How to Get All Deleted Sites in SharePoint Online

Have you ever wondered what happens when a SharePoint site is deleted? It might seem like a simple action, but there’s more to it. When you delete a SharePoint site, it goes to the recycle bin for 93 days before it’s permanently deleted. During this time, you can restore the site or delete it permanently. Here’s a simple breakdown of what happens when a SharePoint site is deleted.

SharePoint uses a two-stage Recycle Bin to manage deleted site content like folders, files, folders, and documents.

The total lifespan of deleted files in the SharePoint site is 93 days across both recycle bins. For example, if a file is deleted from the first stage Recycle Bin on day 40, it will be transferred to the second stage Recycle Bin and kept for the remaining 53 days of the total 93-day retention period.

When you encounter storage issues in SharePoint Online, the most effective solution is to identify and delete unnecessary or inactive SharePoint sites within your organization. Deleting inactive sites also reduce the risk of compliance issues related to outdated or unnecessary data.

You need to have global admin or SharePoint admin permission to delete a SharePoint site using the admin center.

• Go to the Active sites page in the SharePoint admin center.
• Select the site you want to remove and click Delete.
• Click Delete again on the confirmation page to remove the SharePoint site.

How to delete multiple SharePoint Sites in bulk

Select all the desired sites you want to delete from the Active Sites page. Click the Delete option in the Bulk Edit dropdown at the top. Hit Delete to confirm the action.

Note: When you select Microsoft 365 group-connected team sites for bulk deletion, a confirmation prompt will appear. Select the Delete group-connected team sites and all their resources checkbox and click Delete.

Note: The above method only applies to deleting SharePoint site collections. To delete a subsite, a different method is needed.

Accidental or intentional deletion of SharePoint sites can result in important data loss and cause delays in ongoing projects. Whether due to administrative errors, project changes, or organizational shifts, swift recovery of the site is essential to minimize downtime and workflow disruptions. Here are some methods to restore a deleted SharePoint site from the Recycle bin.

• Sign in to the SharePoint admin center and navigate to Sites»Deleted sites.
• Select the SharePoint site you want to restore, and then click the Restore option at the top.
• Click Restore again in the dialog prompt to complete the restoration.

Connect to the SharePoint Online PowerShell Module. Then execute the following cmdlet to restore the SharePoint site from the recycle bin.

Restore-SPODeletedSite  -Identity <SiteURL>
#Replace <SiteURL> with the URL of the deleted site

Restore deleted SharePoint Online sites in bulk

Restoring multiple SharePoint sites individually can be a time-consuming task. To streamline the process, you can restore multiple SharePoint sites in bulk using PowerShell.

To accomplish this, create a CSV file with the list of the SPO site's URL that needs to be restored.

Once the CSV file is created, execute the following cmdlet to restore all deleted SharePoint Online sites from the list.

Import-Csv <FilePath> | ForEach-Object {Restore-SPODeletedSite -Identity $_.SPOsiteURL}
#Replace the <FilePath> with the actual path to your CSV file containing the site URLs.

Permanent deletion of SharePoint sites may be necessary when they are no longer needed or when a fresh site must be created using an existing URL. This process helps streamline your environment, eliminate unused sites, and create a clutter-free space. Follow the steps below to remove the SPO site from the recycle bin.

• Navigate to the Deleted sites page in the SharePoint admin center
• Select the site you want to delete and click Permanently delete on the toolbar.
• Click Delete on the dialog box “Permanently delete site” to confirm the process.

Note: You can’t permanently delete the SharePoint site associated with a Microsoft 365 group using the admin center.

Make sure to connect to the SharePoint Online Management Shell and execute the following cmdlet to permanently delete a site that has already been deleted.

Remove-SPODeletedSite -Identity <SiteURL>
#Replace <SiteURL> with the actual URL of the site you want to permanently delete.