How to Fix SharePoint Error Site Collection Quota Error

A Site Collection Quota Error occurs when a SharePoint site collection exceeds its allocated storage limit. When this limit is reached, the site collection enters a read-only state, blocking users from uploading new files, editing existing documents, creating lists, or saving version backups. Users will see errors like “This site has run out of space” or “Storage quota exceeded.”

This guide explains how to analyze storage metrics, free up disk space, and increase quotas.

Understand Site Collection Quota Errors

The storage quota error is triggered by:

1. Exceeded Storage Limit: The data size of files, versions, and lists exceeds the quota set by the tenant administrator.
2. Recycle Bin Accumulation: Deleted files continue to count against the site collection storage quota until they are permanently removed from the Recycle Bin and the Second-Stage Recycle Bin.
3. Version History Bloat: Multiple minor and major version saves of large files (e.g., videos, presentations) consume multiples of the original file size.

Resolving SharePoint Site Collection Quota Errors

Follow these procedures to reclaim storage space or adjust boundaries:

Step 1: Check Storage Metrics in Site Settings

Determine which lists, libraries, or folders are consuming the most space.

1. Navigate to the affected SharePoint site.
2. Click the Gear (Settings) icon and choose Site information > View all site settings.
3. Under the Site Collection Administration section, click Storage Metrics.
4. Review the folder list. Storage Metrics shows the exact breakdown of data usage, including what percent of the quota is consumed by each library.

Step 2: Empty the Site Recycle Bins

Files in both the first-stage and second-stage recycle bins count against the storage quota.

1. In the left navigation pane of the site, select Recycle bin.
2. Click Empty recycle bin to clear first-stage deletions.
3. At the bottom of the Recycle Bin page, click the Second-stage recycle bin link.
4. Select all items and click Delete (requires Site Collection Admin privileges).
5. Refresh the Storage Metrics page to verify the updated capacity.

Step 3: Increase Site Collection Storage Quota (Administrators Only)

If the site cannot be cleaned and needs additional space, increase the site’s limit.

For SharePoint Online:

Use PowerShell to dynamically allocate more storage (up to 25 TB per site collection):

# Connect to your SharePoint Online Admin Service
Connect-SPOService -Url "https://yourcompany-admin.sharepoint.com"

# Check the current storage limits for the site
Get-SPOSite -Identity "https://yourcompany.sharepoint.com/sites/marketing" | Select-Object Url, StorageUsageCurrent, StorageQuota

# Increase the storage quota to 1 Terabyte (1,048,576 Megabytes)
Set-SPOSite -Identity "https://yourcompany.sharepoint.com/sites/marketing" -StorageQuota 1048576 -StorageQuotaWarningLevel 999999

For SharePoint On-Premises:

Run this on-premises management script:

# Retrieve the site collection object
$site = Get-SPSite "https://sharepoint.local/sites/marketing"

# Assign a new Quota Template (configured in Central Administration)
$site.QuotaTemplate = "Personal Site Quota Template"
Write-Host "New quota assigned to site collection."

Step 4: Clean Up File Version Histories

Large files with hundreds of saved versions can consume massive amounts of storage space.

1. In the document library, hover over a large file and click the three dots.
2. Select Version history.
3. To delete older version instances, click Delete All Versions (retaining only the active publication), or delete specific historic drafts.
4. Alternatively, use PowerShell to restrict the maximum number of major versions kept in the library settings:

# Set version limits using PnP PowerShell
Connect-PnPOnline -Url "https://yourcompany.sharepoint.com/sites/marketing" -Interactive
Set-PnPList -Identity "Documents" -MajorVersions 500

Summary Checklist

• Open the Site Settings and check the Storage Metrics allocation.
• Empty both the user-level Recycle Bin and the administrator-level Second-stage Recycle Bin.
• Review the Version History on large files to delete historic drafts.
• For administrators: run Set-SPOSite in PowerShell to increase the storage quota.
• Verify that the tenant has free global pooled storage left in the M365 Admin Center.