Rename a SharePoint site
A SharePoint site has two things you can rename. A site owner or designer changes the site name under Settings, Site information. A SharePoint Administrator changes the site address (URL) under Active sites in the SharePoint admin center, or with the Start-SPOSiteRename cmdlet. They are separate settings with separate steps.
This page covers both, which sites can have their address changed, what happens to links, sync and Teams afterward, and how to undo a change.
Change the site name
You need owner or designer permissions on the site. If Site information is missing from the Settings menu, you probably do not have that permission, and the site owner can make the change or grant it.
- Select Settings, then Site information.
- Update the Site name, which is required, and the Site description if you want to.
- Select Save.
Site information is also where the hub site association is set, and where the privacy setting is changed for team sites. For a team site that Microsoft Teams created, the description and classification are edited in the channel's settings in Teams.
Change the site address
Only the address segment of the URL changes, for example https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/project-x to https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/project-y. A site cannot be moved from /sites to /teams.
Site types you can change: Microsoft 365 group-connected team sites, modern team sites that do not belong to a group, communication sites and classic team sites.
Not supported: sites where the Publishing feature is or was ever active, sites with more than 15 million documents, hub sites, sites that are locked or on hold, Project Web App sites and sites with BCS connections. Lock states explains how a locked site is set and cleared.
How long it takes: about 10 minutes, depending on the size of the site, and the site is read-only while it runs. Choose a quiet time. You can change up to 100 site addresses at a time.
In the SharePoint admin center
- Go to Active sites in the SharePoint admin center.
- Select the site name to open the details panel.
- On the General tab, under Site address, select Edit.
- Enter the new address and select Save.
With PowerShell
Connect to SharePoint Online as at least a SharePoint Administrator, then check that the change is possible before you run it:
Start-SPOSiteRename -Identity https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/project-x -NewSiteUrl https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/project-y -ValidationOnly
Start-SPOSiteRename -Identity https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/project-x -NewSiteUrl https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/project-y
Microsoft's page notes a known issue from the retirement of BCS that affects address changes. If you meet it, run the cmdlet with the -SuppressBcsCheck parameter.
What happens after an address change
When the change starts, SharePoint creates a redirect at the old address. To reuse the old address later, you delete that redirect first.
| Area | Effect |
|---|---|
| Permissions and sharing | People with access keep it, and sharing links redirect to the new URL |
| Favorites and links | Users are redirected to the new URL |
| OneDrive sync | The sync app detects the new URL and transfers syncing without signing in again, on version 17.3.6943.0625 or later |
| Teams files | Files are available in Teams afterward, and uploads and the Files app page work after a user visits a channel's Files tab |
| Hub sites | A site associated with a hub must be reassociated |
| Web parts and pages | Embedded URLs in web parts, including news thumbnails, are not updated and may need fixing |
| Recent lists in Office apps | Word, Excel and PowerPoint show the new URL |
| Recycle bin | Files can be restored within the usual deletion timeframe |
| Microsoft 365 group | The group email address is not renamed, and the group name changes only if the site name is updated during the rename |
| Apps, workflows and custom code | Apps that refer to the URL may need republishing, SharePoint 2013 workflows must be republished and custom solutions may need fixing |
| Microsoft Forms | File upload questions in forms on a group-connected site break and need to be recreated |
| Power Apps custom forms | Recreate the custom form |
| OneNote | Notebooks open during the change show a sync error, then sync to the new URL on current app versions |
Tell users before you change it
Microsoft suggests telling site users the planned date and the new URL, asking them to close their files and not edit during the change, asking them to check the site recycle bin for anything they want to keep, and letting them know that file permissions and sharing stay the same.
Undo an address change
Microsoft recommends not renaming the site a second time. Return it to the original address instead: delete the redirect from the old address to the new one with Remove-SPOSite, start a new address change from the new address back to the old one, then delete the redirect from the new address to the old one.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change the name of a SharePoint site?
Select Settings, then Site information, update the Site name and select Save. You need owner or designer permissions.
How do I change the URL of a SharePoint site?
A SharePoint Administrator selects the site under Active sites in the SharePoint admin center, then under Site address on the General tab selects Edit, enters the new address and saves. PowerShell offers the same with Start-SPOSiteRename.
Will old links to the site still work?
Yes. SharePoint creates a redirect at the previous address, and sharing links redirect to the new URL.
How long does it take to change a site address?
About 10 minutes, depending on the size of the site, and the site is read-only while it runs.
Can I change the address of a hub site?
No. Microsoft's page lists hub sites among the sites whose address cannot be changed, along with locked sites and sites on hold.
Can I change a team site's URL?
Yes, for Microsoft 365 group-connected team sites and for modern team sites without a group. The group email address is not renamed.
Why can't I change a site address?
The site may use the Publishing feature, have more than 15 million documents, be a hub site, be locked or on hold, be a Project Web App site or have BCS connections.
Related reading
- How to create a SharePoint site - team or communication site, templates and address rules.
- SharePoint hub sites - reassociate a renamed site and keep its navigation.
- SharePoint site lock states - ReadOnly, NoAccess and Unlock.
- How to delete a SharePoint site - the 93-day window and what deletion does to storage.
- OneDrive sync issues with SharePoint libraries - fixes if a synced library misbehaves after a change.
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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