How to create a SharePoint site
To create a SharePoint site, select + Create site on the SharePoint start page, choose Team site or Communication site, pick a template, enter a name and select Create site. Microsoft states that a modern SharePoint site is created and ready for use in seconds. A team site also comes with a Microsoft 365 group.
This page covers which type to choose, the steps, the templates, the rules for the site address, and what to check when the option is not available to you.
Team site or communication site
The choice decides who the site is built for.
| Team site | Communication site | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Collaborating with a team | Reaching a broader audience, from dozens to thousands of viewers |
| Typical uses | Team projects, team news, a shared calendar and managed tasks | Portals, department or project sites, company news and events |
| How to tell them apart | A Microsoft Teams channel icon beside the title, and the site shows whether it is public or private | Neither of those |
A corresponding Microsoft 365 group is created with every team site.
Microsoft's advice is simple: if you need a site for collaborating with your team, use a team site, and if you want to broadcast information to a large audience, use a communication site.
Steps to create a site
- Open the SharePoint start page and select + Create site. In the SharePoint app bar you can also select Build and then the Site card.
- Choose Team site or Communication site.
- Select the template you want. Review its details and preview first, then select Use template.
- Enter the site name.
- Optionally enter a description, and edit the site address and, for a team site, the group email address.
- If prompted, choose the privacy settings or sensitivity label for the site, and select the default language.
- Select Create site.
- Add owners and members if you want to, then select Finish.
Templates
| Site type | Template | What Microsoft says it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Team site | Standard team | The general-purpose team site |
| Communication site | Standard communication | Sharing news, events and other content. It is the default, with Hero, News, Events and Documents web parts you can customize |
| Communication site | Showcase | Using photos or images to showcase a product, team or event, with a Hero web part in Tile or Layer layouts and an Image gallery |
| Communication site | Blank | Creating your own design, with no web parts to start |
To browse other templates for a communication site, select Settings and then Site templates.
Rules for the site address
The only symbols allowed in a site address are underscores, dashes, single quotes and periods, and an address cannot start or end with a period. If the address needs to change later, a SharePoint Administrator can do it; how to rename a SharePoint site covers the name and the address.
If Create site is missing
By default, users can create communication sites and Microsoft 365 group-connected team sites, and an administrator controls this. If the option is missing or greyed out for you, self-service site creation may be turned off for your organization, and the person who administers Microsoft 365 can create the site for you.
A SharePoint Administrator controls it under Settings, then Site creation:
- Users can create SharePoint sites allows users to create sites from SharePoint, OneDrive, PnP PowerShell and the REST API.
- Show the options to create a site in SharePoint and create a shared library from OneDrive controls whether those options appear.
- The /sites or /teams choice sets the path for Microsoft 365 group-connected team sites, along with the default time zone and storage limit for new sites.
Turning site creation off does not stop people creating Microsoft 365 groups or resources that rely on a group, such as a team in Microsoft Teams. Every group comes with a team site, so a site is still created when a group is.
Sites and subsites
A subsite sits inside another site. Microsoft recommends hub sites instead of subsites for grouping related content, and administrators can allow or hide subsite creation in the classic settings. Subsites cannot be created in OneDrive. SharePoint hub sites explains how a hub connects separate sites with shared navigation.
After you create the site
- Connect it to a hub so it shares navigation and roll-up with related sites: SharePoint hub sites.
- Set who can do what: SharePoint RBAC explained covers roles and permission levels.
- Know the limits: SharePoint Online limits lists the numbers that apply to sites, libraries and files.
- Plan its end: lock a site to freeze it, or delete a site when it is finished.
By default, SharePoint storage sits in a central pool that every site draws from. When the pool runs short, the free SharePoint Storage Explorer reports storage by site, library and file, so you can see which sites hold the data, and Squirrel archives the inactive files out of those sites into Azure Blob Storage in your own subscription.
Frequently asked questions
How do I create a SharePoint site?
Select + Create site on the SharePoint start page, choose Team site or Communication site, pick a template, enter a name and select Create site.
What is the difference between a team site and a communication site?
A team site is for collaborating with a team and comes with a Microsoft 365 group. A communication site is for sharing news and information with a broad audience.
Who can create a SharePoint site?
By default, users can create communication sites and Microsoft 365 group-connected team sites. A SharePoint Administrator can change that under Settings, Site creation.
How long does it take to create a SharePoint site?
Microsoft states that a modern SharePoint site is created and ready for use in seconds.
Does creating a team site create a Microsoft 365 group?
Yes. A corresponding Microsoft 365 group is created with every team site.
Why can't I create a SharePoint site?
Self-service site creation may be turned off for your organization. Ask the person who administers Microsoft 365 to create the site or to allow users to create sites.
Can I create a subsite?
Administrators can allow or hide subsite creation, and subsites cannot be created in OneDrive. Microsoft recommends hub sites instead of subsites.
Can I change the site address later?
Yes. A SharePoint Administrator can change it in the SharePoint admin center or with PowerShell. See how to rename a SharePoint site.
Related reading
- SharePoint hub sites - connect related sites with shared navigation and search.
- How to rename a SharePoint site - change the name or the address.
- SharePoint vs OneDrive vs Teams - where files live in each.
- What a SharePoint site collection is - the unit each site is created as.
- How to delete a SharePoint site - the steps and the 93-day window.
- How to create a SharePoint list - blank, Excel, CSV or template.
- How to create and edit a SharePoint page - publish, promote and unpublish.
- SharePoint permission levels - Full Control to View Only.
Mark Smith co-founded SmiKar Software in 2015 and has spent the past decade helping organisations solve Microsoft 365 data management challenges. He works with the SmiKar team to build solutions for SharePoint archiving, storage optimisation, governance and compliance, supporting customers from growing businesses through to Fortune 500 enterprises.
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