Migrating a SharePoint site to another tenant might sound complex, but I’ve done it multiple times. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to migrate a SharePoint site to another tenant, step by step.

Why Would You Migrate SharePoint to Another Tenant?

Before we get into the how, let’s quickly touch on the why. I’ve typically seen tenant-to-tenant migrations occur due to:

• Mergers, acquisitions, or divestitures
• Company rebranding or restructuring
• Compliance and regional data residency requirements
• Need to consolidate Microsoft 365 environments
• Whatever the reason, tenant-to-tenant migration involves careful preparation to avoid data loss, downtime, or broken permissions.

Also read: SharePoint team not showing in Teams

Methods to Migrate SharePoint Site to Another Tenant

Method 1: Manual Migration (Best for Small Sites)

I only recommend this if you’re migrating a few files or libraries, not entire sites.

Steps:

1. Download content from the source SharePoint document libraries
2. Recreate site structure manually on the new tenant
3. Upload content to the target SharePoint library
4. Manually reconfigure permissions and settings
5. Limitations:
6. No version history
7. No metadata retention
8. Tedious and error-prone

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Method 2: Using PowerShell and PnP (Advanced Users)

When I want to migrate metadata-rich content and preserve structure, I rely on PnP PowerShell.

Example:

Connect to Source

Connect-PnPOnline -Url “https://source.sharepoint.com/sites/Marketing” -UseWebLogin

Export list or library

Get-PnPListItem -List “Documents” | Export-Clixml -Path “Documents.xml”

Connect to Target

Connect-PnPOnline -Url “https://target.sharepoint.com/sites/Marketing” -UseWebLogin

Import

Import-Clixml -Path “Documents.xml” | ForEach-Object {

Add-PnPListItem -List “Documents” -Values $_.FieldValues

}

It works for lists, metadata, and basic structure—but not full-site migrations.

Method 3: Automated Tool (Best for Full-Site Migration)

Personally, this is what I use for enterprise-level migrations. Tools like SysTools SharePoint Online Migration Tool simplify the process and retain:

• Permissions
• Metadata
• Site structure
• Version history
• Document libraries
• Pages and web parts

Key Benefits:

1. No PowerShell needed
2. Easy GUI
3. Bulk and scheduled migration
4. Detailed reporting

I recommend testing with a small site first, then scaling to full production.

Additional resource: create a SharePoint Survey

FAQs – SharePoint Tenant-to-Tenant Migration

Q1. Can I migrate SharePoint classic sites to a modern experience?

Yes, but you’ll likely need to redesign the layout manually after migration.

Q2. How long does it take to migrate a site?

It depends on data size and method. For example, a 50GB site may take a few hours using automated tool.

Q3. Will permissions transfer automatically?

Only if you use a tool or script that maps users between tenants.

Q4. What if the same usernames exist in both tenants?

Use UPNs (User Principal Names) and pre-map users to avoid confusion.

Q5. Do I need global admin rights?

Yes. You need admin rights on both source and target tenants to perform the migration.

Useful References

Microsoft: SharePoint Online migration overview

PnP PowerShell GitHub

Final Thoughts

Migrating a SharePoint site to another tenant doesn’t have to be stressful. I’ve learned that success lies in planning, testing, and choosing the right tools.