Welcome to Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013.

Please refer to the provided End-User License Agreement for license information.

The following list contains important facts about SharePoint Server 2013 and Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2013. To see other related 2013 known issue articles, click SharePoint Foundation known issues.

What products have issues?

SharePoint Server

SharePoint Server search

SharePoint Designer

OneDrive for Business with Office Online Standalone SKU

SharePoint Server

Context menus might not be available for PerformancePoint content on mobile devices

If your organization is using SharePoint Server 2013 running in SharePoint Server 2010 mode, context menus for PerformancePoint content might not be available when viewed on a mobile device such as a Windows 8 tablet or an Apple iPad. This is especially true when users are viewing content using the Internet Explorer app as opposed to running Internet Explorer from the Windows 8 desktop or when using the iOS 6 Safari browser on Apple iPad.

Workaround    We recommend running SharePoint Server 2013 in its default mode. Or have people open Internet Explorer from the Windows 8 desktop.

No workaround is currently available for the iOS Safari browser.

Delete the AverageRating property prior to upgrading from Preview

The upgrade from Preview to the released version will automatically add a new managed property called AverageRating. If you created this property in their Preview installation, the upgrade will fail.

My Site upgraded to 2013 but is set to run in 2010 mode, clicking Gear Menu >Add an App gives an error

When the My Site is upgraded to 2013 but is set to remain in 2010 mode, you will get an error message.

Workaround    There is currently no workaround available.

Indexer process doesn’t free up old memory after repartitioning

One reason to trigger repartitioning might be high memory pressure on index nodes. The issue is that after index repartitioning old index nodes are still at the same memory usage, which stays forever until the Index node restarts.

Workaround    We recommend you restart spsearchhostcontroller service on old index components and to run this step before doing $ssa.ResumeAfterIndexRepartitioning(). But before restarting hostcontroller it makes sense to check that old index replicas are in sync with their primaries.

Trying to retrieve fcocount when collapsing/grouping isn’t turned on causes the query to crash

If TrimDuplicates=False or TrimDuplicatesIncludeId is used while retrieving the managed property fcocount then the query fails.

Workaround    Don’t request for fcocount while TrimDuplicates=False or TrimDuplicatesIncludeId is used.

New-SPEnterpriseSearchIndexComponent checks the existence of RootDirectory in the wrong server

You want to add a new index component to the search topology, and want to specify a non-default root directory for the index files. For example:

New-SPEnterpriseSearchIndexComponent -SearchTopology $t -SearchServiceInstance $ssi -IndexPartition 1 -RootDirectory ""d:\index4"

The cmdlet might fail with the following error message because it incorrectly checks if the indicated root directory exists on the server the cmdlet is run on:

Cannot bind parameter 'RootDirectory' to the target. Exception setting ""RootDirectory"": ""Could not find a part of the path 'd:\index4'."

Workaround    You can create the new index component using the following procedure instead:

$host02 = (Get-SPServer"<Name of server>").Name

$ssa = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchserviceApplication

$t = $ssa.ActiveTopology.Clone()

$ic = (New-Object Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.Topology.IndexComponent $host02,1);

$ic.RootDirectory =""d:\index4"

$t.AddComponent($ic)"

PerformancePoint Dashboard Designer Help doesn’t open as expected

When you click Help in Dashboard Designer, Help for SharePoint Server opens, and there is no mention of Dashboard Designer on the page.

Workaround    Help is available for Dashboard Designer, even though it's not visible on the Home screen of the Help Viewer. To view content about Dashboard Designer, in the search box near the top of the Help window, type "Dashboard Designer." A list of resources for Dashboard Designer appears.

PowerPoint intent isn’t shown

PowerPoint intent isn’t shown as PowerPoint query rule condition is missing semicolon in Spanish build and results in incorrect behavior in OOB intent for PowerPoint. Also this happens only for Arabic and Spanish server, without any language packs.

Workaround    Administrators can copy the existing query rule condition for PowerPoint and insert the missing semicolon or correctly place the semicolons that were causing the issue. The old entry can then be deleted to ensure the updated query rule is picked up.

Top of Page

SharePoint Server search

Trouble getting search to work with anonymous access

You might get the following error message when you try to use search with anonymous access.

An exception occurred when trying to issue security token: The security token username and password could not be validated.

Workaround    The workaround is to change the OS locale to a local language.

Top of Page

SharePoint Designer

Calling HTTP web service fails when calling non-SharePoint HTTP (REST) web service from SharePoint workflow

When a workflow developer writes a workflow that calls non-SharePoint HTTP (REST) web service from SharePoint workflow, “Authorization: Bearer” is added to HTTP header by default, which may sometimes result in “401 Unauthorized" error response.

Workaround    A workflow developer explicitly needs to have “Authorization” field set with empty string (“”) in a “RequestHeader” property of “Call HTTP Web Service” action. This will result in suppressing the bearer authorization header for this HTTP request.

Can’t create DocSet using Create List Item action

In SharePoint 2010 workflow we were able to create DocSet using Create List Item action in SharePoint Designer, but in SharePoint 2013 we don't support creating DocSet using Create List Item action.

Workaround    Try calling the SharePoint 2010 workflow using the Start a workflow action.

Workflow doesn’t support external list in SharePoint 2013

Workflow in SharePoint 2010 supported create, read, update, delete (CRUD) operation for external list but SharePoint 2013 workflow doesn’t support CRUD operation for external list due to platform limitation.

Workaround    Try SharePoint 2010 workflow by using Start a list/site workflow action inside the SharePoint 2013 workflow.

Create List Item action doesn’t support creating items in the folder

We could create a list item under folder in custom list using Create List Item action in SharePoint 2010 but in SharePoint 2013 Create List Item action doesn’t support creating items in the folder due to platform limitation.

Workaround    Try calling SharePoint 2010 workflow using Start a list/site workflow action in the SharePoint 2013 workflow.

CompletionCondition property of Parallel Block in SharePoint 2010 workflow isn’t supported

CompletionCondition property of Parallel Block in SharePoint 2010 workflow isn’t supported. You can create SharePoint 2010 workflow and SharePoint 2013 workflow in SharePoint Designer 2013. But the CompletionCondition property of Parallel Block is a property that we only support for a SharePoint 2013 workflow. But we show this property for SharePoint 2010 workflow but you can’t set it in 2010.

Workaround    There is currently no workaround.

Document created by Create List Item action doesn’t keep the file extension given at workflow design time

A document created by Create List Item action doesn’t keep the file extension given at workflow design time. For example, when you create a new SharePoint 2013 workflow on document library that has document template like "template.dotx", the workflow has “Create list item” action and its "Path and Name" parameter is set to "excel_file.xls". When you publish and execute the workflow, a new document is created with name "excel_file.xls.docx" instead of "excel_file.xls".

We supported this in SharePoint 2010 workflow.

Workaround    Try using the SharePoint 2010 workflow using the Start a list/site workflow action in the SharePoint 2013 workflow.

Workflow doesn’t support Survey list

Workflow in SharePoint 2010 supported create, read, update, or delete (CRUD) operation for the Survey list but SharePoint 2013 workflow doesn’t support CRUD operation for Survey list because of a platform limitation — Survey list doesn't have GUID field).

Workaround    Try calling the SharePoint 2010 workflow by using Start a list/site workflow action inside SharePoint 2013 workflow.

Doesn’t preserve user setting when users use Create a List Item or Update List Item action

When you add Date/Time or Boolean type field with empty value to the parameter dialog of Create List Item or Update List Item action, we don’t preserve those fields when a parameter dialog box is reopened.

Workaround    Try to call the SharePoint 2010 workflow using Start a list/site workflow action.

Updating a list item doesn’t work when updating an item field with empty value

When you try to update list item field that is non-string types, such as Date/Time, Boolean, Number, or Person, with empty value using Update List Item action, it doesn’t work. Updating string type field with empty string or updating single user type field with empty value works well.

Workaround    Try to call the SharePoint 2010 workflow using the Start a list/site workflow action.

Value of "Current Time" ("Today") differs based on time zone

When we use Date/Time value in a workflow and SharePoint Designer, we need the current date at run-time. SharePoint Designer provides "Current Time" ("Today") when setting Date/Time value but its value at run-time differs based on time zone because it has time portion while Current Time in 2010 has only date portion without time portion.

Workaround    After setting a Date/Time variable, use "Set Time Portion of Date/Time Field" action with time portion all 0 (zero) so that we can have date only value. For example, set time as 0 : 0 for date (Output to Variable: date).

Document item with empty title in Document Library crashes 2013 workflow using condition Title field contains keyword

If a document item with an empty title using condition Title field contains keyword is run, we can expect the condition to resolves to False but instead it crashes.

Workaround    Use If any value equals value condition and set Current Item:Title in the left value and set contains for the operator.

CreatedDate and ModifiedDate of 2010 uses the client time but 2013 uses time zone of server

CreatedDate and ModifiedDate of SharePoint Designer 2010 use the client time but SharePoint Designer 2013 uses time zone of the server when displayed in a Workflow Gallery.

Workaround    There is currently no workaround. But we recommend you use the same time zone settings on client and server.

Workflow with Unicode/DBCS name and packaged via Save As Template feature to a predefined name WorkflowSolution.wsp

Workflows with Unicode or DBCS names will be packaged into .wsp files with the default hard-coded name of WorkflowSolution.wsp.

Workaround    You can rename the WorkflowSolution.wsp to the original workflow name. Regardless of whether you rename it or not, the original workflow name will be kept for the workflow definition at the destination site.

Can't show Created Date and Modified Date field for 2013 workflows in Workflows gallery

If the client locale and server locale are different from each other, SharePoint Designer can't show Created Date and Modified Date field in Workflows gallery

Workaround    There is currently no workaround available. We do recommend that you use the same locale settings on client and server.

Same task outcome variable is reused

When you copy and paste, the basic rule is to keep the outcome variable, but the design of Assign a Task and Start a Task Process action is to use unique outcome variable that isn’t used by any other task actions as it has some hidden information to show the outcome dropdown when it is used.

When you change the outcome variable to something else, the hidden information is removed and the new variable will have the information. So if you change the outcome variable of some pasted task actions, it also breaks the other task actions' outcome variable which is the same.

Workaround    If you changed the outcome variable for some pasted task action and saw some weird behavior with If condition or set variable action, try to set it back to the original variable. And instead, if needed, create and use local variables to store the task outcome values for your scenarios.

If condition doesn't work correctly at runtime with Approval Status column

If you use Approval Status column in If condition, the dropdown will be shown to choose from options such as '1;#Rejected'. But the resolution of the If statement is wrong at runtime.

Workaround    Instead of using

if 'Current Item:Approval Status' equals '1:#Rejected'

you should use

if '1' equals 'Current Item:Approval Status’

Dictionary list column can cause wrong error detection with Check for Error

If a list has a multi-line type column named Dictionary and SharePoint Designer 2013 workflow uses it in Create Item action, Check for Error gets the following message:

This action contains errors that are not currently visible. Click the hyperlink...

Workaround    Use the other list column name.

Use User ID Number for Person type field

You should use the User ID Number for a Person type filed when it is used in Wait for current item event action.

Workaround    Use the User ID Number option.

No support for Both or Association type initiation parameter of reusable workflow

We hide the user interface to create Both or Association type initiation parameter that are used for reusable workflow scenario.

Workaround    There is currently no workaround available. You can try to use a default value for the Initiation parameter or Initiation type parameter or Use list workflow depending on your scenario.

Check for Error reports invisible error

When a stage has an If condition in the Transition Section that compares String type local variable to some value, and is copied and pasted, some invisible error is detected.

Workaround    You can use the Cut command to move the condition statement in the Transition Section and paste it to the original location.

Or you can copy the condition statement in the Transition Section and paste it to the same location. And then delete one of the duplicate condition statement.

Workflow canceled with an empty DataTime initiation parameter

If a list workflow is manually started with an empty DataTime initiation parameter, the workflow is canceled.

Workaround    Don’t leave the DateTime field empty.

Out of the Box Workflow Task Content Type isn’t applied automatically to sites that have broken inheritance from the root site

When SharePoint Designer publishes a workflow to a site with broken inheritance from the root site, it won’t be able to automatically associate the Out of the Box Content Type with the task list. This means that when you try to run a workflow that uses tasks that are using the Out of the Box task content type, the workflow will fail during run time.

This is happening because the Out of the Box content type is stored on the root site. And if SharePoint Designer doesn’t have access to that root site, it can’t get the Out of the Box content type and associate it to the task list.

Workaround    Manually apply the content type to the task list before running any workflows.

SharePoint Designer 2013 workflow canceled if it has Lookup for 2010 local variable of type String or List Item ID

When a SharePoint Designer 2010 workflow local variable of type String or List Item ID is created but has not been assigned any value after that, and looked up by a 2013 workflow via Start a Workflow action or Interop activity, the workflow is cancelled at run time.

Workaround    When calling a 2010 workflow and using its return value in a 2013 workflow via Start a Workflow, make sure that all the variables being looked up has values assigned at least once. After set, the variables has no problem at all.

Trigger SharePoint Designer workflows on a wrong list

Start a List Workflow receives "item" as parameter on which the called SharePoint Designer 2010 workflow will run on at the run time. The item should be located in the same list where the association/workflow resides in. But we don’t restrict item input to only the same list where association/workflow is at. So when the item and association/workflow don’t have one list in common, the workflow won’t be executed and raise an error at the run time.

Workaround    Set the "item" parameter appropriately. For instance, if a SharePoint Designer 2013 list workflow calls a 2010 workflow associated with other list, you shouldn’t use "Current Item" but an item that is in the list where the 2010 workflow is.

Internal output datasource variable seen on the action Set Workflow Variable

The data source for Start a Workflow calls return value is displayed as a Dictionary type variable in certain actions. In this case, other dictionary type variable can be assigned to the data source, but which shouldn’t be done since it is a reserved space for the return values from SharePoint Designer 2010 called workflow at the run time.

Workaround    Don’t use the __SharePoint 2010 Output: <workflow_name> variable other than looking it up as a data source.

SharePoint Designer 2010 output datasource should be deleted if the association is changed or if the action sentence is deleted

Every time an association/workflow parameter in Start a Workflow, one data source to retrieve return data from the called 2010 workflow is created. So when you choose the same association/workflow, for instance by erasing a Start a Workflow action and adding the action and parameter again, there will be multiple data sources. But using the older source in other parts of the workflow will cause a workflow cancellation.

Workaround    Don’t use older version of a data source when new versions with higher number is created and available.

SharePoint Designer 2010 workflow's local variable name can’t contain a special characters

If you look up a SharePoint Designer 2010 workflow's local variable from a SharePoint Designer 2013 workflow, when 2010 workflow's local variable name contains a special character (for example, ? or #), it is represented as a hexadecimal code.

This is happening because 2013 workflow doesn’t allow the use of such special characters in variable names.

Workaround    The data is handled intact, but just displayed differently at the design time. Just be aware of the issue and it is fine to use the variables with the special characters without any additional work.

SharePoint 2013 (WF4) workflow package fails at feature activation if the referenced lists don't exist

After deploying the on Solutions gallery and activating it, you need to activate the site feature for it. But it will fail if the referenced lists don't exist.

Workaround    When the package failed to be activated at the target site, you have to look at two things.

  • What happens if the workflow package is deployed to a site where referenced lists don’t exist?

The site feature activation will fail.

The error message isn’t very detailed but if you look at the ULS log, you can find some hints like the following:

“Workflow XAML failed validation due to the following errors: Failed to create a 'ListId' from the text '$ListId:Lists/Vacation;”

But after the feature activation has failed, re-activating the feature might fail again even after you create the necessary lists. This is because your workflow definition is deployed incompletely. You need to do the following:

  1. Open SharePoint Designer and delete the workflow definition which failed during feature activation.

  2. Deactivate the solution and remove the solution.

  3. Upload the solution and activate the solution.

  4. Activate the site feature.

  • You need to guarantee that the relative lists URLs (for example, Lists/Vacation) are the same. Even if you create a list with a given name and then change it to a different name, the list URL won’t change, this is because it is based on the original display name. As such, even though you packaged the workflow based on the list’s updated name, the workflow will still look for a list URL based on the old name in the target site. Therefore, when you are recreating the lists in the target site, you must make sure that you initially give the lists the original name, and not the updated name. This way the list URL will be preserved. After the list is created, you can change the list’s name to the updated one.

Workflow is canceled if the list/site workflow is deployed from SharePoint 2013 workflow package to a site without Workflow Task and Workflow History list

When the list/site workflow package is deployed, correct Workflow Task and Workflow History should exist in the target site. If the target server doesn’t have the Workflow Task list and Workflow History list, you might see an error message when you click the workflow from the Workflow Settings page.

Workaround    This happens when you deploy the workflow to a target server where no workflows have ever been created before. As a workaround, you can create and publish a dummy workflow from SharePoint Designer to create the Workflow Task list and Workflow History list, and then open the deployed workflow from SharePoint Designer, adjust the Workflow Task list and Workflow History list settings and republish the workflow.

Copy and paste feature issues SharePoint Designer 2013 text-based workflow designer

Even though we tried to enable frequently used features found within most editing tools, the following are some limitations:

  • Can’t use Undo (Ctrl+Z).

  • Can’t select multiple objects by clicking and dragging.

  • Can’t move selected items by clicking and dragging objects.

  • Can’t use Shift+Left Mouse Click to select multiple constructs such as Stage, Step, or Parallel Block but can be used for multi-selection of actions.

  • Don’t support copy-and-paste across the different workflow platform types.

  • Clipboard isn’t fully integrated with copy and paste of workflow actions in the text based designer so the Paste button within the Clipboard doesn’t work as expected.

  • Can’t copy and paste contents across Remote Desktop, because we don’t support copy and paste across SharePoint Designer installations with different PIDs.

  • Can’t use paste on the Build Dictionary action, because it doesn’t keep its properties.

Workaround For most mouse operations, you can use the keyboard. For other items, there are no workarounds.

Workflow form changed from InfoPath form to ASPX form

For the workflow based on SharePoint Designer 2013 and Microsoft Azure Workflow, SharePoint Designer creates ASPX forms instead of InfoPath forms that were created by SharePoint 2010 workflows. If you want to customize the form, you can click it from the forms slab in workflow summary page to show a generic ASPX page editor.

Workaround    No workaround is currently available.

Task Process actions can’t be inserted when two instances of SharePoint Designer are running

SharePoint Designer 2010 workflow actions, such as Start Approval process and Start Feedback process, can’t be inserted into the workflow designer when two instances of SharePoint Designer are running at the same time.

Workaround    Work with one instance of SharePoint Designer when you work with SharePoint Designer 2010 workflow actions.

Fields SharePoint Designer workflows don’t support for lookup

Some fields in SharePoint lists and document libraries aren’t supported for lookup in SharePoint Designer 2013 and when those lookup fields are read from the workflow, that workflow will be canceled. Those fields are all Lookup type fields and mainly references to the global (hidden) list, and some fields are Lookup type to the fields in the same list.

  • [Fields in List]

  • App Created By

  • App Modified By

  • Client Id

  • Discussion Title

  • Folder Child Count

  • Item Child Count

  • Item Type

  • Parent Item ID

  • Path

  • Replies

  • Shortest Thread-Index Id Lookup

  • Sort Type

  • URL Path

  • [Fields in Document Library]

  • App Created By

  • Check In Comment

  • Client Id

  • File Size

  • Folder Child Count

  • Item Child Count

  • Item Type

  • Path

  • Sort Type

  • URL Path

  • Virus Status

Workaround    Do one of the following:

  • Use Call HTTP Web Service action. For example: http://site_name/_api/Web/Lists/GetByTitle('list_name')/Items(item_ID)/FieldValuesAsText?$select=field_name

where field_name is EntityPropertyName property of SPField object

  • Cal SharePoint 2010 workflows using Start List/Site Workflow action.

Top of Page

OneDrive for work or school with Office Online Standalone SKU

Top navigation doesn’t show Viva Engage navigation tab

As the tenant administrator of OneDrive for work or school, you used to see Newsfeed or Viva Engage in the top navigation bar of Microsoft 365. But with the standalone OneDrive for work or school subscription you no longer see those tabs. Even when engage.cloud.microsoft service is enabled in the tenant administrator page, this top navigation isn’t lighting up.

By design, standalone OneDrive for work or school doesn’t by default contain Viva Engage or Newsfeed social navigation tabs. But when you enable engage.cloud.microsoft service as your social network, the top navigation should show Viva Engage easy click link in addition to the OneDrive link.

Workaround    In the case where you enabled Viva Engage as your social network, you can browse directly to engage.cloud.microsoft and sign-in with your Microsoft 365 organizational identity.

Need more help?

Want more options?

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.