Introduction:

As Microsoft phases out support for older versions like SharePoint 2010, many organizations are turning to SharePoint Migration Services to help navigate the complex journey toward modern platforms such as SharePoint Online, 2019, or hybrid setups. Whether you're upgrading from SharePoint 2013, 2016, or 2010, understanding the right steps and tools is critical to ensuring a secure, efficient, and successful migration. This guide covers the essential considerations before you begin your SharePoint migration.



1. What to Do with Your Existing SharePoint Environment

SharePoint 2010 is no longer supported, and continuing to use it poses serious security and compliance risks. Similarly:

  • SharePoint 2013 support ends in November 2023.

  • SharePoint 2016 ends mainstream support in July 2021 and extended support in July 2026.

If your platform includes custom-built Farm or Sandbox solutions, staying on-premises might be necessary. SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019 offer modern infrastructure capabilities while supporting these needs. However, migrating to them typically requires a multi-phase upgrade, starting with SharePoint 2013 as an intermediate step.

2. Critical Questions to Ask Before Migrating

Define Your Business Objectives

Start by identifying what you aim to achieve with the migration—improved security, compliance, performance, or cloud-based access. A clear understanding of your business needs will guide your strategy.

Audit Your Current SharePoint Environment

Conduct a thorough audit to inventory your existing content, workflows, and custom applications. This is your chance to clean house—remove duplicates, outdated documents, and corrupted files before migrating.

Set Clear Requirements

Define the desired site architecture, governance policies, and metadata structures for your new SharePoint environment. Identify where content needs cleanup, and map legacy metadata fields to the new schema to ensure consistency and usability.

Prepare for Complexity

SharePoint migrations are rarely simple. Without a detailed plan, projects can quickly spiral in cost and duration. A test migration can help you estimate timelines and identify potential bottlenecks—especially when dealing with Microsoft 365 limitations on file names, path lengths, and file sizes.

3. Migration Tools to Consider

There are many tools available to support SharePoint migrations. Each comes with its own advantages and limitations, and your selection will depend on the scope of your migration and your environment.

Microsoft Tools:

  • Microsoft SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT)

  • Microsoft Mover

Popular Third-Party Tools:

  • ShareGate

  • AvePoint

  • Metalogix

  • Dockit Migrator

  • Layer2 Cloud Connector

  • HarePoint

  • Caliente (multi-source/target support beyond SharePoint)

Combining tools—or even developing custom scripts—can sometimes provide the most efficient results depending on your internal capabilities.

4. Choosing the Right Migration Tool

Start by deciding on your target environment—cloud, on-premises, or hybrid. From there, select tools based on compatibility with your source and target systems. Microsoft's tools work best for cloud-bound migrations, while many third-party solutions offer greater flexibility for on-prem or hybrid environments.

Every migration is unique, and a one-size-fits-all approach rarely works. Tailoring the process to your organization's needs will lead to better outcomes.

Conclusion:

A SharePoint migration isn't just a technical upgrade—it's a strategic opportunity to modernize your digital workplace. But without careful planning, the process can quickly become overwhelming. That's why more businesses are turning to SharePoint Migration Services to ensure a seamless transition.

At Softlanding, our SharePoint experts help you avoid common pitfalls and unlock the full potential of your Microsoft 365 environment. From audits to planning and tool selection, we're here to guide you every step of the way.

Contact us today to learn how our SharePoint Migration Services can streamline your move and set your team up for long-term success.