Published November 5, 2026
Why this job is due
SharePoint Server 2016 and SharePoint Server 2019 reached the end of extended support on July 14, 2026. Microsoft no longer releases security updates for them. SharePoint Server 2013 extended support ended on April 11, 2023. InfoPath 2013 and SharePoint Designer 2013 also reached the end of support on July 14, 2026.
SharePoint Server Subscription Edition is the on-premises version still in support. It follows the Modern Lifecycle Policy, and its lifecycle page lists no retirement date.
Several SharePoint Online features that on-premises farms relied on are gone. SharePoint Add-Ins stopped working in all tenants on April 2, 2026. SharePoint 2013 workflows were retired for existing tenants the same day. SharePoint 2010 workflows were retired on November 1, 2020.
Move to SharePoint Online or upgrade the farm
Decide per site and per application, not per farm. SPMT migrates out-of-the-box sites that use no custom code or third-party tools. Sites with custom code need a decision before they can move.
Farm solutions run with full trust on the SharePoint servers and are supported on premises only. Code-based sandbox solutions were removed from SharePoint Online. Anything built on either has to be rebuilt, replaced or kept on a supported farm.
A first useful output is a list of every site collection with one label: move, rebuild then move, keep on Subscription Edition, or archive and retire.
The options
| Option | What it covers | Tooling |
|---|---|---|
| SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) | SharePoint Server 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019, SharePoint Foundation 2010 and 2013, and file shares, to SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams. Free. | SPMT desktop app or its PowerShell cmdlets |
| Migration Manager | File shares, through agents installed on computers or virtual machines, plus Google Workspace, Box, Dropbox and Egnyte. Runs from the SharePoint admin center. | Migration Manager agents |
| Third-party migration tools | Products from other vendors that use the SharePoint Migration API, as SPMT does. | Vendor tools |
| Upgrade to Subscription Edition | Farms on SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019 upgrade to the on-premises version still in support. Farm solutions can still be deployed there. | Microsoft database upgrade guidance |
| Archive and retire | Sites with no owner or current use are not moved. | None |
Migration copies files. The source files are not deleted.
The order of the work
- Inventory the farm. List web applications, site collections, sizes, owners and last activity. Run the scan built into SPMT 4.0 and later. It reports content inventory and migration risks per site. The SharePoint Migration Assessment Tool is no longer supported as of October 1, 2026.
- Find the customizations. Record farm solutions, sandbox solutions, Add-Ins, SharePoint Designer workflows, InfoPath forms, Script Editor web parts and classic publishing sites. Each needs a decision before its site moves.
- Sync identities. SPMT keeps permissions only when each on-premises user has a matching account in Microsoft 365. Synchronize Active Directory to Microsoft Entra ID, or prepare a user mapping file.
- Design the target. Decide the site structure before moving anything. Microsoft recommends sites organized into hubs instead of subsites.
- Clean up the source. Delete or archive unused sites, old versions and duplicate content. SharePoint Online limits a decoded file path, including the file name, to 400 characters. Shorten longer paths.
- Pilot. Move a few representative sites. Measure throughput and check permissions, metadata and pages against the source.
- Migrate in waves. Group sites by business unit or hub. Run incremental passes so only new or changed files move at cutover. Set the source to read-only after the final pass.
- Retire the farm. Keep it read-only for an agreed period, then decommission it.
What takes longer than expected
- Throttling. SharePoint Online limits background apps, including migration tools, more tightly on weekday daytime hours. Throughput is higher on evenings and weekends in the tenant's region. Microsoft states that throttling cannot be lifted, including by a support ticket.
- Small files and list items. Microsoft's performance guide estimates maximum rates of 10 TB a day for large files such as video, 1 TB a day for Office files and list items, and 250 GB a day for list items with custom columns and small files.
- Workflow rebuilds. SPMT migrates SharePoint 2010 out-of-the-box workflows and SharePoint Designer 2010 and 2013 workflows to Power Automate. It moves list, library and content-type workflows, not site workflows, and not workflow history.
- Classic pages. Microsoft's route to modern pages is the Microsoft 365 Assessment tool, then transformation with PnP PowerShell, then a check of each page. Creation of classic publishing sites ends for all tenants on March 1, 2027. Classic wiki, web part, blog and publishing pages in existing tenants become read-only on October 1, 2028.
Details plans leave out
- Inherited permissions. SPMT migrates unique permissions on files from SharePoint Server. Inherited permissions are not migrated.
- Unmapped users. If an account is not synced and not in a mapping file, its files get the target location's default permissions.
- Large lists. On a list, library or folder with more than 100,000 items, permission inheritance cannot be broken or restored.
- Unique permissions. SharePoint Online supports 50,000 unique permissions per list or library. Microsoft's recommended limit is 5,000.
- Power Automate limits. A flow run lasts at most 30 days, where a SharePoint Designer workflow could run indefinitely. Run history is kept for 28 days. Some workarounds, such as the generic HTTP connector, need a Power Automate Premium license.
- Scripts on pages. SharePoint Online blocks custom script on sites by default. Microsoft's guidance moves Script Editor web part customizations to SharePoint Framework. From October 1, 2028, the block can no longer be turned off in existing tenants.
Cost, storage and compliance
SharePoint Online storage for Microsoft 365 Enterprise and Business plans is 1 TB per organization plus 10 GB per license purchased. Each user's OneDrive is not counted in that pool. Extra storage is sold in 1 GB increments.
A tenant that stays over its storage limit can be put into read-only mode. Size the content to be moved, including the versions you keep, against the tenant pool before the first wave.
Each site collection can hold up to 25 TB. A single file can be up to 250 GB.
Microsoft recommends moving custom Add-Ins to SharePoint Framework. For Add-Ins bought from a vendor, Microsoft advises asking the vendor for a version that does not use the Add-In model. Budget for both.
Agree retention for the target sites with records and legal teams before content lands, so migrated files fall under policy from the first day.
Skills and operations
Plan for SharePoint administration, Entra ID, Power Automate, SharePoint Framework development and records management. A Migration Administrator role in Microsoft 365 gives access to Migration Manager without the full SharePoint admin role.
Migrating workflows with SPMT needs an account that is a SharePoint administrator or site admin, a Power Platform administrator and an Environment Maker. That account becomes the owner of the migrated flows, so plan who owns them afterward.
Site owners do the checking. Each wave needs owners who confirm their content, fix broken links and accept the site before the source is locked.
Settle these first
- Which version is each farm on, and how long will it run unsupported?
- Which sites use farm solutions, Add-Ins, workflows or InfoPath forms, and who will rebuild them?
- Are all on-premises accounts synced to Entra ID, or do you need a user mapping file?
- Does the tenant have the storage for the content and versions you plan to move?
- Which sites will be archived instead of moved, and who decides?
- What is the cutover window for each wave, given daytime throttling?
Questions
- When did SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019 support end?
- Both reached the end of extended support on July 14, 2026. Microsoft no longer releases security updates for either. SharePoint Server Subscription Edition remains in support under the Modern Lifecycle Policy.
- Is the SharePoint Migration Tool free?
- Yes. SPMT is a free Microsoft tool. It migrates from SharePoint Server 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019, SharePoint Foundation 2010 and 2013, and file shares.
- Do SharePoint Designer workflows work in SharePoint Online?
- No. SharePoint 2013 workflows were retired for existing tenants on April 2, 2026, and SharePoint 2010 workflows on November 1, 2020. SPMT can migrate SharePoint Designer 2010 and 2013 workflows to Power Automate.
- Can Microsoft remove throttling during a migration?
- No. Microsoft states that throttling rules cannot be disabled, even with a support ticket. Run migrations on evenings and weekends, and use app-based authentication.
- Do custom farm solutions move to SharePoint Online?
- No. Farm solutions are supported on premises only. Rebuild them with SharePoint Framework or other supported services, or keep those sites on SharePoint Server Subscription Edition, where farm solutions can still be deployed.