Do Not Migrate SharePoint Problems Into SharePoint Online

Bottom line: A SharePoint Online migration should not carry old governance problems into a new environment. Readiness work should clarify ownership, permissions, content quality, lifecycle, documentation, risks, and decision authority before production migration begins.

Five issues to resolve before migration

1. Unclear site and library ownership

Every site, library, and major content area should have an accountable business owner who can confirm purpose, audience, disposition, and acceptable access.

2. Outdated or low-value content

Use migration planning to identify stale, duplicate, abandoned, or unsupported content. Focus first on high-value and high-risk areas rather than trying to perfect the entire environment.

3. Permissions that were never reviewed

Inherited access, unique permissions, old groups, broad sharing, and stale links should be understood before they are reproduced in the destination.

4. No clear migration decision rules

Define what migrates, what remains, what needs cleanup, what requires approval, and what should be redesigned instead of copied.

5. Weak documentation and risk tracking

Track risks, dependencies, assumptions, exceptions, ownership, and acceptance criteria so decisions remain visible throughout the move.

SharePoint migration readiness checklist

• Key sites and libraries have named business owners.
• High-value and high-risk content areas are identified.
• Outdated and duplicate content has been reviewed.
• Permissions and external sharing have been assessed.
• Migration decision rules are documented.
• Risks, dependencies, assumptions, and exceptions are tracked.
• Leadership knows which conditions must be resolved before production migration.

Choose the next step

Review the SharePoint Online Migration Readiness & Governance Review or use the SharePoint Migration Readiness Kit for a self-guided starting point.