SharePoint Online: How to Save Site as Template?

Requirement: Save the SharePoint Online Site as a Template!

Site templates are the quickest way to define the skeleton of a particular standard in SharePoint. It provides great re-usability so that we can create as many sites as we want from the template without manually re-creating them. So, After you create a site and customize it, add lists and libraries to it, you save it as a template. When you save a site as a template, any lists and libraries, look and feel, and other objects such as calendars, etc., you have added are also saved, optionally with content. Alright, let’s see how to save a site or subsite as a template in SharePoint Online.

“Save site as template” feature is not supported in Publishing sites (or sites with SharePoint server publishing infrastructure feature enabled), Office 365 group connected sites, Modern and Communication sites! So, how to create a site template in SharePoint Online? Use Site Design and Site Scripts

How to Save a SharePoint Online Site as a Template?

Once you create a new site and customize it to meet your specific requirements, you can save the updated site as a new template to be used when additional sites are created. To Save the SharePoint site as a site template, follow these steps:

  1. Login to your SharePoint Online site with site owner permissions >> Click the Settings gear >> On the menu, Click on “Site Settings”
  2. Click the “Save Site As Template” link under the Site Actions section on the Site Settings page. If you don’t find the Save Site As Template link, use: SharePoint Online: Save Site as Template Option Missing?
    sharepoint online save site as template
  3. On the Save As Template page, provide a file name, template name and description for your site template.sharepoint online how to save site as template
  4. Optionally, you can select the “Include Content” checkbox to include the contents of the site. Click OK to save the site as a template.
  5. Once the site is saved as a template, you’ll see the “Operation Completed Successfully” page. The saved template will be available under the site collection “Solutions” gallery. Now, you can create subsites based on the saved template. You can also download and upload the template to any other site collection’s solution gallery.

To download a site template created, navigate to the top-level site (Root Web) >> Click on Site Settings >> Under Web Designer Galleries, click on the “Solutions” link. The Solution Gallery lists all solutions like our site template. Click on the solution name to download the WSP file to your local disk.

Say that you have a site created with all the artifacts to manage projects effectively, You save it as a template called “PMO Template”. This template is then available when other new team sites for new projects are created.

How to Create a Site from the Template?

To create a new site collection based on the template, do the following: You can set the template selection under the “Custom” tab, Select “<Select Template Later..>” during site creation in SharePoint Admin Center, Upload the template WSP and activate it, So that all site customizations will apply.

Summary

By saving the site as a template, you save yourself and others the effort of duplicating the customization made to the Project site when additional sites are required for new projects. Moreover, you provide others a starting point for creating project sites that include the lists and libraries, layout, and components they will need in their sites. This helps ensure that all project sites have a consistent structure and contain the resources needed to manage the project properly.

Please note, saving site as templates is supported only for classic sites by Microsoft. For Modern SharePoint sites, You have to use PowerShell to create new site templates: How to Create a Site Template in SharePoint Online?

Salaudeen Rajack

Salaudeen Rajack - Information Technology Expert with Two-decades of hands-on experience, specializing in SharePoint, PowerShell, Microsoft 365, and related products. He has held various positions including SharePoint Architect, Administrator, Developer and consultant, has helped many organizations to implement and optimize SharePoint solutions. Known for his deep technical expertise, He's passionate about sharing the knowledge and insights to help others, through the real-world articles!

2 thoughts on “SharePoint Online: How to Save Site as Template?

  • How can I use this solution to create a new site with the template ? Since its not showing when creating a new one 🙂

    Reply
  • how do you upload this template to the organization wide template selector?

    Reply

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