SharePoint Document Issues

How to Duplicate a SharePoint Site with Files and Design

Tauseeq Magsi Oct 9, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to recreate an existing SharePoint site while preserving its original structure, branding, images, and files intact.

How to Duplicate a SharePoint Site with Files and Design

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Duplicating a SharePoint site for reuse or backup, requiring both the architectural design and the actual content to be cloned.
Observed behavior: The user needs a method to ensure both the site design (templates/scripts) and the actual content (files/images) are successfully copied, as site templates alone do not automatically copy files.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Administrator permissions for both the source SharePoint site and the destination environment before attempting to extract templates or migrate content.

Solution 1Recommended

Duplicate Site Structure Using a SharePoint Site Template

Create a site template or script from your existing site to copy its lists, libraries, branding, and settings to a new site.

SharePoint site templates and site scripts are the standard methods to clone a site's architecture. However, they only copy the framework and settings, not the actual files, documents, or page images.

Access Site Information

Navigate to your source SharePoint site, click the Settings gear icon in the top right corner, and select 'Site information'.

Save as Template

Click on 'Save as template' (if available for your site type) or use the SharePoint Online Management Shell to extract a site script.

Create a New Site

Go to the SharePoint admin center or SharePoint start page, click 'Create site', and set up your new destination site.

Apply the Template

Navigate to the new site's settings, choose 'Apply a site template', and select your saved template to replicate the structure, branding, and library setups.

Duplicate Site Structure Using a SharePoint Site Template

Template Limitations: Site templates do not automatically carry over documents, list items, or customized page content. These must be migrated separately.

Solution 2

Migrate Files and Images to the New Site

Manually copy or migrate the actual files and content after applying the site template to complete the duplication process.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Edit Your Migrated SharePoint Documents with WPS Office

While managing and migrating your SharePoint sites and files, you need a reliable office suite to view, edit, and collaborate on your documents. WPS Office provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office that works seamlessly with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files downloaded from or synced with SharePoint.

1. Sync Files Locally: Sync your newly duplicated SharePoint document libraries to your local drive using the OneDrive sync client.
2. Open with WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and navigate to your synced SharePoint folder to access your documents.
3. Edit and Save: Open, edit, and save your documents seamlessly. Changes will automatically sync back to your new SharePoint site.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Office formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx) stored in SharePoint.Free and lightweight office suite with a familiar user interface.Built-in PDF editing tools for managing migrated site assets.Seamless document creation and editing without heavy resource consumption.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why didn't my files copy when I used a SharePoint site template?

SharePoint site templates and site scripts are designed to replicate the architecture (such as lists, libraries, and branding) of a site, not its content. You must manually copy files and images or use a dedicated migration tool.

Can I duplicate a SharePoint site including all contents automatically?

Out of the box, SharePoint does not offer a single-click solution to clone both a site's structure and all its content. For a complete automated duplication, you typically need to use third-party migration tools or complex PowerShell scripts.

How do I enable 'Save site as template' if it's missing?

The 'Save site as template' feature is intentionally disabled for modern communication sites and sites connected to Microsoft 365 groups. For modern sites, Microsoft recommends using SharePoint site scripts and site designs (PnP provisioning) instead.

Will site permissions be duplicated with the template?

No, site permissions and security groups are generally not included when saving a site as a template. You will need to manually reconfigure user permissions and group settings on the newly created site.

Document & File Issues