---
title: "Setting the Starting Folder and Navigation Root in Folder Tree"
description: "Open Folder Tree at a specific SharePoint folder and restrict navigation to that branch without changing document permissions."
url: https://vitextra.com/en/support/kb/10482
language: en
published: 2026-11-02
modified: 2026-11-14
author: "Līga Ozola"
tags: ["Folder Tree starting folder", "restrict root", "SharePoint subfolder", "folder path"]
---

# Setting the Starting Folder and Navigation Root in Folder Tree

Open Folder Tree at a specific SharePoint folder and restrict navigation to that branch without changing document permissions.

## Set the starting folder

Use a starting folder to show a department or project branch immediately, instead of opening the whole library.

1. Edit the page and open **Settings** → **Source**.
2. Select the site and **Document library** first.
3. In **Starting folder (server-relative path)**, enter the existing server-relative path, for example `/sites/hr/Shared Documents/Policies`.
4. Enter spaces, `%` and `#` literally. Do not paste a full URL or pre-encode the path.
5. Save or republish the page and verify that the intended folder opens.

## Choose the navigation boundary

Enable **Restrict navigation to the starting folder** to make the starting folder the top of the visible branch. The tree, breadcrumbs and folder links cannot navigate above it inside this web part. When this setting is off, the starting folder still opens first, but the library root is available for navigation. An empty starting-folder setting uses the library root.

❗ **Important**  
The navigation boundary is not a security boundary. Users retain their SharePoint permissions. **Open in library** opens the full library interface; disable that action if you do not want to offer this route from the web part.

## Check an invalid location

The starting folder must belong to the selected library. If the folder has been renamed, deleted or made inaccessible, correct its path or permissions. A deep link outside the allowed branch does not override the configured navigation root.

![A starting folder used as the navigation root](https://static.vitextra.com/articles/10482/configuration-en.png)
*A starting folder used as the navigation root*