SharePoint doesn’t offer a native merge feature, but I successfully merged two sites by moving content manually. Here, I’ll explain what worked for me and how to merge two SharePoint sites simultaneously with tested solutions.
Table of Contents
Why I Needed to Merge SharePoint Sites
In my case, we had two different SharePoint team sites, one for Marketing and another for Sales, that shared overlapping documents.
Honestly, maintaining them separately led to duplicate files, miscommunication, and permission confusion. That’s why, as a SharePoint admin, I decided to merge sites in SharePoint to resolve this issue to help my team.
What You Need to Know Before You Begin
Here are a few facts that you have to accept:
- There’s no built-in Merge button in SharePoint Online.
- You’ll need to choose a primary/destination site to move everything into.
- Permissions, metadata, and customisations do not carry over automatically until you opt for a professional tool to merge SharePoint sites.
- Careful planning is critical to avoid data loss or a SharePoint communication site won’t allow access type of issue.
Prerequisites to Merge Two SharePoint Sites Smoothly
Merging SharePoint sites can become a complex task if not planned properly. So, it is necessary to follow this checklist before moving to the task:
- Identify the destination site
- Audit content on both sites to remove irrelevant or duplicate files
- Backup SharePoint Online to local storage for both sites
- Review custom lists, libraries, and web parts for compatibility
- Get approval from stakeholders and informed team members
How to Merge SharePoint Sites – Top 4 Methods
As we discussed that there is no native tool or option provided by SharePoint to merge two SharePoint sites. But do you know the reasons behind it, and curious to know why?
Then, here are the reasons behind it:
- Different site templates serve different purposes.
- Metadata and structure vary between sites.
- Conflicts in permissions and access control.
- Merging risks breaking custom configurations.
- No built-in conflict resolution logic exists.
- Potential data loss or exposure during auto-merging.
So, because of these reasons, SharePoint doesn’t support or encourage merging sites. Still, sometimes, we need to consolidate.
That’s why I researched and found four appropriate methods to merge sites in SharePoint in one go:
#1. Manual Copy via SharePoint UI
In SharePoint, you might see the “Copy to” option, but will you use it? If not, then this is the right time to leverage it to merge two SharePoint sites. You just need to select the site and click on the Copy to option to move the site content to the destination site.
Here are the detailed steps:
- Open the library in the source site.
- Select all documents/folders
- Click Copy to.
- Now, choose the Destination site > Desired Document Library
- Confirm the copy.
Now, you can access both site content through one centralised site.
Note: “Copy to” option only moves site content, not permission, metadata, or webparts.
#2. Use SPMT to Merge Two SharePoint Sites
If you are using SharePoint 2019 or previous, then SPMT, an official tool offered by Microsoft, will help to merge SharePoint sites.
The steps are as follows:
- Download and install SPMT
- Select File Share as the source
- Choose the source folder (sync SharePoint Document Library to local folder if needed)
- Set the destination as the document library in the other site
- Configure options to retain metadata and permissions, then run the migration.
This tool only works with SharePoint on-premises. Additionally, it retains metadata and permission. But, it is not recommended for large data merging as it takes more time, and I experienced it getting stuck at many points of migration.
#3. Merge SharePoint Sites Via PowerShell
PowerShell is an automatic solution which helps users to merge two SharePoint sites by running these commands:
# Export site components
Connect-PnPOnline -Url "https://source.sharepoint.com/sites/sourcesite" -Interactive
Get-PnPProvisioningTemplate -Out "site-template.xml"
# Apply to the destination site
Connect-PnPOnline -Url "https://destination.sharepoint.com/sites/destinationsite" -Interactive Apply-PnPProvisioningTemplate -Path "site-template.xml"
#Export Web Parts
Get-PnPClientSidePage -Identity "Home.aspx" | Save-PnPClientSidePage -Out "homepage.aspx"
Then applied them to the destination site.
After running these cmdlets, go to the target site and ensure all the data is moved properly:
- Lists and libraries
- Site pages
- Site columns and content types
Note: It won’t copy actual documents. For the same, you’ll still need advanced software.
#4. Merge Two SharePoint Sites using a Cutting-edge Solution
If you need an automated way to consolidate lists, libraries, and other site content between SharePoint Online sites? Then, give a chance to the SharePoint Online Migration Tool. It’s a paid solution, but it simplifies complex migrations significantly.
Why I considered this:
- Handles documents, lists, libraries, and permissions
- Offers options to filter by date, user, or file type
- No need for local file sync like SPMT
- Supports SharePoint online tenant to tenant migration simultaneously
- Preserves metadata like created/modified date, version history, etc.
- Offers a clear UI to map source and destination elements
- Allows bulk operations across multiple sites or libraries
- Real-time progress and detailed logs for monitoring
Follow the Instructions to Merge SharePoint Sites
- Step 1. Open the specified software, and select the Microsoft 365 option for both the source and destination sites.
- Step 2. Mark the Sites option to merge two SharePoint sites, and use the Date Filter option if needed.
- Step 3. Enter the admin credentials and validate them. Do the same in the target platform.
- Step 4. Now, fetch the users, and click Next.
- Step 5. Hit the Start Migration button.
So, within five quick steps, you easily merge multiple SharePoint sites in one go.
Post-Merge Steps
Once the merge two SharePoint sites is done, don’t relax. Still, some points you have to verify:
- Can users find what they need?
- Do version histories exist?
- Are links and navigation working?
- Are custom workflows or automations still functional?
When Not to Merge SharePoint Sites
Merging sites can sometimes create issues, and we have to avoid them when:
- Both sites have drastically different purposes
- You want to keep audit trails and compliance logs separate
- Teams prefer independent workspaces
Author’s Verdict
Merging two SharePoint sites isn’t a native feature, but it’s achievable with the right tools. In the above discussion, I explained all the practical and possible solutions to merge two SharePoint sites effortlessly.
People Also Ask
Q1. Can you merge SharePoint sites directly?
No, there’s no native merge function. You have to migrate content manually or via tools.
Q2. Will I lose version history during a merge?
Only if you copy manually. Tools like SPMT can preserve version history.
Q3. Can I merge SharePoint communication sites and team sites?
Yes, but consider the purpose. Communication sites are best for broadcast, not collaboration.
Q4. What about site URLs after the merge?
URLs won’t change unless you redirect SharePoint Site to New URL.
Q5. Can I automate the merge two SharePoint sites with Power Automate?
Power Automate can help move files or trigger flows, but not full-scale site merging.