SharePoint Document Issues

How to Reuse a Deleted SharePoint Site Name or URL

Bushra Parveen Sep 30, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to reuse a SharePoint site name or URL after the original site was deleted, but the system prevents it.

How to Reuse a Deleted SharePoint Site Name or URL

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to create a new SharePoint site using a previously deleted site's URL or name.
Observed behavior: SharePoint reports that the site name or URL is already in use, even when no deleted site appears in the administration list.

Before you start

Ensure you have SharePoint Administrator privileges and access to the SharePoint Online Management Shell before attempting to permanently remove a deleted site.

Solution 1Recommended

Permanently Remove the Deleted Site via PowerShell

Use the SharePoint Online Management Shell to ensure the site is permanently purged from the recycle bin, freeing up the URL for reuse.

When a SharePoint site is deleted from the Admin Center, it is moved to the recycle bin and retained for 93 days. During this period, the URL remains reserved. You must manually purge it using PowerShell to free the URL immediately.

Open SharePoint Online Management Shell

Launch the SharePoint Online Management Shell as an administrator on your computer.

Connect to SharePoint Online

Run the command Connect-SPOService -Url https://[yourdomain]-admin.sharepoint.com and log in with your global or SharePoint admin credentials.

Purge the deleted site

Execute the command Remove-SPODeletedSite -Identity https://[yourdomain].sharepoint.com/sites/[sitename] to permanently delete the site from the recycle bin.

Permanently Remove the Deleted Site via PowerShell

Delay in Availability: It may take up to 24 hours for the URL to become available again after permanently deleting the site.

Solution 2

Contact Microsoft Support for Stuck URLs

If the URL was changed before deletion or still reports as in use after a permanent removal, the URL might be stuck in the backend routing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does SharePoint say my deleted site URL is still in use?

When you delete a SharePoint site, it goes to the recycle bin and is retained for 93 days. During this time, the URL remains reserved to prevent conflicts. You must permanently delete the site from the recycle bin using PowerShell to free up the URL.

Can I reuse a URL if I changed the site address before deleting it?

If you changed a site URL before deleting the site, SharePoint automatically creates a redirect from the old URL to the new one. This redirect keeps the original URL reserved. You may need to remove the redirect via PowerShell or contact Microsoft Support to free it.

How long does it take for a SharePoint URL to become available after permanent deletion?

Even after successfully using the Remove-SPODeletedSite PowerShell command, it can take anywhere from a few hours up to 24 hours for the backend processes to fully release the URL for reuse.

Document & File Issues