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JP8991

Add selective sync to OneLake File Explorer and allow Lakehouse sync to Files only

Submitted by Kudo Collector on ‎04-20-2026 01:48 AM

Idea

 

Please add a selective sync feature to OneLake File Explorer so users can choose exactly which Fabric items are synchronised to their local machine.

 

Today, OneLake File Explorer surfaces and reacts to many workspace items that do not make sense in a desktop file sync experience, such as Pipelines, notebooks, Lakehouse table internals, Delta log folders, and other system-generated artefacts. For most users, the practical need is to work with actual files, not every technical item exposed in a Fabric workspace.

 

What I’m asking for

  1. Let users choose which workspace items are synced locally.
  2. For Lakehouses, provide an option to sync only the Files folder.
  3. Exclude technical and system-managed paths by default, or make them opt-in only.
  4. Give admins and users a simple UI to manage sync scope per workspace or per item.

 

Why this matters

  • Reduces unnecessary CPU, memory, disk, and network usage on client machines.
  • Prevents OneLake File Explorer from processing technical artefacts that are not useful in Windows File Explorer.
  • Makes the product easier to understand for business users and data teams who only want file access.
  • Improves performance and reliability, especially in workspaces with active Lakehouses, Pipelines, and other Fabric items.
  • Aligns the File Explorer experience with real user intent: browse and work with files, not internal Fabric metadata.

Preferred behaviour for Lakehouses

 

When a user connects a Lakehouse in OneLake File Explorer, the default sync option should be:

  • Files only

 

Advanced users could optionally enable additional paths, but technical folders such as table storage and Delta metadata should not be included by default in the normal desktop sync experience.

 

Example use case

 

A user wants to upload and manage CSV, Excel, JSON, and Parquet files in a Lakehouse through Windows File Explorer. They do not want to see or synchronise Pipelines, notebooks, _delta_log, checkpoint files, table metadata, or other internal Fabric-generated content.

 

This feature would make OneLake File Explorer much more practical, efficient, and user-friendly for real-world Fabric deployments.

Status: New
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