How to Permanently Delete SharePoint Site

If you’re managing SharePoint and need to remove an unused or duplicate site, knowing how to permanently delete SharePoint site simultaneously and automatically saves time.

There are three main types of SharePoint Online sites, each has a slightly different deletion method:

Team Sites
Communication Sites
Classic Sites

Here, you will explore how to delete a site in SharePoint step by step without data loss.

Let’s start:

When Should You Remove a SharePoint Site?

How to Remove SharePoint Sites Step by Step

Method 1: Remove a Modern SharePoint Site

Method 2: Delete a Communication Site

Method 3: Delete from Site Settings If You’re the Site Owner

Method 4: Using PowerShell

What Happens After Deletion?

Need to Move Instead of Delete?

Author’s Verdict

People Also Ask

When Should You Remove a SharePoint Site?

Deleting a SharePoint site is a crucial task when:

The content is outdated or archived elsewhere.
The site was created for testing or temporary use.
Your governance policy requires removing unused sites.
You’re consolidating multiple sites into one.

Removing a site is irreversible unless it’s a modern Microsoft 365 Group-connected site, which you can recover from the recycle bin for up to 93 days.

How to Permanently Delete SharePoint Site Step by Step

I suggest removing a site only when if extremely needed, as many things have to be deleted, including subsites. That’s why, before deleting a SharePoint site, first follow these pre-deletion steps:

Backup SharePoint Online to local storage, as once the site is deleted, you can’t recover that until you save it locally.
Check for subsites that were impacted.
Notify users or stakeholders if the site is in use.
Make sure you’re a Global Admin or SharePoint Admin.
Check the retention policy in SharePoint; deletion may not happen immediately, so remove it first if applied.

Now, below are the proven solutions with their instructions to remove a SharePoint site. Follow them step by step to get the expected results:

#Method 1. Remove a Modern SharePoint Site

How to permanently delete SharePoint site if it is modern? Removing a modern SharePoint site is easy, and you can also recover it if needed:

Open the SharePoint Admin Center
Click on Active Sites
Search for the site name to delete
Select the site, and click Delete
Confirm the deletion when prompted

This action deletes the Microsoft 365 Group, associated Teams, Planner tasks, and mailbox. So, double-check the site you are deleting.

#Method 2. Delete a Communication Site

For standalone communication sites, the steps are the same:

Open SharePoint Admin Center
Navigate to Active Sites
Select the site
Click Delete to remove a SharePoint site

#Method 3. Delete from Site Settings If You’re the Site Owner

I sometimes delete smaller project sites directly from the site itself:

Navigate to the root of the site
Click the Settings/gear icon, and Site Information
Click Delete Site
Check confirmation boxes
Click Delete

This method only works if you’re the Site Owner and the site is not connected to a Microsoft 365 Group.

#Method 4. How to Permanently Delete SharePoint Site Using PowerShell

If you’re wondering how to delete multiple SharePoint sites simultaneously and automatically, then PowerShell is the answer. This is complex and requires technical knowledge, as one mistake can erase your entire SharePoint data, and you can’t restore it.

So, follow these commands carefully:

Step 1. Connect to SharePoint Online:

Connect-SPOService -Url https://exampledomain-siteowner/admin.sharepoint.com

Step 2. Now, run these cmdlets to remove a SharePoint site:

Remove-SPOSite -Identity https://exampledomain.sharepoint.com/sites/sitename

Step 3. Move the site to the Recycle Bin, so you can restore it if needed:

Remove-SPOSite -Identity https://exampledomain.sharepoint.com/sites/sitename -NoWait -Confirm:$false

Step 4. (Optional) To restore, run this command:

Restore-SPODeletedSite

What Happens After Deletion?

Deleted sites move to the Site Recycle Bin for 93 days.
After that, they are permanently deleted.
Associated content like Teams or Groups is also deleted.

You can monitor deleted sites in SharePoint Admin Center > Deleted Sites.

Need to Move Instead of Delete?

Now, we know how to permanently delete SharePoint site, and deleted SharePoint data will be saved in the Recycle Bin for 93 days, and after that, it will be deleted permanently. So, just think if you need that site or subsite data in future, what will you do?

To avoid this situation, I always recommend to migrate SharePoint site to another site, or a tenant. The reason behind this, you can easily access data online whenever needed. Local copies can be erased due to hardware issues or accidental deletion. But online content will be kept on the server, which is why I suggest this.

If you’re wondering how to do so. Then the answer is quite simple: you have to opt for a solution which can do this for you in minutes. For the same, I suggest the SharePoint Migration Tool.

Why do I opt for?

Maintains metadata and permissions intact throughout the procedure.
Provides filters to move only relevant or desired data.
Migrates subsites with included data.
Supports migrating document library, lists, and permissions.
24/7 Support available

Author’s Verdict

How to permanently delete SharePoint site? Deleting a SharePoint site is straightforward, but always double-check data importance, ensure backups. I hope I explained how to remove a SharePoint site clearly and in detail.