Classic SharePoint pages are changing. Plan the move now

From 1 March 2027, new classic publishing sites cannot be created and classic publishing features cannot be turned on, for all tenants. From 1 October 2028, classic user-created pages in remaining existing tenants become read-only and custom script restrictions extend to those tenants. Tenants created on or after 1 March 2027 get the page and script restrictions from the start.

No. Microsoft does not say that classic sites or content will be deleted by these changes. Affected pages stay viewable, but they can no longer be edited once the phase that applies to you begins.

Microsoft lists five: wiki pages, web part pages, blog pages, publishing pages and custom ASPX pages, including those made in SharePoint Designer or with third-party tools.

Microsoft says list views, library views and list form pages are not made read-only at this time. Custom scripts inside them are still covered by the script restrictions, and Microsoft may address other classic features separately.

Not necessarily. Some pages can be transformed to modern pages in place. Classic publishing portals and heavily customised pages often need a new modern design, which we confirm in the assessment.

Microsoft and the PnP community provide transformation tools that work well for suitable pages. They do not promise a perfect result for every page, so we test each pattern on sample pages first and check the output.

After Phase 2, adding or updating custom scripts is disabled by default for remaining existing tenants. We replace script based behaviour with supported modern web parts or SharePoint Framework solutions, or retire it if nobody needs it.

We build an inventory of classic pages, page types, scripts, owners and activity, using Microsoft tools such as the Microsoft 365 Assessment Tool and Purview audit data where your tenant has it. Your administrator approves the access. Audit data only covers a limited period, so a page with no recorded activity is not proof that nobody uses it.

It depends on how many pages you have, how customised they are and how many owners must decide. We start with a free first call, then scope and price an assessment. The assessment gives you a plan, a priority order and an indicative effort for the rest.

These Microsoft changes are for SharePoint Online. If you are on SharePoint Server, you may be planning a move to SharePoint Online or an upgrade to Subscription Edition, and classic pages are one of the things to deal with during that move.

Microsoft lists the affected cloud environments in its published guidance. Check your own Message Center notices for the dates and scope that apply to your tenant, especially if you are on a government cloud. We can help you read them.

Your Microsoft 365 administrator for access and permissions, the owners of important sites for decisions, and a few business users to test. We run the inventory and the technical work, and keep a log of each decision.