'%3e%3cpath%20d='M8%200C12.4183%200%2016%203.58172%2016%208C16%2012.4183%2012.4183%2016%208%2016C3.58172%2016%200%2012.4183%200%208C0%203.58172%203.58172%200%208%200ZM11.6162%204.38379C11.2257%203.99337%2010.5927%203.99338%2010.2021%204.38379L8%206.58594L5.79785%204.38379C5.40732%203.99334%204.77429%203.99329%204.38379%204.38379C3.99331%204.77429%203.99335%205.40733%204.38379%205.79785L6.58594%208L4.38379%2010.2021C3.99348%2010.5927%203.99341%2011.2257%204.38379%2011.6162C4.77426%2012.0066%205.40734%2012.0065%205.79785%2011.6162L8%209.41406L10.2021%2011.6162C10.5927%2012.0066%2011.2257%2012.0067%2011.6162%2011.6162C12.0067%2011.2257%2012.0066%2010.5927%2011.6162%2010.2021L9.41406%208L11.6162%205.79785C12.0066%205.40735%2012.0066%204.77429%2011.6162%204.38379Z'%20fill='%23080E17'%20fill-opacity='0.46'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cdefs%3e%3cclipPath%20id='clip0_3761_713'%3e%3crect%20width='16'%20height='16'%20fill='white'/%3e%3c/clipPath%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
How to Archive a SharePoint Online News Post Without Deleting It
Question details
The user wants to archive news posts or site pages in SharePoint Online without permanently deleting them, ensuring they no longer appear in active search results or news feeds.
- Product
- SharePoint Online
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Managing outdated or historical news posts on a SharePoint site.
- Observed behavior
- SharePoint Online lacks a native archive button for pages. Creating an 'Archived' metadata column alone does not prevent the pages from appearing in standard search results or web parts.
Ensure you have Site Owner or Full Control permissions in your SharePoint Online environment before modifying page status, permissions, or search schemas.
Filter Archived Posts from Search and Web Parts Using Page Properties
Create a custom metadata column to mark posts as archived, then configure your site's search and News web parts to exclude these pages.
While adding an 'Archived' column alone doesn't remove pages from SharePoint's global search, combining it with filtered web parts effectively hides the content from standard site visitors while keeping the data intact.
Navigate to your Site Pages library. Click 'Add column', select 'Yes/No', and name the column 'Archived'. Set the default value to 'No'.
Find the news post you wish to archive in the Site Pages library. Select the item, open the details pane, and toggle the 'Archived' property to 'Yes'.
Edit your SharePoint homepage or news landing page. Edit the News web part, scroll down to the 'Filter' section, select 'Page properties', and set the rule to only show pages where 'Archived' equals 'No'.
Remove Visitor Access via Item-Level Permissions
Stop inheriting permissions on the specific news post so standard users can no longer see or search for it.
Automate Archiving with Power Automate
Use a custom Power Automate flow to automatically change page permissions or move pages based on an expiration date.
Try WPS Office for Seamless Document Management
While SharePoint is excellent for intranet sites and pages, managing your actual business documents (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx) requires a fast, reliable office suite. WPS Office provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office, letting you edit, save, and collaborate on files without expensive subscriptions.
- 1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installer for your operating system.
- 2. Open Your Documents: Launch WPS Office and open your existing Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files without worrying about formatting loss.
- 3. Edit and Collaborate: Use the all-in-one workspace to easily edit documents, manage PDFs, and save files locally or to your preferred cloud storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Microsoft add a native archive button to SharePoint Online?
Currently, a native archive button for site pages is not a built-in feature. You can submit or vote for this feature request through the official Microsoft SharePoint feedback portal.
Does unpublishing a SharePoint news post archive it?
Unpublishing a post reverts the page to a draft state. While this successfully hides the post from readers, it remains visible to site editors in a draft state and is not considered a true, organized archive.
Can I move the news post to an 'Archive' folder instead?
Yes, you can create a folder within the Site Pages library and move the page file there. However, moving the file does not automatically remove it from search results; you still need to adjust search scopes or permissions for that specific folder.
