How can I archive inactive SharePoint sites?
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In SharePoint environments, inactive sites occupy valuable storage space. However, simply deleting these sites isn't always an option, especially if they contain important data.
Archiving inactive SharePoint sites allows you to free up storage while preserving essential information for future reference. Microsoft 365 Archive offers a cold storage tier that securely retains inactive sites within SharePoint at a cost-effective rate, aligning with the dataâs lifecycle stage.
- Navigate to the Active sites page on the SharePoint admin center.
- On the list, select the site you want to archive and click Archive.
- Click "Archive" again in the confirmation prompt.
Your archived site will appear on the âArchived sitesâ page on the SharePoint admin center.
Note: Before archiving an inactive site, you need to enable Microsoft 365 Archive from the Microsoft 365 admin center.
To run the cmdlet below, you need to be the SharePoint administrator or Global administrator. You also have to be the site collection admin for the specific site you want to archive.
- Connect to SharePoint Online using the below command.
- Run the following cmdlet to archive a site.
Set-SPOSiteArchiveState <SiteURL> -ArchiveState Archived
- To reactivate the archived site, you can use the cmdlet below.
Set-SPOSiteArchiveState <SiteURL> -ArchiveState Active
Archiving an inactive SharePoint site allows you to preserve its content and structure while making it read-only. This process is beneficial for retaining valuable data or complying with data retention policies without completely removing the site.
However, for sites that are outdated or no longer needed, deleting them might be a preferable option. Deleting removes the site and all its data permanently, which can help free up significant storage space and reduce administrative overhead. This ensures that only relevant and active sites remain, reducing clutter in the SharePoint environment and optimizing performance.
By carefully considering your organization's needs, you can effectively manage inactive sites through archiving or deletion to optimize storage and ensure compliance.