Running a SharePoint Backup: 5 Popular Options

As businesses continue shifting critical data to the cloud, platforms like SharePoint Online have become essential for sharing, storing, and collaborating on documents. 

While SharePoint is a powerful tool for productivity, relying solely on its native features to safeguard data can leave you and your company exposed to risks such as accidental deletion, insider mistakes, ransomware attacks, and malicious data tampering. 

A well-defined backup strategy is essential to ensure business continuity and long-term data resilience.

There are several ways organizations attempt to back up SharePoint data, ranging from native recovery options to manual exports and fully automated third-party solutions. 

In this post, we break down five common options for backing up SharePoint and explain why dedicated third-party solutions like SpinBackup are often the most reliable option for secure, automated SharePoint protection.

Understanding SharePoint Backup

SharePoint backup refers to the process of creating independent copies of SharePoint data so it can be restored in the event of accidental deletion, corruption, ransomware attacks, or service outages. This includes not only files and documents, but also site structures, permissions, metadata, and configuration settings that are critical for business continuity.

It’s important to distinguish between backup and built-in recovery features. While SharePoint offers version history, recycle bins, and retention policies, these tools are designed for short-term recovery and compliance—not long-term data protection. 

A true backup strategy ensures that data is stored separately from Microsoft’s environment and can be restored at any point in time, regardless of tenant-level issues or security incidents.

SharePoint Backup Options Compared (Comparison Table)

To help you quickly evaluate which SharePoint backup approach best fits your organization’s needs, the table below compares these five options across key criteria such as automation, recovery capabilities, and security.

Now, let’s discuss each of the backup options in the comparison table in detail.

1. Leveraging SharePoint’s Native Backup Options

SharePoint’s built-in backup options are basic but offer some level of protection for document libraries and lists. The version history feature lets users restore files to earlier versions, which is useful for recovering from accidental edits or deletions. 

Additionally, SharePoint’s recycle bins operate in two stages, with the first bin storing deleted items for 30 days and the second holding items for up to 93 days. However, once this period passes, any deleted items are permanently removed from the system and cannot be recovered..

For admins who want to maintain document access without an actual backup, Microsoft’s retention policies can keep content accessible within SharePoint. 

Retention policies are often applied to adhere to compliance requirements, but they are not backups; they only prevent data from being deleted within a specified period. 

So,  while these native features offer temporary recovery options, they fall short of providing comprehensive data protection, making additional backup solutions necessary. 

Retention policies do not create independent copies of data and do not protect against scenarios such as ransomware encryption, malicious insider activity, or permanent data corruption.

Cons of Leveraging SharePoint’s Native Backup Options

We’ve said it before, but it is always worth repeating that backing up your data with the same vendor where it resides is not considered a best practice. 

If the primary environment is compromised or corrupted, the backup may be at risk as well. Maintaining redundancy outside the vendor’s ecosystem is strongly recommended, which is why many organizations turn to third-party SharePoint backup solutions. 

We will provide some third-party SharePoint backup solutions for you in this post.

2. Manually Exporting SharePoint Data

In situations where automated solutions are unavailable or unnecessary, administratorss can manually back up SharePoint data. This can be done by downloading libraries, lists, or specific files and saving them locally. Admins can also use PowerShell to create and automate exports of SharePoint content. 

PowerShell scripts can save time for IT teams by scheduling these backups, but this process requires technical expertise and does not capture the full SharePoint environment.

Permissions, site configurations, workflows, and detailed metadata are often excluded from exports, which limits the usefulness of these backups during recovery. As SharePoint environments grow in size and complexity, manual exports become increasingly difficult to manage and are not well-suited for long-term or enterprise-scale data protection.

Cons for Manually Exporting SharePoint Data

Although this approach offers flexibility, it’s labor-intensive and impractical for large organizations due to the time it requires to download and organize files, especially when it comes to preserving file structure and metadata.

3. Third-Party SharePoint Backup Solutions

For organisations looking to automate and enhance SharePoint data protection, third-party cloud-to-cloud backup providers offer a comprehensive solution. 

With options to schedule regular, automated backups, cloud-to-cloud backup services store data in a separate, secure environment that is fully independent of Microsoft. This separation significantly reduces the risks associated with accidental deletions or potential service outages on Microsoft’s end. 

Leading providers like AvePoint, Veeam, and SpinBackup enable SharePoint backups to be managed efficiently, with many offering granular recovery options that include permissions, metadata, and detailed settings. 

This level of coverage ensures organizations can restore data quickly and accurately without rebuilding environments manually.

4. Integrating Microsoft 365 Backup with API-based Solutions

Another effective backup strategy involves using API-based solutions to integrate SharePoint data backup into a broader Microsoft 365 protection plan. These solutions typically rely on the Microsoft Graph API to extract SharePoint files, permissions, and metadata. 

Many backup vendors use this method to create automated workflows that protect data across SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, and Exchange.

These API-based solutions can create seamless workflows for administrators by integrating backup and recovery processes across the full suite of Microsoft 365 services, including SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, and Exchange. 

As a result, API-driven backups ensure businesses have a consistent recovery solution for all data across Microsoft 365.

Cons for Integrating Microsoft 365 Backup with API-based Solutions

API-based backup solutions face challenges such as Microsoft’s API rate limits, which can delay backups, and potential gaps in metadata and permissions capture. These solutions may also lack the granularity needed for complex item-level recoveries. They also incur extra costs for high data volumes, and struggle with real-time backups. Additionally, they depend on Microsoft’s platform stability, meaning that outages can disrupt backup processes. 

5. Backup Solutions for Hybrid SharePoint Environments

Some businesses operate hybrid SharePoint environments that combine SharePoint Online with on-premises SharePoint Server deployments for added data control.

 In these cases, companies can configure periodic site collection backups for the on-premises SharePoint instance. Site collection backups can be saved to secure local storage, giving businesses more control over their data and backup schedules. 

However, these backups can be complex and are typically best suited for organizations with dedicated IT teams that can handle additional storage management and infrastructure requirements.

What Are SharePoint Backup Best Practices?

Regardless of the backup method you choose, following SharePoint backup best practices helps ensure data remains protected, recoverable, and compliant. Here are the SharePoint backup best practices to follow:

1. Store Backups Outside Microsoft’s Environment

Avoid relying on Microsoft-native features alone for data protection. Use third-party or independent storage to reduce single-vendor risk and improve resilience against platform-wide incidents.

2. Automate Backups to Reduce Human Error

Manual backups are inconsistent and easy to miss. Automated backup schedules ensure continuous protection as SharePoint data changes.

3. Back Up More Than Just Files

Include site structures, permissions, metadata, and version history. Full-fidelity backups enable faster and more accurate restores.

4. Align Backup Frequency With Business Activity

High-collaboration environments require more frequent backups. Backup schedules should reflect how often data is created or modified.

5. Secure Backups Against Ransomware and Tampering

Use immutable storage to prevent backups from being altered or deleted. Encryption and anomaly detection help protect data at rest.

6. Regularly Test Restore Processes

Backups are only valuable if they can be restored successfully. Periodic restore testing validates backup integrity and recovery readiness.

Common SharePoint Backup Issues and Solutions

Many organizations encounter challenges when trying to protect SharePoint data effectively. Here are the common SharePoint backup issues organisations face and their solutions.

1. Confusing Built-in Recovery Features With True Backups

Issue: SharePoint version history, recycle bins, and retention policies provide limited, time-bound recovery and do not protect against tenant-level failures or security incidents.

Solution: Implement a dedicated backup solution that stores SharePoint data independently from Microsoft’s environment and allows point-in-time recovery beyond retention windows.

2. Incomplete Backups That Miss Critical Data

Issue: Manual exports and some API-based solutions fail to capture permissions, metadata, site structures, and configurations.

Solution: Use backup tools that support full-fidelity backups, ensuring files, metadata, permissions, and settings can all be restored accurately.

3. Slow and Disruptive Recovery Processes

Issue: Restoring entire sites or collections for minor data loss events increases downtime and disrupts collaboration.

Solution: Choose solutions with granular restore capabilities that allow recovery at the file, list, or library level.

4. Backup Delays Caused by API and Platform Limitations

Issue: Microsoft API rate limits and service throttling can delay backups and impact recovery timelines.

Solution: Rely on backup platforms optimized to manage API constraints efficiently while maintaining consistent backup coverage.

5. Increased Risk During Ransomware and Insider Threats

Issue: Backups stored within the same ecosystem may be vulnerable to encryption, deletion, or tampering during a ransomware attack and insider threats.

Solution: Protect backups using immutable storage, encryption, and anomaly detection to ensure recovery remains possible even during active security incidents.

6. Scalability Challenges as SharePoint Environments Grow

Issue: Manual and hybrid backup approaches become increasingly complex as data volume and user activity expand.

Solution: Adopt automated, cloud-based backup solutions that scale seamlessly with organizational growth and evolving data protection requirements.

Which Option Is Right for You?

The right SharePoint backup approach depends on your organization’s size, data volume, compliance requirements, and internal IT resources. Small teams with limited data may rely temporarily on native features or manual exports, but these methods quickly become insufficient as collaboration increases.

Organizations with regulatory obligations, distributed teams, or high data churn typically require automated, secure, and scalable backup solutions. Hybrid environments introduce additional complexity, often requiring specialized tools and administrative expertise. 

Evaluating backup options based on recovery speed, security capabilities, and long-term reliability helps ensure your data protection strategy aligns with business risk.

For organizations that need reliable, secure, and scalable protection, the following solution stands out as our recommended approach for SharePoint backups.

Our Recommendation: Third-Party SharePoint Backup Solutions

Each method of SharePoint backup has its own merits, but for businesses with significant data or compliance requirements, a third-party solution like SpinBackup delivers the most comprehensive and reliable protection.

How SpinBackup Supports Reliable SharePoint Backup and Recovery

With automated scheduling, secure data storage, and granular restore capabilities, SpinBackup minimizes data loss risks and supports business continuity in a way that native SharePoint options or manual exports simply can’t match. 

And as businesses increasingly rely on cloud applications, having robust, automated backup solutions becomes essential to protect data and mitigate potential losses effectively.

Here’s why SpinBackup is considered a top choice for backing up SharePoint:

1. Automated, Customizable Backup Schedules

SpinBackup simplifies data protection by allowing businesses to schedule automated backups as frequently as needed, ensuring that data is continuously protected without manual intervention. 

This level of automation keeps data up-to-date, even with frequent changes, and eliminates the risk of human error associated with manual backups.

2. Granular Restore Options

One of the key advantages of SpinBackup is its granular restore feature, allowing businesses to recover specific files, lists, or libraries rather than restoring the entire SharePoint site. This is crucial when only a few documents are lost or corrupted, as it speeds up the recovery process and minimizes disruption.

3. Immutable Backup Storage and Advanced Security

SpinBackup stores SharePoint backups in immutable storage, meaning that once data is backed up, it cannot be altered or deleted. This is an essential feature for preventing data tampering or unauthorized access, ensuring backups remain secure. 

Additionally, SpinBackup includes advanced security features like encryption, ransomware protection, and anomaly detection, offering an extra layer of data security.

4. Cross-Platform Integration and Scalability

SpinBackup integrates seamlessly across Microsoft 365 applications, which means that in addition to SharePoint, businesses can back up data from OneDrive, Teams, and Exchange within the same platform. This makes it easier to manage backups and data recovery processes across multiple applications and allows SpinBackup to scale as business needs evolve.

With SpinBackup, organizations benefit from a complete, flexible backup solution that not only protects SharePoint data but also enhances security and compliance efforts.By choosing SpinBackup for Microsoft 365  SharePoint Backup and Recovery businesses can ensure their SharePoint data remains secure, accessible, and protected from unexpected incidents. As a result, teams can collaborate freely within SharePoint, knowing that their data is backed up and easily recoverable at any time.

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