How to Create a SharePoint Site in Teams [Quick & Easy Steps]

Why waste time creating sites separately in SharePoint when you can do it directly within Teams? In this write-up, I’ll educate you on how to create a SharePoint site in Teams to simplify collaboration, save time, and manage files more efficiently.

A Teams‑connected SharePoint site is the online storage and file management system automatically created when you set up a Microsoft Team or private channel. It’s where all your Teams files are stored and managed. For creating a SharePoint site in Teams, go to Teams > Join or Create a Team > Create Team > Fill Details > General > More Options (⋯) > Open in SharePoint, then customize or use the default in SharePoint.

Integration of SharePoint and Microsoft Teams

Here’s what I’ve learned while using Teams: every Microsoft Team you create is automatically connected to a SharePoint site. This integration happens through Microsoft 365 groups in Microsoft Entra ID/Azure AD. All the files you work with in Teams are stored in SharePoint behind the scenes.

Here’s how it works based on my experience:

• When I create a new team in Microsoft Teams, it automatically generates a SharePoint site connected to that team.
• If I build a team based on an existing Microsoft 365 Group, that team connects to the existing SharePoint site.
• Whenever I create a private channel in Teams, a separate SharePoint site is created to ensure privacy and separate file storage.

This automatic connection is one of the reasons I prefer setting up SharePoint directly through Teams to cut down the manual work.

Why Create a SharePoint Site in Teams?

Before jumping into the steps, let me explain why this matters:

• Every Team has a SharePoint site backing it.
• SharePoint follows Teams membership automatically.
• SharePoint document libraries, lists, calendars, and pages can be accessed directly in Teams.
• You can extend the basic document library with metadata, workflows, and even Power Apps.

This combo is powerful if you’re managing collaboration for a department or project team.

How to Create a SharePoint Site in Teams?

The steps to create a SharePoint site through the admin center are as follows:

Step 1: Create a Team in Microsoft Teams

• Step 1. Open the Microsoft Teams application.
• Step 2. Find the Teams icon and then open it.
• Step 3. Now, hit the join or create a team from the MS application.
• Step 4. Click on the Create Team button from the home page.
• Step 5. Choose:
  • From scratch, or
  • From an existing Microsoft 365 group or Team.
  • Enter the team name and description, choose privacy Public or Private, and click Create.
• Step 6. From the new pop-up, choose the type of team.
• Step 7. Start adding the people to the MS Team. You can also skip this step if you aren’t sure who to add.
• Step 8. Now, from the New Team general section, hit the 3 dots.
• Step 9. Choose the option of “Open in SharePoint”.
• Step 14. As you start it opening in SharePoint, you will see a pop-up of “start designing your site”.
• Step 15. You can skip or design your site. Now, you have successfully create a SharePoint site in Teams.

So, without even touching SharePoint directly, I’ve already created a SharePoint site just by setting up the Team.

Step 2: Access the Linked SharePoint Site

Once I’ve created the SharePoint site in Teams, here’s how I access it:

1. Go to the Files tab in any channel (usually “General”).
2. Click on Open in SharePoint at the top.
3. This opens the SharePoint document library tied to that Team. From here, I can:

• Add document folders
• Use versioning
• Enable approval flows
• Add lists and libraries

Alternative: Add an Existing SharePoint Site to Teams

If you already have a SharePoint site that wasn’t created via Teams, no worries. I’ve added these sites as tabs in Teams before. Here’s how:

1. Open the Teams channel to add it.
2. Click the + (plus) icon to add a new tab.
3. Choose SharePoint.
4. Select the site from the list or paste the URL manually.
5. Pick the page, document library, or list you want to display.

This method won’t link the site to the Microsoft 365 Group, but it’s perfect for giving team members quick access to existing resources.

Settings of Teams-Connected SharePoint Sites

One thing I always remind people: SharePoint sites connected to Teams have limited customisation options.

Here’s what I’ve observed:

• I learned from Microsoft’s Teams file storage guide that the permissions for the SharePoint site are controlled through Teams, not through SharePoint itself.
• If I try to adjust permissions in SharePoint, I see a read-only view; the actual control happens within Teams.
• Customisation of the SharePoint interface is possible to an extent, like adding libraries or editing pages, but permissions and membership are still governed by Teams.

If you know how to change SharePoint site from private to public, that’s helpful, but for Teams-connected sites, most of the control stays inside Microsoft Teams.

Author’s Verdict

I hope this guide helped you understand exactly how to create a SharePoint site in Teams. This is the exact process I use myself to save time and streamline collaboration between my Teams channels and SharePoint.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I create a SharePoint site using Microsoft Teams?

Yes! You can do this regularly by creating a team in Teams and then opening it in SharePoint to customise it.

• How do I access the SharePoint site from Teams?

I usually open Teams, then the team’s General channel, click the three dots, and choose Open in SharePoint.

• Does a private channel in Teams have its own SharePoint site?

Absolutely. Whenever you create a private channel, Teams generates a separate SharePoint site to ensure privacy.

• Can I manage SharePoint site permissions for Teams-connected sites?

Not fully. I’ve found that permissions are primarily handled via Teams. SharePoint only shows those permissions but doesn’t let me change them directly.

• Can I customise the SharePoint site created through Teams?

Yes, I’ve customised document libraries, added pages, and even changed layouts, but some customisation features are limited compared to standalone SharePoint sites.