Microsoft is Retiring SharePoint Classic: What This Means for You and How to Deal with It?
In August 2026, Microsoft announced a phased retirement of classic publishing sites, classic user-created pages, and custom scripting in SharePoint Online. The first set of major changes will be rolled out by March 1, 2027, and you will not be able to make changes to user-created pages after October 1, 2028. So, what does this planned SharePoint classic retirement mean for you, and how can you deal with it?
First things first, this does not mean that Microsoft is deleting your SharePoint content.
What does this really mean is that if you are still using SharePoint Classic, then you should start assessing what you have, what is being used and modernizing the critical assets, and you need to do it now!
TL; DR: What Is Happening to SharePoint Classic?
Here is the timeline for SharePoint Classic Retirement
| Date | What Changes | What it Means for You |
| March 1, 2027 | Creation of new classic publishing sites is disabled for all tenants | Stop building new solutions on classic publishing |
| March 1, 2027 | Classic publishing feature activation is disabled | Existing environments can’t enable it for new use |
| March 1, 2027 | New tenants can’t create classic pages and custom scripts are restricted | New SharePoint environments should use modern experiences |
| October 1, 2028 | Classic user-created pages become read-only in existing tenants | Critical editable pages need to be modernized before this date |
| October 1, 2028 | Custom scripting restrictions extend to existing tenants | Legacy script-based customizations need to be assessed |
What Do You Need to Do?
- Run an assessment
- Migrate and/or modernize as necessary
What Exactly Is Being Retired?
It is important that you clearly understand what is included under SharePoint classic retirement. This will allow you to take the necessary steps.
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Classic publishing sites
As Microsoft announced, after March 1, 2027, you will no longer be able to create new classic publishing sites. You will also be unable to activate the classic publishing feature for your site collections and subsites.
This effective affects templates such as:
- Publishing Portal
- Publishing Site
- Enterprise Wiki
- Enterprise Search Center
- Site Directory
- News Home Site
- Product Catalog
- Report Center
- Topic Area
Here, let us reiterate again:
Your existing classic sites are not being deleted
You can continue to access them. But it is also important to realize the fact that you should not treat them as the foundation for a new SharePoint implementation.
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Classic User Created Pages
In October 2028, after the second set of changes are rolled out, classic user-created pages in existing SharePoint tenants will become read only.
This includes:
- Wiki Pages
- Web Part pages
- Blog Pages
- Publishing pages
- Custom ASPX pages
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Custom Scripting
The SharePoint Classic retirement will also affect legacy customizations such as:
- Script editor web parts
- Content editor web parts that have JavaScript
- JavaScript embedded in pages
- Custom HTML and CSS
- SharePoint Designer Customization
- Other unsupported page-level modifications
Discover More About SharePoint Site Design
Explore More About SharePoint Site Design and discover how we help you.
What Happens to Existing Classic SharePoint Pages?
This is probably the biggest question that you are asking yourself right now.
Well, let us put you at ease a bit. You see, your existing content is not simply going away.
For existing tenants, beginning October 1, 2028:
Classic user-created pages become read-only.
This means that you will still be able to open and view those pages, but you would not be able to edit them or create new classic user-created pages.
That creates a very different risk depending on what the page does. Let us try to understand two examples.
Let us say you have an old HR announcement page from 2018 that nobody updates anymore. This is probably not worth rebuilding.
On the other hand, you have a classic page containing production dashboards, custom scripts, links to operational systems, and frequently updated procedures. This becomes a modernization priority.
You see, the SharePoint classic retirement date is not what should determine your migration priority. You should be more focused on your business dependency.
What Happens to Custom SharePoint Scripts?
This is another area that you should pay attention to. Many of your older SharePoint implementations might use custom JavaScript, Script Editor Web Parts, Content Editor Web Parts, custom ASPX code or other scripting-based modifications.
Microsoft is restricting the ability to add or update custom scripts as part of the transition. So, it is a smart idea to inventory the existing scripts rather than assuming that they will automatically be converted.
Read More About It: SharePoint Custom Scripting Retirement: What You Need to Know
How Do You Know If Your Organization is Affected?
Now, we have discussed what the updates really are and how they can impact your SharePoint experience. Now, let us explore how you can deal with SharePoint.
We see a lot of users immediately think about SharePoint migration.
Here is what we think:
Don’t start migrating yet. Start by finding out what you have.
It is important to run a detailed SharePoint assessment to correctly identify
- How many classic pages exist
- Which sites use publishing features
- Which pages are actively used
- Which pages contain custom scripts
- Which pages are business-critical
- Which pages can simply be retired
- Which customizations have dependencies elsewhere
Now, we recommend using Microsoft Purview Audit logs and the Microsoft 365 Assessment Tool. These make it simple to identify classic pages, usage and customization patterns.
An Overview of SharePoint Classic Assessment
Now, we recommend assessing your environment across five dimensions.
| Assessment Area | Questions to Ask |
| Usage | Who accesses the page and how frequently? |
| Business Value | Is the page still required? |
| Complexity | Does it contain scripts, custom Web Parts or ASPX? |
| Dependencies | Does it connect to workflows, applications or data sources? |
| Future requirement | Does your business need the page to remain editable into the foreseeable future? |
Get a Detailed SharePoint Assessment
Connect with our team today to conduct a detailed SharePoint Classic Assessment and get a report that helps you take the right actions.
Classify the Pages Based on the Ideal Actions
Now, in the next course of action, you need to classify the pages based on the ideal actions that you need to take for them.
Category 1: Retire
These include your unused, obsolete or duplicate content.
Action: Archive or remove according to your governance policy.
Category 2: Rebuild
These are business-critical content with relatively straightforward layouts.
Action: Recreate using modern SharePoint.
Category 3: Transform
These refer to the pages that can be converted using supported transformation approaches.
Action: Assess automated or semi-automated transformation.
Category 4: Re-architect
These are highly customized pages containing scripts, custom ASPX, complex layouts or third-party solutions.
Action: Design a modern replacement rather than attempting a one-to-one conversion.
Classic SharePoint vs Modern SharePoint
Now, one of the actions that you can take is to change from SharePoint Classic to Modern SharePoint. The biggest mistake you can make in this case is treating modernization as a visual redesign.
You are practically moving from one application architecture to another. Now, Microsoft recommends modern SharePoint experiences because they provide better support for security, governance, mobile experiences, and ongoing Microsoft 365 innovation.
Read More: SharePoint Classic vs Modern: Benefits of the SP Intranet
Can You Simply Convert Classic Pages to Modern Pages?
Sometimes. But not always.
You do get classic page transformation guidance from Microsoft. At the same time, you can use PnP PowerShell for deterministic transformation scenarios.
A straightforward classic page may be relatively easy to transform. For example, here are some of the transformations that you need to manage.
Text -> Text Web Part
Images -> Image Web Part
Links -> Quick Links
Standard Web Parts -> Modern Web Parts
Basic Layout -> Modern Sections
The problem begins when the page contains years of custom development. This is where you will need support from professional SharePoint site design consultants.
What About Custom ASPX Pages?
Custom ASPX pages are a different story. If you have used SharePoint Designer or third-party solutions to create custom ASPX pages, those pages fall within the classic user-created page scope.
Therefore, a one-to-one conversion may not make sense.
So, we recommend that you look at the process, and try to replicate it, instead of the page itself.
For example, if you have a custom ASPX expense request page, you can combine the capabilities of Modern SharePoint, Power Apps, and Power Automate, and do the exact same thing.
What to Do About SharePoint Designer Customizations?
If your SharePoint environment still relies heavily on SharePoint Designer customizations, this announcement means that you should get a review.
Once done, we can leverage a host of different applications like
- Power Automate
- Power Apps
- SharePoint Lists
- Microsoft Graph
- SPFx
- Azure services
- Microsoft Teams
- Modern SharePoint
This helps you not only to replicate the functionality of the customization but also to simplify the environment.
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How SharePoint Modernization Can Improve Your Intranet?
A SharePoint modernization project is not just about meeting Microsoft’s deadline. It is also a great opportunity to solve problems that might have gathered over years. Here some of the ways in which modernization can improve your SharePoint intranet
Better mobile experience
Modern SharePoint experiences are designed for today’s Microsoft 365 environment, which delivers better accessibility and efficiency.
Better governance
You can standardize site creation, permissions, navigation, metadata, and lifecycle management.
Easier administration
Modern components generally reduce the dependency on fragile customizations.
Better foundation for AI
Modernizing content and information architecture can also improve your ability to use newer Microsoft Copilot and AI capabilities.
Discover More About Modern SharePoint Intranet
Explore our solutions for SharePoint intranet and discover how you can leverage the platform to its fullest potential.
How SharePoint Modernization Can Improve Your Intranet?
A modernization project is not just about meeting Microsoft’s deadline. It is also a great opportunity to solve problems that might have gathered over the years. Here some of the ways in which modernization can improve your SharePoint intranet
Better mobile experience
Modern SharePoint experiences are designed for today’s Microsoft 365 environment, which delivers better accessibility and efficiency.
Better governance
You can standardize site creation, permissions, navigation, metadata, and lifecycle management.
Easier administration
Modern components generally reduce the dependency on fragile customizations.
Better foundation for AI
Modernizing content and information architecture can also improve your ability to use newer Microsoft Copilot and AI capabilities.
How SharePoint Classic Content Affects Copilot?
If you are looking to adapt to AI capabilities, especially Microsoft SharePoint Copilot, then SharePoint Classic retirement might be a great place to start.
If your critical information is trapped inside poorly structured legacy pages, then even the best Copilot model will not give you the desired performance.
During SharePoint Modernization, you can review:
- Information architecture
- Metadata
- Permissions
- Content quality
- Searchability
- Ownership
- Lifecycle
- Duplicate information
When you do the assessment right, you know exactly what needs to be done to improve the performance of your Copilot.
SharePoint Classic Retirement: The Migration Process You Should Follow
At Evolvous, we recommend a structured six-stage approach.
Stage 1: Discover
Start by preparing an inventory of:
- Sites
- Pages
- Publishing features
- Web Parts
- Scripts
- ASPX pages
- SharePoint Designer customizations
- Third-party solutions
Stage 2: Classify
As said before, you will need to put every relevant asset into one of four categories:
- Retire
- Rebuild
- Transform
- Re-architect
Stage 3: Prioritize
Next you need to prioritize based on the following criteria
- Business important
- Usage
- Complexity
- Deadline
Stage 4: Design the Modern Experience
Now, we will work on designing the SharePoint experience. In most cases, this could involve:
- Modern SharePoint
- Communication sites
- Team sites
- Microsoft Lists
- Power Apps
- Power Automate
- SPFx
- Teams
- Microsoft Search
- Viva
- Microsoft 365 Copilot
Stage 5: Migrate the Pages
Now, it is time to transform or rebuild the content. Once that is done, we will have to test:
- Content
- Links
- Images
- Permissions
- Navigation
- Search
- Web Parts
- Forms
- Workflows
- Integrations
- Mobile experience
Stage 6: Governance
After modernization is properly executed, we will establish rules for:
- Site creation
- Ownership
- Permissions
- External sharing
- Content lifecycle
- Page publishing
- Retention
- Naming
- Metadata
- Archiving
What Should You Migrate First?
If you have a large SharePoint environment, start by the priority based on the business impact.
High priority
- Corporate intranet
- HR portal
- Compliance portal
- Operations portal
- Customer-facing SharePoint content
- Frequently edited publishing pages
- Business-critical custom applications
Medium priority
- Departmental portals
- Knowledge bases
- Project hubs
- Internal communications
Low priority
- Old announcements
- Archived content
- Duplicate pages
- Inactive departmental sites
Potentially retire
- Unused sites
- Duplicate content
- Abandoned project portals
- Historical content with no operational value
Read More: How to Modernize Your SharePoint Intranet?
Common SharePoint Modernization Mistakes You Should Avoid
Mistake 1: Waiting until 2028
October 2028 is not too far away when you have 2,000 pages, hundreds of sites and years of custom development to replicate
Mistake 2: Migrating everything
Not everything deserves to be migrated. In fact, it is efficient and will save you on costs if you decide to retire some content that you don’t use anymore.
Mistake 3: Thinking migration is just copy paste
When you are modernizing your SharePoint environment, it should improve information architecture as well.
Mistake 4: Ignoring custom scripts
A page can appear simple while depending on JavaScript or other customizations behind the scenes. So, don’t overlook custom scripts.
Mistake 5: Forgetting permissions
While modernizing the page, make sure that you don’t accidentally change who can access the underlying information as that can cause a serious governance problem.
How to Plan Your SharePoint Classic Retirement?
We recommend that you plan the transition in stages, and you start now.
STAGE 1: Now to March 2027
Assess and plan
Inventory your classic environment and identify high-value pages.
STAGE 2: March 1, 2027
Classic publishing creation changes begin
Make sure that new classic publishing sites are no longer created, and the classic publishing feature can’t be activated. New tenants created from this date will face additional classic pages and scripting restrictions.
STAGE 3: 2027–2028
Modernize in waves
Transform straightforward pages, rebuild complex ones and retire obsolete content.
STAGE 4: October 1, 2028
Existing classic user-created pages become read-only.
If a page needs to remain editable, make sure that you modernize this before this point.
Download the SharePoint Modernization Checklist
Know about the important questions you need to ask yourself before you modernize your SharePoint environment
How Evolvous Can Help in Your SharePoint Classic Retirement Journey?
At Evolvous, we don’t approach SharePoint modernization as a simple content migration. Our SharePoint migration consulting partners start by understanding what your SharePoint environment is doing for your business.
Our SharePoint modernization consulting solutions include:
SharePoint Assessment
We identify classic sites, pages, scripts, Web Parts and customization dependencies.
Content & Usage Analysis
We help determine what is actively used, what is business-critical and what can be retired.
Modern SharePoint Architecture
We design modern site structures, navigation, information architecture and governance.
Classic-to-Modern Transformation
We use supported Microsoft transformation approaches to move classic pages into modern SharePoint experiences.
Custom Development Modernization
For complex ASPX, JavaScript or legacy customizations, we develop the right transition solution based on SPFx, Power Platform, another Microsoft 365 service or retirement.
SharePoint Governance
We establish the policies and ownership model needed to prevent your modern SharePoint environment from becoming the next generation of legacy SharePoint.
Copilot & AI Readiness
We also assess whether your content structure, permissions and information architecture are ready for Microsoft 365 Copilot and other AI-driven experiences.
Discover More About SharePoint Custom Development
Explore More About our SharePoint Custom Development solutions and how they can effectively modernize your SharePoint environment before SharePoint classic retirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is Microsoft retiring SharePoint completely?
No. Microsoft is retiring specific classic publishing, classic user-created page and custom scripting capabilities in SharePoint Online. Modern SharePoint remains a core Microsoft 365 service.
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Will Microsoft delete my classic SharePoint pages?
No. Microsoft says existing classic page content will remain available for viewing. For existing tenants, affected classic user-created pages become read-only beginning October 1, 2028.
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Can I still use my existing classic SharePoint sites?
Yes. Existing classic sites remain available. However, organizations should assess whether their pages and customizations will remain maintainable as Microsoft applies to new restrictions.
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Do all classic SharePoint features become read-only in 2028?
No. The current read-only change specifically covers classic user-created pages such as wiki, Web Part, blog, publishing and custom ASPX pages. List and library views and list form pages are not currently included in the read-only scope, although embedded custom scripts are subject to scripting restrictions.
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Can I migrate classic SharePoint pages to modern SharePoint?
Yes, depending on the page. Microsoft provides page transformation guidance and supports modernization approaches using tools such as PnP PowerShell. Complex pages may require manual rebuilding or redesign.
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Do I need to rebuild my entire SharePoint environment?
No. A good modernization program should identify what to transform, rebuild, re-architect and retire. Many existing classic sites can be modernized in place rather than rebuilt from scratch.
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Is SharePoint Framework replacing custom scripts?
SPFx is one of the supported approaches for modern SharePoint extensibility. However, not every legacy customization should automatically be rebuilt with SPFx. The correct approach depends on what the customization does.
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Should I wait until 2028?
We do not recommend it. The deadline gives you time to plan. It isn’t a reason to postpone the assessment. Large SharePoint environments can contain thousands of pages, customizations and dependencies, so discovery should begin well before the read-only deadline.
