Broken Link Manager: What is the 'Copy Source' field and why can't I replace the link?

Last updated: 2026-09-21

Explains why the Copy Source field appears in Broken Link Manager reports and why these links cannot be replaced.

Question

What is the 'Copy Source' field, and why can't I replace the link?

Answer

SharePoint items may contain a hidden field called Copy Source. This field does not appear on the standard List Item page, but you can view it on the View Properties page.

SharePoint uses this field to track the original source when a file or item is copied using the Send to location feature. Essentially, it records where the item was copied from.

What you will see in Broken Link Manager

In the Broken Link Manager report, the Field column will display Field: Copy Source for these entries. If you navigate to the affected list item, you will see a status message similar to:

This item is a copy of https://portalname/sites/hr/docs/policy1.docx (Go To Source Item | Unlink)

This indicates the item or file is linked to a source copy, and the tool is reporting that the original source can no longer be found.

Why the link cannot be replaced

The Copy Source field is read-only in SharePoint. Because SharePoint does not allow modifications to this field, the Broken Link Manager is unable to fix or replace these types of links. This is expected behavior and by design.

If you need to resolve the broken reference, you can manually click Unlink on the item's properties page in SharePoint to remove the Copy Source association.