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How to Change a Classic SharePoint Site Home Page to Modern

John Wilson Oct 15, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users want to upgrade a classic SharePoint site home page to the modern experience to match their modern lists and document libraries.

How to Change a Classic SharePoint Site Home Page to Modern

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Modernizing a classic SharePoint team or communication site to improve design and user experience.
Observed behavior: A classic SharePoint site's home page cannot be converted directly to the modern experience, even when the site's lists and document libraries already use modern pages.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Owner or Administrator permissions in SharePoint, as you will need adequate privileges to create new pages and assign them as the site's default homepage.

Solution 1Recommended

Create a New Modern Page and Set it as the Homepage

Since a classic homepage cannot be converted directly, you must create a new modern page from scratch and assign it as the new homepage for the site.

SharePoint does not offer a direct one-click conversion tool for classic homepages. However, modern lists, libraries, and Site Contents can function perfectly fine alongside a classic homepage until you manually replace it with a newly built modern page.

Navigate to the Site Pages Library

Open your classic SharePoint site, click on the Settings gear icon in the top right, and select 'Site contents'. From there, click on the 'Site Pages' or 'Pages' library.

Create a New Modern Page

In the Site Pages library, click the 'New' button in the toolbar and select 'Site Page'. This will open a blank modern page canvas.

Design and Publish the Page

Add your desired modern web parts, text, and images to recreate the necessary homepage content. Once you are satisfied with the layout, click the 'Publish' button.

Set as Homepage

Return to the Site Pages library, locate the newly published modern page, click the vertical ellipses (three dots) next to the file name, and select 'Make homepage'.

Create a New Modern Page and Set it as the Homepage

Admin Center Propagation Delay: If you are changing the actual Home Site structure from the SharePoint admin center rather than just the page, allow up to two hours for the update to fully propagate across your Microsoft 365 environment.

Solution 2

Contact Microsoft Support via M365 Admin

Use this solution if your newly assigned homepage or home site fails to appear after the two-hour propagation window.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I automatically convert a classic SharePoint page to a modern one?

No, SharePoint does not provide a direct button to convert a classic page into a modern page. You must manually create a new modern site page and rebuild your content using modern web parts.

Why do my lists look modern while the homepage is still classic?

SharePoint allows lists and document libraries to utilize the modern experience independently from the site pages. A classic homepage will remain classic until it is manually replaced by a modern page.

How long does it take for a home site change to take effect?

If the home site was updated or changed via the SharePoint admin center, it can take up to two hours for the changes to fully propagate and become visible to all users across the organization.

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