If you decided to move from one SharePoint account to another, or want to perform a SharePoint tenant to tenant migration, then ensuring a precise transition of permissions, metadata, settings, and data becomes one of the biggest SharePoint migration challenges. Today, I’ll let you know how to overcome these issues with the right planning and tested solutions, which I’ve learned from recent projects.
So, first, let me explain the different types of issues in this migration.
Types of SharePoint Migration Issues
For a clear understanding, I divided challenges into parts:
- Structural issues
Folders, paths, naming, information architecture
Broken inheritance, item-level access, group sprawl
- Metadata issues
Content types, columns, and version history loss
- Customisation issues
InfoPath, Designer workflows, custom pages
- Integration issues
Power Automate, Power Apps, Teams, third-party tools
- Performance issues
Large lists, indexing, throttling, bandwidth
All these issues can be resolved with proper planning and methods, which I’ll share further.
SharePoint Migration Challenges – How to Resolve Them
Here are the common issues faced by users, with their solutions to get rid of them:
#1. Messy Permission Inheritance
Broken inheritance at multiple levels leads to access problems after migration. To resolve this, you have to:
- Audit permissions at site, library, folder, and item levels
- Remove unnecessary unique permissions
- Migrate permissions only after cleanup
- Always ensure your migration solution migrate SharePoint site to another site along with permissions and settings.
#2. Deep Folder Structures and Long Paths
Nested folders exceed limits and cause failures.
What I do
- Run path-length analysis
- Flatten folders
- Replace folders with metadata and views
- Shorten names before migration
#3. Unsupported Customizations and Legacy Artifacts
Problem I face
- InfoPath forms
- SharePoint Designer workflows
- Custom master pages
- Blocked file types
What I do
-
- Replace InfoPath with Power Apps or Forms
- Rebuild workflows in Power Automate
- Recreate pages using modern web parts
- Isolate blocked files
#4. Metadata and Version History Loss
Problem I face
Loss of authorship, versions, content types, and columns.
What I do
- Map content types and columns beforehand
- Test with pilot libraries
- Use tools that preserve metadata and versions
#5. Massive Data Volumes and Throttling
Problem I face
Slow migration due to throttling and bandwidth limits.
What I do
- Migrate in batches
- Schedule off-hours jobs
- Use incremental migration
- Monitor retry and throttle logs
#6. Integrations Breaking After Migration
Problem I face
- Power Automate flows fail
- Power Apps lose connections
- Teams tabs break
What I do
- Document integrations before migration
- Reconnect to new URLs
- Reconfigure Teams tabs
- Test each integration
#7. Poor Information Architecture
Problem I face
Migrating old chaos recreates the same chaos.
What I do
- Redesign the architecture before migration
- Use hub sites
- Organise by function, not history
- Migrate into a cleaner structure
#8. User Resistance and Change Confusion
Problem I face
Users struggle with the modern experience.
What I do
- Keep naming familiar
- Provide guides and quick training
- Improve navigation with hubs and menus
#9. Site URLs, Domains, and Broken Bookmarks
Problem I face
Old links and bookmarks stop working.
What I do
- Plan URL structure in advance
- Communicate changes
- Use redirects where possible
- Update important embedded links
#10. Large Lists and Libraries Hitting Threshold Limits
Problem I face
Libraries with over 5,000 items cause performance issues.
What I do
- Index columns
- Split large libraries
- Use filtered metadata views
#11. Orphaned and Redundant Data (ROT Data)
Problem I face
Unnecessary data increases time and risk.
What I do
- Run cleanup campaigns
- Archive or delete unused sites
- Migrate only relevant data
#12. Inconsistent Naming Conventions
Problem I face
Random names create confusion post-migration.
What I do
- Define naming standards
- Rename key sites and libraries
- Apply consistency going forward
#13. Lack of Pre-Migration Testing
Problem I face
Issues discovered after full migration.
What I do
-
- Always run a pilot migration
- Validate permissions, metadata, and performance
- Fix before full rollout
#14. Insufficient Communication with Stakeholders
Problem I face
Users panic during cutover.
What I do
- Share timeline
- Announce downtime
- Provide post-migration support
#15. Performance Issues After Migration
Problem I face
Slow libraries and search complaints.
What I do
- Reindex sites and libraries
- Optimize views
- Remove unnecessary columns
#16. Search and Indexing Problems
Problem I face
Search results don’t appear as expected.
What I do
- Trigger reindexing
- Validate managed properties
- Wait for crawl completion before rollout
#17. Choosing the Wrong Migration Approach
Problem I face
Basic tools used for complex environments cause data and permission loss.
What I do
- Run pre-scan reports
- Evaluate the tool’s capability for metadata and permissions
- Choose tools based on environmental complexity
How a Professional Tool Helps Me Overcome These SharePoint Migration Challenges
After dealing with the challenges above, I’ve learned that manual methods and basic tools are not enough to move documents from one SharePoint site to another, with files and other data. To bypass all the hassles related to this transition, I opt for a professional solution like the SharePoint Migration Tool to ensure zero risk of data loss and preserve data integrity.
Why do I recommend this?
- Migrates site, library, folder, and subsites
- Preserves permission inheritance and unique permissions
- Supports proper user and group mapping between environments
- Migrates columns, content types, and document properties
- Uses incremental and delta migration
- Allows batch-wise migration by sites or libraries
- Allows real-time tracking success, failures, and skipped items
Why does this matter?
Most migrations fail because:
- Metadata wasn’t preserved
- Permissions broke
- Integrations failed
- The folder structure caused errors
- No visibility into what was actually migrated
Using a professional tool bypasses all these issues.
Now, Follow the Step-by-Step Instructions for the Hassle-Free Transition
- Step 1. Install the above-mentioned solution and mark Microsoft 365 as both source & target platform.
- Step 2. Check the Sites, Document Library, and Lists boxes.
- Step 3. Now, provide the Admin email ID & Application ID for both source and destination tenant or account.
- Step 4. Afterwards, click on the Fetch Users, Import Users, or Download Template to map the source users. Do the same for SharePoint sites.
- Step 5. Hit the Start Migration button to initiate the procedure.
So, try this solution now, and get the expected results from the transition. To ensure a hassle-free migration, always follow the SharePoint Online migration checklist.
Author’s Verdict
SharePoint migration challenges are structural, technical, and human at the same time. I make migrations smooth by:
- Cleaning permissions before moving
- Replacing folders with metadata
- Rebuilding legacy components properly
- Redesigning information architecture
- Testing before full migration
- Preparing users for change
That’s what turns a risky SharePoint migration into a controlled and predictable project.