There are chances that you need to remove your SharePoint site. There are various reasons to delete the website, but you need to follow the best practices to extract the data safely.
Many SharePoint websites have a complex structure that means you need to clean the existence and unnecessary resources.
What is Microsoft SharePoint?
SharePoint is also known as the Microsoft cloud version that helps in collaboration and additional integration capabilities. If offers great scope to the organization with many features and functionalities.
It has become an integral part of many businesses to increase the working efficiency in different niches. The crucial feature of the platform is to help employees to work together remotely. Be it sharing, recording data, and document publishing, and everything can be done under a single roof.
It gives users the freedom to handle tasks like:
- Require approval before changing the visibility of any document
- “Check Out” documents to prevent access or editing from unauthorized users
- Define workflows to automate actions on the documents
These features enhance the productivity of the organization. Users get the freedom to build custom databases with the easier format and a thousand pieces of information.
Different types of SharePoint sites are:
- Communication Site: This self-contained SharePoint website is not associated with any specific Microsoft team group. The main aim is to broadcast information and keep people updated. Only a few people get permission to add, remove, and edit the files on the SharePoint site.
- Team Site: This is the backbone of Microsoft Teams. When you create a Microsoft Team group, a site is created at the backend. The purpose of this site is to collaborate on projects. It is restricted to a group of individuals that require access to project materials. Members of the team site can add, remove, and edit the documents or files on the website.
What are the measures taken before you delete the SharePoint site?
Ensure no one is currently using it!
Before clicking on the delete button, make sure no one needs the SharePoint website. You also get the choice to restore it from the recycle bin, but it might face losses in certain situations. Simple measures to ensure this are:
- Begin by checking the SharePoint website usage report to view if it has been used lately
- The Site Usage report might be misleading as it is connected with teams, planners, and Outlook. It is important to check the activities on the other assets of the SharePoint team site.
Ensure there are no sub-sites
The process to delete SharePoint site is smart enough to prevent deletion if the website has sub-sites. It will display an error message: “Sites that have subsites or certain apps can’t be deleted. Please try again after deleting all subsites and removing the apps.”
So, put some effort into seeing if the parent site has subsites or not. If there is, delete them before trying to delete the parent platform. On SharePoint, you can view them through the Site Hierarchy function or Site Contents.
How to delete the SharePoint site properly?
Procedure for deleting a SharePoint subsite:
- Click on Gear Icon > Site Settings
- Under the Site Actions column, click on Delete this Site
- On the next “Warning” screen, then DELETE
- You get another pop-up, click on OK
- Now you get a confirmation message that your subsite has been deleted
The procedure of deleting a Communication Site:
Communication and team sites that can be deleted from the SharePoint Admin Center. Follow the below steps:
- From the Site, go to Gear Icon > Site Information
- On the next screen, click Delete Site
- Now a pop-up wanting, where you have to check the box and click Delete
- The Site is now deleted
The procedure of deleting a team site:
The process followed to delete SharePoint team site is:
- Gear Icon > Site Information
- On the next screen, go to Delete Site
- You get a warning message, and you get the whole Microsoft 365 Group with Planner, Outlook, Teams, etc. Check the box and click on Delete.
- The Site is now deleted
The procedure of deleting SharePoint Site:
- In the site information window, you need to click on the Delete Site button
- You get an additional warning in the final window that all of your data will be removed. Click on Delete to remove the SharePoint site
What are the benefits of having a SharePoint site?
- It gives a consistent and smooth user-experience
- It handles the business activities like signature approval, document reviews, and track issues
- Sensitive information of business is managed from SharePoint settings effectively
- Content can be created and scheduled for the website.
- It allows users to create simple views of complex data.
- It provides a platform to connect with employees and clients.
- SharePoint forms are solutions that help to collect vital information from suppliers, partners, and customers.
How to make your SharePoint site effective?
- Build URLs that have keywords. They must be relevant to your niche.
- Page titles must be unique instead of the generic names as it increases user engagement
- Your web pages content must be clear and concise. Make the navigation process effortless around the SharePoint site.
- Ensure that your users do not have to scroll right or left to view the entire page.
The Tip of the Iceberg!
Creating, Modifying, or Deleting the SharePoint site requires following certain procedures and precautions. Just break big tasks into blocks. When there are smaller portions or responsibilities, it becomes easier to digest.
While there might not be a comprehensive list, we have given you the methods to make your SharePoint site effective. Manage your SharePoint site structure and delete the data securely.
