Best Practices for SharePoint Online Tenant-to-Tenant Migration
Question details
The user needs recommendations on the best tools and practices to migrate modern SharePoint Online team sites from one Microsoft 365 tenant to another.
- Product
- SharePoint Online
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Planning a tenant-to-tenant migration for specific modern SharePoint team sites without migrating the entire tenant.
- Observed behavior
- Modern SharePoint sites cannot be migrated using the traditional 'Save site as template' method, necessitating alternative migration strategies or third-party tools.
Before initiating a migration, thoroughly map out your current SharePoint site structure, audit user permissions, and identify any custom web parts or integrated Power Automate workflows that may require reconfiguration in the new tenant.
Use Specialized Third-Party Migration Tools
Deploying a dedicated third-party tool like ShareGate is the most efficient method for executing selective tenant-to-tenant site migrations.
Native Microsoft tools are primarily designed for migrating from on-premises servers or file shares to Microsoft 365. For migrating directly between two distinct Microsoft 365 online tenants, specialized third-party tools simplify the process by automatically handling metadata, version history, and permission mapping across the environments.
Launch your chosen migration tool (e.g., ShareGate) and authenticate connections to both the source Microsoft 365 tenant and the destination tenant.
Navigate to the site migration module and select the specific modern SharePoint team sites, document libraries, or lists you wish to transfer.
Use the tool's mapping feature to align user accounts from the old tenant's Azure AD to the new tenant, ensuring permissions remain intact.
Execute the built-in pre-migration validation to identify potential errors, such as unsupported web parts or missing destination accounts.
Start the migration process. Once completed, review the post-migration audit logs to ensure all content and metadata were transferred successfully.
Engage Microsoft Consulting Services or Partners
For highly customized or enterprise-scale cross-tenant migrations, working with Microsoft experts ensures a compliant and secure transition.
Enhance Document Productivity with WPS Office During Migrations
Tenant migrations can cause temporary disruptions to your team's cloud workflows. WPS Office provides a robust, lightweight desktop alternative that ensures your team can continue creating and editing documents seamlessly, fully compatible with standard Microsoft Office formats, without relying on active cloud tenant access.
- 1. Download the installer: Visit the official WPS website and download the free WPS Office installation package for your operating system.
- 2. Install the software: Run the installer and follow the quick setup wizard to install the suite on your computer.
- 3. Open your files: Launch WPS Office and directly open your existing Microsoft Office files to resume work immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the 'Save site as template' feature for modern SharePoint sites?
No, the 'Save site as template' feature is generally unsupported and disabled for modern SharePoint team sites and communication sites. You must rely on site scripts, PnP provisioning, or third-party migration tools to move modern sites.
Can the Microsoft SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) migrate sites between two online tenants?
The SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) is designed to migrate content from on-premises SharePoint Server or local file shares to Microsoft 365. It does not natively support direct tenant-to-tenant migrations in SharePoint Online.
What elements are typically at risk during a cross-tenant SharePoint migration?
During a tenant-to-tenant migration, custom web parts, hardcoded URLs, Power Automate workflows, and specific third-party app integrations often break or fail to migrate, requiring manual reconfiguration in the destination tenant.
Why are third-party tools recommended for tenant-to-tenant migrations?
Third-party tools are specifically engineered to handle the complexities of cross-tenant migrations. They automate the mapping of user identities, preserve document version history, and maintain complex metadata that manual methods or basic scripts often lose.
