Enable Blank Site Template in SharePoint 2016
Problem: Blank site template is not available in SharePoint 2013 and SharePoint 2016.
If you try to create a site collection from the SharePoint Central Administration site or create a subsite, you’ll find a blank site template missing from the create site collection page. Unlike its previous versions, SharePoint 2013 onwards, specific site templates are hidden from the user interface.
So, How to create a blank site collection in SharePoint 2016?
PowerShell to Create a site collection using the blank site template
We can create a site collection using a blank site template with PowerShell. Blank site template ID in SharePoint 2016 or SharePoint 2013 is: STS#1
Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
#Define Parameters
$Template = Get-SPWebTemplate "STS#1"
$SiteURL="https://intranet.crescent.com/sites/blank"
$SiteOwner="Crescent\SPAdmin"
#Create blank site collection
New-SPSite -Url $SiteURL -OwnerAlias $SiteOwner -Template $Template
Similarly, you can create a subsite using the New-SPWeb cmdlet. You can get all available web template IDs with the cmdlet Get-SPWebTemplate
How to enable the blank site template in SharePoint 2016?
The blank site template in SharePoint 2013 is hidden by default. To enable blank site templates in SharePoint 2016, we got to edit the WEBTEMP.XML file located in “C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Web Server Extensions\16\TEMPLATE\1033\XML” (For SharePoint 2013, it is on 15 hive! So, the location of webtemp.xml would be: “C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Web Server Extensions\15\TEMPLATE\1033\XML”). Please note, this location is the default for the English Language pack. Choose the folder accordingly for other Languages.
- Navigate to the location of, and make a copy of the file for backup purposes.
- Open the WEBTEMP.XML file in notepad, and search for “Blank Site”.
- Set the attribute from Hidden=”TRUE” to Hidden=”FALSE”
- Save and close the file.
- Do an IISRESET
Now, You’ll find the blank site template on the site collection creation page from Central Administration or on the subsite creation page from any site collection!
I edited the WEBTEMP.XML as mentioned and now I can create a blank site. However, when I try to access the new site, it says I don’t have access to the site. I am a Site Collection administrator…
Has anyone else experienced this?
I’m going to try with PowerShell next.
Hi,
Thanks a lot for this tip. It works from CA, but somehow it doesn’t direclty from the Site where I’m planning to crreate new blank site. Wonder why…