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How to Fix a Deleted SharePoint Site Returning a 404 Error
Question details
The user needs to recover a SharePoint site that appears deleted, is missing from the admin center, and returns a 404 Not Found error.
- Product
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to access or recover a SharePoint site that is no longer listed in the Deleted Sites section of the admin center.
- Observed behavior
- Accessing the site URL results in a 404 error, and the site cannot be found in the standard SharePoint admin center Deleted Sites list.
Ensure you have Microsoft 365 SharePoint Administrator credentials and the necessary permissions to run PnP PowerShell commands on your tenant.
Verify and Restore the Site Home Page
Often, the entire SharePoint site is not deleted, but the home page itself is missing. You can verify this by accessing the Site Pages library directly.
If only the home page was accidentally deleted, the main URL will return a 404 error. Restoring the home page or creating a new one will bring the site back online.
Append '/SitePages/Forms/ByAuthor.aspx' to your SharePoint site URL to bypass the home page and directly open the Site Pages library.
If you can successfully access the Site Pages library, click on the 'New' button to create a new site page.
Once the new page is saved and published, select the page in the library, click the three dots (More actions), and choose 'Make homepage'.
Restore the Site Using PnP PowerShell
If the site is genuinely deleted and resides in the tenant recycle bin but fails to show in the UI, you can force a restore using PnP PowerShell.
Open a Support Ticket with Microsoft 365
If the site is completely inaccessible and cannot be found in the recycle bin via PowerShell, escalate the issue to Microsoft Support.
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- 1. Download the installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installation package for your operating system.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my deleted SharePoint site not showing in the admin center recycle bin?
It may have exceeded the 93-day retention period and been permanently deleted, or it might be experiencing a syncing issue that requires PnP PowerShell to uncover. It could also be a subsite rather than a top-level site collection.
How long do I have to recover a deleted SharePoint site?
Deleted SharePoint sites are kept in the Microsoft 365 tenant recycle bin for 93 days. Once this period expires, the site and all its contents are permanently purged and cannot be recovered.
Can I recover specific files if the whole SharePoint site shows a 404 error?
No. If the entire site or its home page is returning a 404 error, you must first resolve the site-level access issue or restore the site. Once the site is accessible, you can retrieve individual files from its document libraries.
What is a HAR log and why does Microsoft Support need it?
A HAR (HTTP Archive) log records the web browser's interaction with the server. Microsoft Support uses this log to see exactly where the connection fails (like a 404 error) on the backend, which helps them identify corrupted or improperly unlinked site URLs.
