Upload Failed: Location not found / The URL ‘[url]’ is invalid. It may refer to a nonexistent file or folder, or refer to a valid file or folder that is not in the current Web

It seems you are encountering issues with editing existing files and metadata in your SharePoint library, along with receiving error messages indicating that the URL is invalid. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:

1. Check Content Type Changes: Since you mentioned publishing a new content type and removing a field, ensure that the content types are correctly configured and that there are no conflicts with field names. Sometimes, changes in content types can affect existing documents and their metadata.
2. Verify Managed Metadata: Since you noted that a managed metadata column has lost its data, check if the term store is functioning correctly. If the term store is not accessible or if there are issues with the terms, it can lead to data loss in managed metadata columns.
3. Re-index the Library: If the library has a large number of files, consider re-indexing the library. This can sometimes resolve issues related to views and metadata not displaying correctly.
4. Check Permissions: Ensure that users have the necessary permissions to edit the files and metadata. Sometimes, permission changes can lead to unexpected behavior.
5. Clear Browser Cache: Sometimes, browser cache issues can cause problems with SharePoint. Clearing the cache or trying a different browser can help identify if this is the issue.
6. Check for Server Issues: If the problem persists, it might be worth checking if there are any ongoing issues with the SharePoint server or if any updates were applied that could have affected functionality.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider reaching out to Microsoft support for further assistance, especially since it involves managed metadata and content types which can be complex to troubleshoot.

References:

• The URL is invalid error message when you upload a file to a SharePoint list

Hi @Jay, 

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.  

Based on your description, you’re seeing Word show “Upload Failed: Location not found,” SharePoint display “The URL ‘[url]’ is invalid,” and managed‑metadata values missing from views, while new files still work. We truly appreciate the detailed information you provided and the steps you’ve already taken. 

This typically occurs when recent schema changes have introduced a mismatch between the library and the Office/SharePoint clients. Publishing or republishing content types, adding a duplicate column name (such as a second Project), or altering the managed metadata binding can cause the client to misread the file’s location and the column associations. When the managed metadata column loses its term set association or internal name alignment, views that depend on that column may no longer return items. 

Below are some workarounds that suit for your situation:  

1/ Begin by ensuring the paths are correct and opening the library. 

• Open the affected library, copy its URL, and open a sample document using Open in app. In Word, check File → Info to ensure the location matches the library URL.  
• If you use OneDrive sync, sign out/in of Office, pause and resume sync, then retry from the synced location. 

2/ Then, establish proper alignment between content types and metadata definitions. 

• In Library settings → Content Types, keep only the authoritative managed metadata Project column. Remove the duplicate text-based Project column.  
• In Site settings → Term Store, confirm the managed metadata column is bound to the correct term set.  
• In Document Set settings, include Project as a shared column and apply Update content types so the shared columns are pushed to all items. 

3/ Next, restore views to proper functionality and update indexes accordingly. 

• Edit views that filter or group by Project to use the managed metadata column, then save. 
• Go to Library settings → Advanced settings → Reindex document library.  
• If the issue spans more than this library, consider Reindex site and retest with a few sample items. 

4/ Finally, confirm access rights and perform diagnostics as necessary. 

• Verify Edit permission and whether check-out is required.  
• Update and check in one sample file to confirm changes are accepted. If the error persists, capture a browser trace (press F12 on the library page, reproduce the save, and note any 404 on the document path or 400 on list metadata calls) and share the site/library URL plus one sample server-relative path. 

5/ As your account is managed by your organization, please contact your IT administrator to check your permission and policies. For a more efficient resolution, we recommend using your administrator account or contacting your IT administrator to submit a support request directly to Microsoft Support team.    

They can raise a support ticket by visiting: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn 

As community moderators, we appreciate your understanding that our access to internal development details is limited. Our primary role is to guide users toward the appropriate resources and support channels. While we may not have visibility into deeper backend analysis, we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.  

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If you have any updates regarding the issue, please feel free to share them with me.   

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.   

I look forward to continuing the conversation.  

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The problem persists.

My thought process.

• It could be another Managed Metadata column, "Domain", which contains a multi-choice selection (e.g. Finance, Engineering, Testing, Project Management, Processes). This column is showing as blank, or "(!) Required info" for content types where this is mandatory.
• If there is a column with data validation, I have been completely unable to find it.

I tried creating a new library, using the original library as the source, and got the below error message:

I tried moving the file to a different unconnected library, and it seems file edits were possible.