Complete SharePoint Migration Guide: Plan, Tools & How-To

As organizations modernize how teams collaborate, many eventually find themselves moving content, sites, and workflows into newer versions of SharePoint or SharePoint Online as part of Microsoft 365.

On paper, Microsoft provides a well-documented process with tools to help with the migration process. In reality, anyone who’s managed a migration knows it’s rarely as simple as pressing “click and done.” 

If you’re thinking about migrating to a new SharePoint environment, you’re in the right place. This guide is a complete introduction to SharePoint migration. 

Keep reading to learn what a SharePoint migration is, why organizations do it, how to plan it properly, which tools to use, and how to execute a migration step by step while minimizing risk.

Let’s get started!

What Is a SharePoint Migration?

A SharePoint migration is the process of moving content, sites, libraries, lists, permissions, and configurations from one SharePoint environment to another. The migration includes metadata, version history, permissions, workflows, and in some cases, customizations. 

In SharePoint migrations, the goal is not just to move content but to ensure it remains usable, secure, and compliant in the new environment.

Common SharePoint Migration Scenarios

Before planning a migration, it’s important to understand which scenario applies to your organization, because the approach, tools, and risks vary depending on your unique circumstances.

Scenario #1: SharePoint Server to SharePoint Online

The most common migration scenario today, this involves moving content from on-premises SharePoint environments, such as SharePoint 2010, 2013, or 2016, into Microsoft 365.

Scenario #2: Tenant-to-Tenant Migration

Tenant migrations typically occur during mergers or divestitures. These projects are more complex because they involve identity mapping, permissions translation, and coexistence planning to minimize disruption.

Scenario #3: Migrating File Shares to OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint

File shares migration includes a centralized file hosting on a network server, a network drive, or shared files or disks on a local computer. Often referred to as a “Z drive” on networked computers, it’s a shared drive somewhere on the network.

Scenario #4: Migrating from “My Sites” to OneDrive in Microsoft 365

When you migrate to OneDrive using the SharePoint Migration Tool, you migrate content from your My Sites document library into OneDrive.

How to Plan a SharePoint Migration

A successful SharePoint migration starts long before any data moves. Planning reduces risk, shortens timelines, and prevents costly rework.

Discovery and Assessment

The first step is discovery and assessment. Administrators should inventory existing SharePoint sites, document libraries, lists, workflows, and customizations. 

This includes identifying the amount of data, its ownership, and the frequency of its access. Not all content needs to be migrated, and migrations are an excellent opportunity to clean up outdated or redundant data.

Define Migration Scope and Objectives

Next, define the scope and objective of the migration. To do this, answer these basic questions:

• Why are we migrating?
• What content needs to move?
• What business outcomes define success?

Permissions and Security Planning

Permissions and security planning are critical at this stage because SharePoint permissions often evolve organically over time, resulting in broken inheritance or excessive access. Before migrating, determine whether permissions will be replicated exactly or redesigned to align with least-privilege principles.

Protect Your Data Before you Begin

One of the most overlooked planning steps is data protection. Migration tools are not backup tools. If something goes wrong during a migration — like accidental deletions, overwritten permissions, or corrupted files — you need a way to recover quickly.

This is where a dedicated SaaS backup solution like SpinBackup for Microsoft 365 can save the day. By backing up SharePoint data before migration, you create a safety net that protects against both human error and tool limitations. 

Choosing the Right SharePoint Migration Tool

Microsoft provides several native options for SharePoint migration, but third-party tools are often required for complex scenarios.

Microsoft’s Native Migration Tools

The SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) is Microsoft’s free utility for migrating on-premises SharePoint Server 2010, 2013, and 2016 to Microsoft 365. It supports document libraries, lists, and basic site structures, and it integrates directly with Microsoft 365 authentication.

Migration Managers

Migration managers offer a centralized approach to migrating content. They allow administrators to connect multiple servers, deploy and manage migration agents, create migration tasks, and automatically balance workloads across agents. 

Microsoft Migration Manager can be used to migrate content from a variety of sources into SharePoint Online and other Microsoft 365 services.

Step-by-Step Migration Process

Ready to kick off the migration process? This section provides a step-by-step process to follow when migrating your file shares to Microsoft 365. 

Migrating on-premises file shares to Microsoft 365 enables modern collaboration through SharePoint, OneDrive, and Microsoft Teams, along with built-in security and cloud services. Migration Manager helps facilitate this transition.

To get started, follow these steps.

Step 1: Prepare Your SharePoint Online Environment

Step 1.1: Sign in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Start by signing in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center using a global or SharePoint administrator account. Go to Microsoft 365 Administration and log in to your work or school account.

Step 1.2: Navigate to Admin centers → SharePoint.

Step 1.3: Review Existing Site Collections

In the SharePoint admin center, review your existing site collections and confirm that your destination sites are ready.

Step 1.4: Create Destination Sites (If Needed)

If you need new sites, click Active sites, then Create, and follow the prompts to create a Team site or Communication site.

Follow the steps illustrated in the images below to create a Team Site.

Step 1.5: Assign Ownership and Verify Storage

Assign at least one site owner and verify that storage quotas are sufficient for the incoming data.

Step 1.6: Back Up SharePoint Data

Before proceeding, ensure SharePoint Online is fully backed up using a SaaS backup solution. This provides a safety net in case content is overwritten, deleted, or corrupted during migration.

Step 2: Download and Install the SharePoint Migration Tool

Step 2.1: Download the Tool

From the left navigation, select Migration.

After selecting Migration, scroll to the bottom of the page and download the SharePoint Migration Tool installer. The tool is located in the Other migration solutions section.

Step 2.2: Install the Tool

Run the installer on a Windows machine that has network access to your source SharePoint environment.

Step 2.3: Launch and Sign In

Once installed, launch the SharePoint Migration Tool from the Start menu.

When prompted, sign in using your Microsoft 365 administrator credentials.

Step 3: Choose Your Migration Source

Step 3.1: Select the Source Environment

On the tool’s welcome screen, select your source environment. If you are migrating from an on-premises SharePoint server, choose the appropriate option. If you are migrating files from a local file share, select File Share. For this guide, you’ll be migrating your file shares to Microsoft 365.

Step 3.2: Select a New Migration Method

You can either select “Single file share source” or “Bulk migration using JSON or CSV file.” For this guide, select the first option.

Step 3.3: Enter Source Details

Click Next, then enter the source site URL or file path.

Then select the file share you want to migrate.

Step 3.4: Select a Destination

Select the destination for your migration. You can choose SharePoint, OneDrive, or Microsoft Teams, depending on where you want the files to be moved. For this guide, we are migrating to SharePoint.

Step 4: Select the Destination Site and Library

Step 4.1: Enter the Destination Site URL

After confirming the source, enter the URL of your SharePoint Online site.

Step 4.2: Select the Destination Library or List

Select the specific document library or list where content will be migrated.

Step 4.3: Review Content Mappings

Carefully review mappings to ensure that source libraries map correctly to destination libraries, especially if names differ.

Step 5: Execute the Migration

Step 5.1: Start the Migration

Click Start to start the migration.

Step 5.2: Monitor Migration Progress

Depending on the data size, this process may take hours or days. Monitor progress regularly and address errors as they appear.

Once the migration process is complete, click OK.

Finally, review the migration details.

Final Thoughts: SharePoint Migration Done Right

Even the most carefully planned SharePoint migration carries risk. Data can be accidentally overwritten, permissions misapplied, or files lost during testing, cutover, or post-migration cleanup. 

Migration tools are designed to move data, not to protect it, which is why trusting them to work without any issues leaves organizations exposed.

Luckily, there’s a better way forward.

Using a solution like SpinBackup before migration creates a reliable restore point, allowing quick recovery if issues occur during testing or cutover. 

After migration, SpinBackup continues to safeguard SharePoint data against accidental deletions, ransomware, and insider threats, ensuring ongoing protection in the new environment. → Get started with Spin.ai’s Microsoft 365 Backup & Recovery solution today and ensure your SharePoint data is fully protected!

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