How to Discover Legacy SharePoint Online Sites and Identify Users
Question details
The user needs to locate older, legacy SharePoint Online sites (classic subsites or site collections) that are hidden from modern admin views and identify their current users and administrators.
- Product
- Microsoft SharePoint Online
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Conducting a SharePoint environment audit to find outdated URLs after the original administrator left the company.
- Observed behavior
- Legacy classic subsites and site collections do not appear in the modern SharePoint admin center or standard Get-SPOSite PowerShell results.
Ensure you have SharePoint Administrator or Global Administrator privileges in your Microsoft 365 tenant before attempting to search for and access legacy site collections.
Use the SharePoint Admin Center to Filter Classic Sites
The modern SharePoint admin center allows you to filter your active sites list specifically for classic site collections that may not stand out initially.
While modern team sites and communication sites are prominently displayed, legacy classic sites might be buried in your tenant's site list. Filtering by the classic site template can help isolate these older collections.
Log into the Microsoft 365 admin center and navigate to 'Admin centers' > 'SharePoint' on the left-hand navigation pane.
Expand the 'Sites' menu on the left sidebar and click on 'Active sites' to view all registered site collections.
Click the 'Filter' icon (funnel) in the upper right corner of the site list. Under the 'Template' dropdown, select 'Classic site' to filter the view.
Select the legacy site from the filtered list, click on the 'Permissions' tab in the detail panel, and review the site admins to identify user access.
Check Root Site Contents for Hidden Subsites
If the legacy site is a subsite rather than a top-level site collection, it will not appear in the SharePoint admin center at all.
Use PowerShell to Find Subsites
Advanced administrators can use PowerShell to audit deeply nested legacy subsites that are too tedious to find manually.
Manage Your Documents Easily with WPS Office
Dealing with complex legacy SharePoint environments and nested site permissions can be frustrating. For a simpler, streamlined document management and creation experience, consider WPS Office. It is a free, lightweight suite that is fully compatible with Microsoft Office formats, offering a seamless transition for your team without the administrative overhead.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website and click 'Free Download' to get the installer for your operating system.
- 2. Install the Suite: Run the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen prompts to set up WPS Office on your device.
- 3. Open and Edit Microsoft Files: Launch WPS Office and directly open any saved docx, xlsx, or pptx files exported from your legacy SharePoint sites to continue working seamlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why aren't my old SharePoint subsites showing up in the modern admin center?
The modern SharePoint Admin Center primarily displays top-level site collections (like modern team sites and communication sites). Legacy subsites are nested beneath a parent site collection, so they do not populate in the main Active Sites list.
Can I use Get-SPOSite to find legacy SharePoint subsites?
No, the Get-SPOSite cmdlet only retrieves top-level site collections. To find nested legacy subsites, you need to query the specific site collection's webs, often using third-party modules or PnP PowerShell cmdlets like Get-PnPSubWebs.
How do I find out who is the administrator of a legacy SharePoint site?
Navigate directly to the legacy site's URL, click on the Settings gear icon, select 'Site permissions' or 'Advanced permissions settings', and check the Site Owners group or the Site Collection Administrators list.
What is a classic SharePoint site compared to a modern site?
Classic sites use older SharePoint architectures and templates (such as classic Team Sites or Publishing Sites) with an older UI and permission structure. Modern sites are integrated with Microsoft 365 Groups, feature responsive pages, and have a flatter architectural structure.
