SharePoint Migration Checklist for IT Managers: 80-Point Pre-Migration Guide

SharePoint Migration Checklist for IT Managers: 80-Point Pre-Migration Guide

Migration failures are almost always preventable. In 25+ years of SharePoint migrations, the difference between a smooth migration and a disaster comes down to preparation. This 80-point checklist covers every critical step from initial discovery through post-migration validation.

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Phase 1: Discovery & Inventory (Pre-Planning)

Current State Analysis

• [ ] 1. Document all source systems (SharePoint on-premises version, file shares, Google Drive, Box)
• [ ] 2. Run SharePoint Inventory Tool or AvePoint assessment — capture all site collections, sizes, and document counts
• [ ] 3. Identify sites with custom code, custom web parts, or InfoPath forms
• [ ] 4. Document all third-party SharePoint add-ins and their migration paths
• [ ] 5. Identify SharePoint workflows (SharePoint Designer, Nintex, K2) and modernization requirements
• [ ] 6. Capture all site collection administrators and site owners
• [ ] 7. Document external users with access to SharePoint sites
• [ ] 8. Identify any sites under legal hold or regulatory retention requirements
• [ ] 9. Assess content age — documents not accessed in 3+ years may be candidates for archival vs. migration
• [ ] 10. Calculate total data volume (GB) for migration timeline planning

Target State Planning

• [ ] 11. Map source structure to SharePoint Online information architecture
• [ ] 12. Design hub site architecture for target environment
• [ ] 13. Identify content types and metadata to be created in target
• [ ] 14. Plan managed metadata / term store structure
• [ ] 15. Define naming conventions for sites, libraries, and URLs
• [ ] 16. Confirm Microsoft 365 licenses are provisioned for all users
• [ ] 17. Verify SharePoint Online storage quota is sufficient for migrated content
• [ ] 18. Decide on migration approach: big bang vs. phased vs. hybrid (parallel operation)

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Phase 2: Pre-Migration Preparation

Governance & Policy

• [ ] 19. Establish site provisioning policy for SharePoint Online (who can create sites)
• [ ] 20. Define external sharing policy before migration (don't import sharing settings from legacy)
• [ ] 21. Configure sensitivity labels in Microsoft Purview before migrating sensitive content
• [ ] 22. Set up retention labels and policies in Purview before migration
• [ ] 23. Document data loss prevention (DLP) policies required in target
• [ ] 24. Define and communicate data classification standards to stakeholders

Technical Preparation

• [ ] 25. Provision all target site collections and hub sites before migration begins
• [ ] 26. Configure SharePoint permissions model (Groups, members, visitors) on all target sites
• [ ] 27. Test authentication (MFA, Conditional Access) for all user populations including field workers
• [ ] 28. Confirm network bandwidth is sufficient — assess peak migration impact on business operations
• [ ] 29. Schedule maintenance windows and communicate to affected users
• [ ] 30. Set up migration tooling (SPMT, ShareGate, Metalogix, or Mover)
• [ ] 31. Create service account for migration tool with required permissions
• [ ] 32. Test migration tool connectivity to source and destination
• [ ] 33. Run a pilot migration on 10-50GB of non-critical content to validate tooling

Content Cleanup (Critical — Often Skipped)

• [ ] 34. Delete or archive content not accessed in 5+ years (reduces migration volume)
• [ ] 35. Remove duplicate files identified by inventory tooling
• [ ] 36. Resolve broken links and orphaned content
• [ ] 37. Empty Recycle Bins in source environment (reduces migration volume)
• [ ] 38. Archive or delete SharePoint Designer workflows that will not be migrated
• [ ] 39. Complete any in-progress content edits before scheduling cutover

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Phase 3: Migration Execution

Pilot Migration

• [ ] 40. Select pilot group: 50-100 users from diverse departments and roles
• [ ] 41. Migrate pilot content to target SharePoint Online
• [ ] 42. Validate file count, file sizes, and metadata preservation in target
• [ ] 43. Test pilot user access — verify permissions migrated correctly
• [ ] 44. Test search: key documents should be findable via search
• [ ] 45. Test Office app integration: Word/Excel files should open from SharePoint
• [ ] 46. Test OneDrive sync client connectivity
• [ ] 47. Test SharePoint mobile app access
• [ ] 48. Collect pilot user feedback — identify usability issues before broad rollout
• [ ] 49. Identify and resolve any blockers discovered in pilot

Pre-Cutover Activities

• [ ] 50. Communicate migration schedule to all affected users (2 weeks minimum advance notice)
• [ ] 51. Create user guides and training materials for SharePoint Online
• [ ] 52. Schedule training sessions — live and recorded
• [ ] 53. Set up IT helpdesk ticketing category for migration issues
• [ ] 54. Verify IT support team is trained on common SharePoint Online issues
• [ ] 55. Confirm rollback plan: what happens if migration fails (read-only source access, timeline)
• [ ] 56. Brief senior stakeholders on go-live date and expected disruption window

Migration Execution

• [ ] 57. Start migration during off-peak hours (nights/weekends for large volumes)
• [ ] 58. Monitor migration progress in real time — track items migrated, errors, and warnings
• [ ] 59. Log all migration errors for post-migration remediation
• [ ] 60. For large migrations: migrate in batches by department or site type
• [ ] 61. Verify item counts after each batch before proceeding to next
• [ ] 62. For content under legal hold: verify preservation in target before cutting over
• [ ] 63. Send "your content is being migrated" notification to users at migration start
• [ ] 64. Configure SharePoint Online permissions matching source permissions before cutover

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Phase 4: Cutover & Post-Migration

Cutover Checklist

• [ ] 65. Final delta migration: capture any changes made during migration window
• [ ] 66. Set source environment to read-only to prevent new changes
• [ ] 67. Validate final item counts in target match source (within acceptable variance)
• [ ] 68. Update all internal links (intranet, HR portals, email signatures) to new SharePoint Online URLs
• [ ] 69. Update SharePoint URL references in any applications, scripts, or integrations
• [ ] 70. Redirect source SharePoint on-premises URL to SharePoint Online (or decommission)
• [ ] 71. Communicate "migration complete" to all users with new URL and login instructions

Post-Migration Validation

• [ ] 72. Verify search indexes are built (allow 24-48 hours after migration for full search index)
• [ ] 73. Spot-check critical documents in each migrated library — verify content integrity
• [ ] 74. Verify permissions: test access with 5-10 representative user accounts from different groups
• [ ] 75. Verify external user access if external sharing was migrated
• [ ] 76. Test all Power Automate flows connected to migrated content
• [ ] 77. Verify Teams channels connected to SharePoint sites are functioning
• [ ] 78. Test OneDrive sync for 10+ users across different OS versions

30-Day Post-Migration

• [ ] 79. Monitor support ticket volume — track and resolve top migration-related issues
• [ ] 80. Conduct 30-day adoption check: what % of users have accessed SharePoint Online; identify non-adopters for targeted outreach

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Migration Red Flags to Watch For

Before migration:

• Source environment has not been cleaned up (bloated with outdated content)
• No business owner assigned to approve migration completion
• Permissions have never been reviewed (over-permissioned environment will migrate over-permissioned)

During migration:

• Error rate > 1% (investigate before proceeding)
• Item counts diverging significantly between source and destination
• Migration tool throttling causing significantly slower-than-expected throughput

After migration:

• Users cannot find content they expect (search not indexed, permissions wrong)
• "Access Denied" errors reported in volume (permissions migration incomplete)
• High support ticket volume for first 2 weeks (plan for this — staff accordingly)

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Migration Tools Quick Reference

| Tool | Best For | Pricing |

|------|---------|---------|

| Microsoft SPMT | Basic SP on-premises and file share migrations | Free |

| ShareGate | Mid-market, user-friendly, good reporting | ~$8K/year |

| Metalogix (Quest) | Enterprise, complex permissions, large scale | Enterprise pricing |

| AvePoint | Enterprise governance + migration | Enterprise pricing |

| Mover (Microsoft) | Cloud-to-cloud (Google Drive, Box, Dropbox) | Free (included with M365) |

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Conclusion

A SharePoint migration without a checklist is a migration waiting to fail. This 80-point guide covers the critical path — but every migration has unique requirements. Use this as your starting framework and add organization-specific steps for your compliance requirements, custom integrations, and user populations.

EPC Group has completed 500+ SharePoint migrations ranging from 500 users to 50,000 users. If you're planning a migration, start with our free SharePoint Assessment to identify risks and build a migration plan specific to your environment.