SharePoint Online: Migrate Classic Sites or Modernize in Place?
Question details
Organizations need to decide whether to rebuild classic SharePoint Online sites as modern sites or modernize their existing sites in place.
- Product
- Microsoft SharePoint Online
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Planning a transition from classic SharePoint sites while balancing modern usability with existing content, customizations, and business requirements.
- Observed behavior
- The desired outcome is a modern SharePoint experience that preserves required functionality and supports an appropriate content structure and ownership model.
Inventory the site's pages, libraries, permissions, workflows, and customizations, and identify a business owner for each important content area. Review Microsoft's current modernization guidance and feature retirement notices before choosing an approach.
Rebuild as a modern SharePoint site when restructuring is the priority
Choose a new modern site when you need to remove legacy customizations, reorganize content, clarify ownership, or adopt modern capabilities.
A rebuild provides a cleaner starting point but requires migration planning and validation. Moving content does not automatically convert classic pages, workflows, or custom solutions into modern equivalents.
Open the classic site and select Settings > Site contents. List the libraries, lists, and pages in use, then ask their owners which items should be retained, archived, or retired.
Create a planning document that maps existing content to target libraries and pages. Assign site owners and document required permissions, navigation, metadata, and replacement functionality.
In the SharePoint admin center, go to Active sites > Create and choose a Team site or Communication site based on the collaboration or publishing goal. If you lack site-creation permissions, ask your SharePoint administrator to create the pilot.
Use a migration method supported for your source and destination to move a small, representative content set. Open the destination libraries and pages to verify permissions, metadata, links, version history where required, and replacement business processes.
Have content owners review the pilot site and record any missing functionality. Schedule the remaining migration and update navigation or links only after the owners approve the target experience.
Modernize the existing SharePoint site when continuity is essential
Choose in-place modernization when retaining the current site, content, or essential classic functionality is more important than a complete restructuring.
Use WPS Office for everyday document work during your SharePoint transition
WPS Office is a free, lightweight alternative for working with Office documents while your organization plans its SharePoint transition. Its familiar interface and Microsoft Office format compatibility help ease the move between desktop editing tools. WPS does not migrate SharePoint sites, modernize pages, or replace SharePoint permissions and workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is rebuilding a classic SharePoint site worth the effort?
A rebuild is useful when the existing site has outdated content, unclear ownership, an unsuitable structure, or customizations you intend to retire. Start with Settings > Site contents to inventory the source, then create a modern pilot site through SharePoint admin center > Active sites > Create.
Does enabling the modern library experience modernize the whole site?
No. Library settings > Advanced settings > List experience controls the experience for that library when the option is available. It does not convert classic pages, web parts, workflows, or site-wide customizations.
Can classic and modern pages coexist in the same site?
In supported sites, classic and modern pages can coexist during an incremental transition. Try New > Page to create a modern page, then test navigation and required functionality. Site templates and publishing features can affect the available modernization options.
Will moving content preserve all classic customizations?
No. Content migration does not automatically reproduce classic web parts, page layouts, workflows, or custom code. Inventory these dependencies and validate supported replacements in a pilot before moving the remaining content.
Can WPS Office migrate or modernize SharePoint sites?
No. WPS Office can edit compatible Office documents involved in your content review, but SharePoint site creation, migration, page transformation, and permission management require SharePoint administration tools and appropriate migration methods.
