SharePoint Online: How to Convert Classic Sites to Modern Sites?

Requirement: Convert SharePoint Online site from classic to modern.

How to change the classic site to a modern in SharePoint Online?

Are you looking to modernize your classic SharePoint Online site? SharePoint Modern experience has many advantages compared with classic, like better user experience, faster page loading, responsive design, etc. There are several methods available to switch from the classic to the modern experience in SharePoint Online. This blog post will show you how to convert a classic SharePoint Online site into a modern site.

Connect SharePoint Online Classic Site to Office 365 Group

We can change SharePoint online site from classic to modern by connecting it to Office 365 group. Here is how:

1. Navigate to your SharePoint Online classic site >> Click on Settings gear >> Choose “Connect to a new Office 365 Group” from the settings menu.

   

2. This invokes a wizard to connect the team site to the Office 365 group. Click on the “Let’s get Started” button.
3. You’ll be presented with the New O365 Group properties page. You can update the group name and email alias, select the group’s privacy and then click on “Connect Group”.

   

4. In the “Add and assign people” page, SharePoint automatically adds owners and members, based on your existing site. You can add new owners and members, or remove people from the proposed.

   

5. Click Finish when you’re done.

This wizard changes the site from classic to modern, copies the “Home.aspx” to “Home(1).aspx”, converts it to a modern page, and sets it as the Home page. You may have to rename it – to make it neat! Connecting team sites to Office 365 groups using PowerShell is explained in my other article: How to Connect SharePoint Site to Office 365 Group?

Other Options to upgrade SharePoint Online classic site to Modern

• You can use PowerShell to Upgrade a classic SharePoint Online site to a modern Communication site
• PowerShell script to convert the classic team site to modern: SharePoint Online: Change site from classic to modern using PowerShell

Conclusion:

Converting classic SharePoint sites to modern sites in SharePoint Online can bring many benefits to your organization, such as improved collaboration, better user experience, and access to new features. The process of converting sites is relatively simple, and can be done by connecting a classic site to a Microsoft 365 Group. It’s important to note that not all features and customizations that are present in classic sites are supported in the modern sites, so it’s important to check the compatibility before migrating.