing SharePoint Storage

1. Set Quotas: Configure storage quotas for each site collection to avoid overuse.
2. Use Retention Policies: Automate the cleanup of outdated files with retention policies.
3. Archive Unused Data: Move unused data to external storage or an archive.
4. Monitor Regularly: Schedule periodic storage usage reviews to stay informed.

Conclusion

Checking SharePoint storage usage is essential for maintaining an efficient and organized environment. Whether you're using SharePoint Online or an on-premises setup, the steps outlined above will help you monitor and manage storage effectively, ensuring your organization avoids storage-related disruptions.