Intranet Migration Checklist: Plan Your Move to SharePoint
A practical checklist for migrating your intranet to SharePoint: content audit, planning, execution, and post-migration steps.
Introduction
Migrating an intranet—whether from SharePoint on-premises, a legacy platform, or another vendor—requires planning. This checklist helps you prepare, execute, and validate your migration to modern SharePoint.
Phase 1: Discovery and Audit
- Inventory existing content – List all sites, pages, libraries, and key URLs.
- Identify content owners – Who is responsible for each area?
- Classify content – What must be migrated? What can be archived or deleted?
- Document customizations – Custom code, web parts, integrations.
- Assess permissions – Map current permissions to the new structure.
Phase 2: Planning
- Define target architecture – Hub sites, communication sites, library structure.
- Create a migration plan – Phased approach, priorities, timeline.
- Choose migration tools – SharePoint Migration Tool, third-party tools, or manual.
- Plan for redirects – Old URLs to new URLs to preserve links and bookmarks.
- Define governance – Who owns what after migration?
Phase 3: Pre-Migration
- Set up target environment – Create hub sites, site structure, and libraries.
- Configure metadata and content types – Align with new structure.
- Test migration – Run a pilot with a subset of content.
- Communicate to users – Announce timeline, changes, and training.
Phase 4: Migration Execution
- Migrate content – Execute migration in phases.
- Verify content – Check that documents, pages, and metadata transferred correctly.
- Update links – Fix internal links and redirects.
- Validate permissions – Ensure access is correct.
Phase 5: Post-Migration
- User acceptance testing – Have key users validate the new intranet.
- Training – Train content owners and end users.
- Monitor and fix – Address broken links, missing content, and feedback.
- Decommission old system – After a transition period, retire the legacy platform.
Common Migration Scenarios
| From | Considerations |
|---|---|
| SharePoint on-premises | Use SharePoint Migration Tool; plan for classic-to-modern page conversion. |
| SharePoint 2013/2016/2019 | Similar to on-prem; check custom solutions and third-party add-ins. |
| Confluence, Igloo, etc. | May need custom scripts or third-party migration tools. |
| File shares | Map folders to libraries; add metadata during or after migration. |
Conclusion
A structured checklist reduces risk and keeps the migration on track. For complex migrations, working with an experienced partner can save time and avoid costly mistakes.
Need help with your SharePoint migration? Contact us for a free consultation.