What "Sorry, something went wrong" means in SharePoint
"Sorry, something went wrong" is SharePoint's generic error. It tells you a request failed and not why. The message is often followed by "An unexpected error has occurred" and can include a correlation ID. The cause can be a problem on Microsoft's side, one setting on one site, or one action that SharePoint cannot complete, so the fastest route is to narrow it down in a fixed order.
- Check whether Microsoft has a service problem.
- Record the correlation ID and the time.
- Work out who and what is affected.
- Match the pattern to a cause Microsoft documents.
Step 1: Check Service health
Open the Microsoft 365 admin center at admin.microsoft.com and go to Health > Service health. People assigned the Service Support admin or Helpdesk admin role can view it. The Overview tab lists every service with its current state and any active incidents or advisories. An incident is a critical issue where the service or a major function is unavailable. An advisory is a problem affecting some users while the service is still available.
Microsoft's guidance is to check service health to see whether this is a known issue with a resolution in progress before you call support or spend time troubleshooting. If you cannot sign in to the admin center, the service status page at status.cloud.microsoft shows known issues that prevent sign-in. Planned maintenance does not appear in service health; it is in the Message center.
Step 2: Record the correlation ID and the time
A correlation ID is a GUID that SharePoint generates for every request it receives. Microsoft's article on correlation IDs states that it is not an error number or code, that it is unique to each request and not each error, and that it can help find out what happened but does not identify what happened. Searching the web for a correlation ID is no use, because every one is unique to a request.
Microsoft's article is written for SharePoint Server 2016, where an administrator searches the server logs for the ID around the time of the failure. In SharePoint in Microsoft 365, the ID matters when you raise a support case. Microsoft's Page Diagnostics documentation describes it as an important element when working with Microsoft Support, because it lets them gather more diagnostic data for the specific page.
When the error appears, write down:
- the correlation ID
- the date and time, with the time zone
- the address of the page or site
- what the person was doing when it appeared
- a screenshot of the whole error
An administrator can then open a service request from the Microsoft 365 admin center with those details.
The Page Diagnostics tool
Page Diagnostics for SharePoint is a browser extension for Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. It analyzes modern portal pages and classic publishing site pages in SharePoint in Microsoft 365, and it shows the CorrelationID at the top of the tool. It does not analyze system pages such as allitems.aspx.
When Microsoft Support asks for verbose logging, press Alt+Shift+L in the tool, tick Enable support logging, and click Start. Microsoft says to use this only while working directly on a support case, because it slows the page by two to three times and gives no benefit on its own.
Step 3: Work out who and what is affected
| Who is affected | What it points to | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Many people across many sites at the same time | A problem on Microsoft's side | Check Service health (Step 1) and follow the incident |
| Everyone on one site | Something specific to that site | Check whether the site is locked or read-only, archived, or recently had settings changed |
| One person | That person's access or browser session | Open the same page in a private browser window, try it as another user, and check the person's permissions. Request access to a SharePoint site covers the access side |
| One action every time, such as saving a template or searching | A known trigger | Match it in Step 4 |
Step 4: Known causes that Microsoft documents
Microsoft's troubleshooting library ties this message to several specific causes. These three apply to SharePoint Online.
Saving a site as a template fails
The error: "Sorry, something went wrong. An unexpected error has occurred." when you save a site as a template.
The cause: The Solution Gallery has Require content approval for submitted items? set to Yes. Microsoft describes this as a known issue in SharePoint Online.
The fix:
- Browse to the SharePoint Online site where the error appeared.
- Click the gear icon for Settings, then Site settings.
- In the Web Designer Galleries section, click Solutions.
- On the ribbon, click the LIBRARY tab, then Library Settings.
- Click Versioning Settings.
- In the Content Approval section, set Require content approval for submitted items? to No, then click OK.
- Save the site as a template.
- Turn content approval back on in the Solution Gallery afterward, if you need it.
Microsoft also notes that saving a modern site as a template is not supported. SharePoint site templates explains what a site template is and the options for reusing a site's design.
The template error names apps
The error: "Sorry, something went wrong", followed by "Sorry, this site can't be saved as a template. It contains apps that don't work in templates:" and the names of the apps.
The cause: The site contains apps that cannot be saved as part of a template.
The fix: Remove the apps listed in the message, then save the site as a template. Take care when removing an app so that you do not lose data, and add the app back to the site afterward if you still need it.
Search shows the error or returns no results
The error: "Sorry, something went wrong." when you search, or search returns no results for content that exists, or results from the wrong source.
The cause: The site is set to get search results from a source other than Local SharePoint Results. Microsoft says this is usually seen with custom result sources, such as a Bing result source.
The fix, for the site collection:
- Browse to the affected site, click the gear icon for Settings, then Site settings.
- Under Site Collection Administration, click Search Result Sources and check that Local SharePoint Results has the check mark for Default.
- If it does not, click the drop-down arrow next to Local SharePoint Results and click Set as Default.
The fix, for a subsite: Repeat the steps on the subsite, but under Search click Result Sources. Microsoft recommends that the site collection and the subsites use the same out-of-the-box result source. The issue does not affect enterprise search, the Everything scope. For how search is structured, see advanced search in SharePoint Online.
When the message is not this generic error
Some messages look similar but have their own page:
- "A SharePoint administrator archived this site": the site is archived. How to restore an archived SharePoint site has the steps.
- "Your organization's storage is full. SharePoint sites are read-only right now": the tenant is over its quota. SharePoint sites read-only because storage is full covers the messages and what to do first.
- A site that opens but will not accept changes: SharePoint site lock states explains ReadOnly, NoAccess and how to unlock.
- A storage warning before the limit: SharePoint storage limit warning explains what each warning means.
Frequently asked questions
What does "Sorry, something went wrong" mean in SharePoint?
It is a generic error shown when SharePoint cannot complete a request. It does not name the cause. Check Service health, record the correlation ID and the time, and match the pattern of who and what is affected to a documented cause.
What is a SharePoint correlation ID?
A GUID that SharePoint generates for every request it receives. Microsoft states that it is not an error number or code and that it is unique to each request, not each error. It helps Microsoft Support and administrators trace what happened but does not state the cause.
Can I look up a correlation ID myself?
Searching the web for one does not help, because each is unique to a request. Microsoft's article on correlation IDs describes administrators searching the server logs around the time of the event for SharePoint Server 2016. In SharePoint in Microsoft 365, give the ID, the time and the page address to your administrator so they can include them in a support request.
How do I check whether it is a Microsoft outage?
Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to Health > Service health, and look for active incidents or advisories for SharePoint Online. You need the Service Support admin or Helpdesk admin role to view it. If you cannot sign in, check status.cloud.microsoft.
Why do I get "Sorry, something went wrong" when I save a site as a template?
Microsoft documents two causes. Content approval is set to Yes in the Solution Gallery, which is fixed by setting it to No temporarily, or the site contains apps that cannot be saved in a template, which is fixed by removing them first.
Why does SharePoint search show "Sorry, something went wrong"?
Microsoft ties it to a site whose default search result source is not Local SharePoint Results, often a custom source such as a Bing result source. Set Local SharePoint Results as the default at the site collection and subsite level.
What is the Page Diagnostics tool for?
It is a browser extension for Edge and Chrome that analyzes modern and classic publishing pages in SharePoint in Microsoft 365 and shows the correlation ID. Its support logging option is for use only while working a support case.
Related reading
- SharePoint site read-only or no access: lock states and how to unlock - the lock states and the four causes of a read-only site.
- SharePoint sites read-only because storage is full - the tenant-wide lock, its messages and what to do first.
- How to restore or reactivate an archived SharePoint site - when the site is archived.
- Request access to a SharePoint site - who receives a request and how owners approve it.
- SharePoint admin center - the URL, who can sign in and what each section does.
- SharePoint site templates - what a site template is and how to reuse a site design.
- Advanced search in SharePoint Online: schema and refiners - how search is structured.
Mark Smith co-founded SmiKar Software in 2015 and has spent the past decade helping organisations solve Microsoft 365 data management challenges. He works with the SmiKar team to build solutions for SharePoint archiving, storage optimisation, governance and compliance, supporting customers from growing businesses through to Fortune 500 enterprises.
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