How to Delete a SharePoint Site Accurately?

Read time: 6 minutes

Numerous business entities leverage SharePoint Sites for the efficient storage, organization, and retrieval of information. This fosters a streamlined data exchange, promoting collaboration among team members. The simplicity and speed of creating SharePoint Sites often lead to their excessive use. Accumulating multiple dormant Sites can result in disorder and bewilderment. Thus, it is advisable to eliminate such Sites to uphold effective information management.

In addition, at times, Site Owners also prefer to delete a Site once the project related to it is over and the data is no more required. But the big question which might be coming to your mind is, ‘How do I delete a SharePoint Site?’. The complexity of SharePoint Sites often gives rise to common uncertainties. Nevertheless, the procedure for deleting a Site is straightforward, with slight variations depending on whether you hold the Admin or Owner role. This article delves further into the process of removing a Site in SharePoint.

Important factors before deleting a Site-

Removing any item constitutes a significant action, and in this context, we will explore the process of deleting a SharePoint Site, the repository for all documents. Prior to initiating this action, it is imperative to carefully evaluate the following factors. Only after thorough consideration should you proceed with the deletion process:

• Removal of all content:
  When you remove a Site, it erases all its contents, such as document libraries, files, subsites, lists, and other associated content.
• Deletion only by Site Owner or Admin:
  Site deletion can only be carried out by individuals holding the roles of Site Owner, Global Administrator, or SharePoint Administrator. Moreover, possessing the Site Admin role is a prerequisite for deleting a communication site.
• Delete the Subsite first:
  If there are Subsites within the Site, it is necessary to delete the Subsites prior to attempting to delete the Site. Failure to do so will result in the display of an error message, which will prevent the deletion of the Site. The error message will state: “Deletion of Sites with subsites or certain apps is not possible. Please try again after removing all subsites and uninstalling the apps.”
• Check Site usage:
  Prior to removing the Site, it is imperative to ensure with absolute certainty that no user is actively utilizing it. You must check SharePoint usage report to ensure it is inactive. Also, go through the last activity and page visits columns in the Active Sites section in the SharePoint admin center.
• Migrate all essential data beforehand:
  Once you’ve deleted a SharePoint Site, there’s no turning back. You must migrate all essential data to another SharePoint instance. You can rely on the Kernel Migration for SharePoint to transfer the whole or selective data between SharePoint versions accurately and securely. It supports migrating Sites, Lists, Teams, metadata, and more.
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• Restore the deleted Site:
  Even after deletion, you can restore deleted SharePoint Sites only if they lie under the retention period. The duration for which a Site is retained varies based on its type. Modern Sites are kept for 30 days before being permanently deleted, whereas Classic Sites are retained for 93 days before they are permanently removed.

SharePoint offers several methods for deleting a site, including PowerShell, Site Settings, and the admin center. The latter two options are user-friendly and suitable for novice users to easily manage site deletion.
Also, now there are Classic and Modern Sites in SharePoint. Classic Sites are standalone and can be deleted only by a Site Owner, while Modern Sites are Microsoft 365 Groups managed by their Admins.

Deleting a Modern or Classic Site individually is a privilege reserved for the Site Owner. Although the methods may vary slightly, you can easily delete the Site by following the specific steps.

1. Delete a Modern SharePoint Site:
   • Open the required SharePoint Site.
   • Click the Settings gear icon on the top right and select Site information.
   • Click on Delete Site.

   Note: If the Delete Site option doesn’t appear, you are not the Site Owner.

   • Tick the ‘Yes, delete this group and all its associated resources’ option and select Delete.
2. Delete a Classic SharePoint Site:
   • Open the SharePoint Site.
   • Click on the Settings icon and select Site settings.
   • Under the Site Actions section, select Delete this Site.
   • A deletion warning will appear. Click on Delete and OK.

In the SharePoint admin center, a Global or SharePoint Administrator has the authority to delete one or more sites. To remove sites using the admin center, follow these steps:

• Launch the SharePoint admin center.
• Click on the Sites tab and then choose Active Sites from the expanded options.

Choose the Site, then select the Delete option. Once more, click Delete to confirm the action.

Highlight the necessary Sites, go to the top bar, and opt for Bulk edit. From there, choose Delete. When the confirmation message pops up, confirm the deletion.

After removing a Modern SharePoint Site, it heads straight to the Recycle Bin, where it lingers for 30 days. During this period, you have the option to eliminate the site from the bin, resulting in its permanent deletion.
Steps to delete a Modern SharePoint Site permanently:

1. Open the SharePoint admin center.
2. Expand Sites and click on Deleted Sites.
3. Select the deleted Site and click on the Permanently delete option.

Note: Once you delete the site, it’s gone for good—there’s no way to recover its data afterward.

Conclusion

Deleting a SharePoint Site is a straightforward process, but the steps differ based on your role as either a Site Owner or Administrator. If you’re an Owner, you can delete a Classic or Modern Site individually through the Site Settings option. On the other hand, administrators have the capability to delete one or multiple Modern Sites from the admin center. Before proceeding with the deletion, it’s crucial to carefully examine specific factors. It is suggested to migrate SharePoint documents, at least the vital ones, to a different SharePoint account using a reliable, professional utility like Kernel Migration for SharePoint.