SharePoint Migration Best Practices: 15 Expert Strategies for Zero-Downtime Migrations

The Evolution of SharePoint Migration

SharePoint migration has evolved significantly with cloud-first strategies becoming the standard. Whether you're migrating from on-premises SharePoint Server, file shares, or third-party systems, following proven best practices ensures success.

Pre-Migration Planning

1. Comprehensive Discovery

Before migrating a single file, conduct thorough discovery:

- Content Inventory: Catalog all sites, libraries, lists, and content types

• Permission Mapping: Document all permission structures and security groups
• Customization Audit: Identify custom solutions, workflows, and integrations
• Usage Analytics: Understand which content is actively used vs. stale

  2. Define Success Metrics

  Establish clear KPIs for your migration:

  - Migration completion rate

• Data integrity verification
• User adoption metrics
• Performance benchmarks
• Support ticket volume

  3. Stakeholder Alignment

  Ensure all stakeholders understand:

  - Timeline and milestones

• Resource requirements
• Potential disruptions
• Communication plan
• Rollback procedures

  Migration Strategies

  Lift and Shift

  Best for organizations that need to move quickly with minimal changes:

  - Preserves existing structure

• Faster execution
• Lower immediate cost
• May carry forward technical debt

  Re-Architecture

  Ideal for organizations ready to modernize:

  - Optimize information architecture

• Implement modern site templates
• Establish governance frameworks
• Higher initial investment, better long-term results

  Hybrid Approach

  Combine both strategies:

  - Critical content gets re-architected

• Less important content gets lifted
• Phased modernization over time

  Technical Best Practices

  1. Metadata Preservation

  Ensure all metadata travels with content:

  - Created/modified dates

• Author information
• Custom properties
• Version history

  2. Permission Migration

  Handle permissions carefully:

  - Map on-premises groups to Azure AD groups

• Simplify overly complex permission structures
• Document exceptions and special cases

  3. Large File Handling

  SharePoint Online has different limits:

  - Individual file size: Up to 250 GB

• Path length: 400 characters total
• Special characters: Some restrictions apply

  4. Version History

  Decide on version history strategy:

  - Migrate all versions (larger storage)

• Migrate limited versions
• Start fresh with no history

  Testing and Validation

  Pilot Migration

  Always run a pilot:

  - Select representative content

• Test with real users
• Document issues
• Refine processes

  Data Integrity Checks

  Verify migration accuracy:

  - File count comparison

• Checksum verification
• Permission validation
• Functionality testing

  Post-Migration Activities

  User Training

  Prepare users for the new environment:

  - Training sessions

• Quick reference guides
• Video tutorials
• FAQ documentation

  Monitoring

  Monitor the new environment:

  - User adoption rates

• Performance metrics
• Support requests
• Search effectiveness

  Common Migration Mistakes

  1. Insufficient Planning: Rushing into migration without proper discovery

2. Ignoring Permissions: Not mapping permissions correctly

Skipping Pilots: Going directly to production

Poor Communication: Not keeping stakeholders informed

No Rollback Plan: Not having a contingency strategy

Conclusion

Successful SharePoint migration requires careful planning, the right tools, and experienced guidance. By following these best practices, you can achieve a smooth transition with minimal business disruption.

Need help with your SharePoint migration? Our experts have completed over 500 successful migrations.