{"id":12003,"date":"2026-01-10T14:03:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T14:03:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/?p=12003"},"modified":"2026-02-17T07:05:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T07:05:23","slug":"sharepoint-classic-end-of-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/sharepoint-classic-end-of-life\/","title":{"rendered":"SharePoint Classic End of Life: Act Before It&#8217;s Too Late"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border: 1px solid #e5e7eb; border-radius: 10px; overflow: hidden; margin: 28px 0; background: #ffffff; box-shadow: 0 6px 16px rgba(0,0,0,0.06);\">\n<div style=\"background: #2d55a5;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0; font-size: 17px; font-weight: 600; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 18px;\">Key Takeaways<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 18px 20px;\">\n<ul style=\"margin: 0; padding-left: 20px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.7; color: #1f2937;\">\n<li>SharePoint Classic is officially being phased out in SharePoint Online, with hard retirement of SharePoint Add-Ins and Azure ACS authentication on April 2, 2026, making Classic customizations unsustainable<\/li>\n<li>Modern SharePoint is the only future-ready path, offering faster performance, mobile-first accessibility, deep Microsoft 365 integration, and built-in security, compliance, and audit capabilities<\/li>\n<li>Staying on Classic increases compliance, security, and operational risk, including broken custom scripts, unsupported workflows, audit gaps, and rising maintenance costs<\/li>\n<li>A structured migration to Modern delivers measurable ROI through productivity gains, lower Opex, and reduced security exposure while future-proofing your digital workplace<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Two decades ago, SharePoint\u2019s Classic interface powered the first generation of digital workplaces. Today, it runs on dated page-rendering logic, ribbon-based editing, and the SharePoint Add-In app model, which Microsoft has announced it will retire in April 2026. This planned retirement, combined with ongoing security restrictions, elevates the SharePoint Classic End of Life (EOL) from a routine IT matter to a board-level strategic risk.<\/p>\n<p>Gartner estimates that 70% of \u201capplication technical debt\u201d sits inside collaboration platforms; <a href=\"https:\/\/new.abb.com\/news\/detail\/107660\/abb-survey-reveals-unplanned-downtime-costs-125000-per-hour\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ABB\u2019s 2023 \u201cValue of Reliability\u201d survey pegs the direct cost of avoidable downtime at US$125,000 per hour<\/a> on average. When Classic customizations break\u2014especially those relying on outdated scripts or unsupported apps\u2014businesses face immediate and measurable losses.<\/p>\n<p>This guide explains every official retirement milestone, details the hidden costs of waiting, and maps a five-phase transition from SharePoint Online Classic to a modern, cloud-optimized digital workplace.<\/p>\n<h2>Is SharePoint Classic Really Reaching End of Life?<\/h2>\n<p>Yes\u2014but primarily for SharePoint Online tenants. Microsoft has embedded multiple deadlines into its official roadmap and service communications that guarantee the phased retirement of SharePoint Add-Ins and related Classic site features:<\/p>\n<table class=\"table-responsive\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #2d55a5; color: #ffffff; font-weight: 550;\">\n<td>Date<\/td>\n<td>Event<\/td>\n<td>Why It Matters<\/td>\n<td>Status<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>1 Jul 2024<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Microsoft stops accepting new SharePoint Add-Ins to AppSource<\/td>\n<td>No new Add-Ins can be submitted or acquired\u2014marking a firm halt for Classic extensibility.<\/td>\n<td>Completed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Nov 2024<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\u00a0The &#8220;AllowCustomScript&#8221; setting will be deprecated and reset daily<\/td>\n<td>Script Editor Web Parts (SEWP), Content Editor Web Parts (CEWP), and other Classic hacks will auto-disable every 24 hours.<\/td>\n<td>Completed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>2 Apr 2026<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Microsoft will permanently disable SharePoint Add-In and ACS authentication<\/td>\n<td>Legacy dashboards and custom apps built on Add-In model will stop working\u2014completing the SharePoint Online Classic Experience End of Life.<\/td>\n<td>Upcoming<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>For on-premises farms, the timeline differs\u2014but the direction is the same. SharePoint Server Subscription Edition (SE) continues to receive biannual feature updates, but only for Modern experiences. While Classic mode remains technically supported, it is not being actively enhanced.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, mainstream support for SharePoint Server 2019 ends on July 9, 2024, with extended support continuing until July 14, 2029.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bottom line:<\/strong> Staying on Classic merely delays the inevitable. The technical debt grows, and support narrows\u2014making it a matter of when, not if, you&#8217;ll need to modernize.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 18px; margin-top: 20px;\"><strong>Also Read:<\/strong><\/p>\n<div style=\"margin: 5px 0px 25px 0px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 15px 0px; border-top: 1px solid #dbdbdb; border-bottom: 1px solid #dbdbdb;\"><strong>\u25b8<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/sharepoint-2013-workflow-retirement\/\"><em>SharePoint 2013 Workflow Retirement<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.16) 0px 1px 4px; background-color: #3354a7; padding: 30px 30px 45px 30px; margin: 25px 0px 10px 0px; border-radius: 10px !important;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #ffffff; line-height: 1.5 !important;\"> Need help moving off SharePoint Classic? Our experts are here to guide you. <\/span><\/p>\n<div><a style=\"font-size: 15px; background-color: #ffffff; color: #3354a7; padding: 10px 15px; text-align: center; border-radius: 3px !important;\" href=\"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/contact-us\/\">Schedule Free Consultation<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Why Microsoft Is Phasing Out SharePoint Classic UI?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12883\" src=\"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Why-Microsoft-Is-Phasing-Out-SharePoint-Classic-UI.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Infographic titled \u2018Why Microsoft Is Phasing Out SharePoint Classic UI?\u2019 showing the SharePoint logo at the center with five connected circular icons arranged in an arc. Each icon represents a reason for the transition: Deeper Microsoft 365 Integration, Security and Compliance by Default, Future-Proof Development, Cloud-Native Performance, and Mobile-First Accessibility. The design uses teal and blue tones on a light background, visually explaining Microsoft\u2019s shift from the classic SharePoint interface to the modern experience.\" width=\"2334\" height=\"1313\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Why-Microsoft-Is-Phasing-Out-SharePoint-Classic-UI.webp 2334w, https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Why-Microsoft-Is-Phasing-Out-SharePoint-Classic-UI-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Why-Microsoft-Is-Phasing-Out-SharePoint-Classic-UI-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Why-Microsoft-Is-Phasing-Out-SharePoint-Classic-UI-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Why-Microsoft-Is-Phasing-Out-SharePoint-Classic-UI-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Why-Microsoft-Is-Phasing-Out-SharePoint-Classic-UI-2048x1152.webp 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2334px) 100vw, 2334px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Over the past five years, Microsoft has funneled nearly all engineering investment into the Modern SharePoint framework. This shift isn&#8217;t merely cosmetic\u2014it reflects deep changes in how today&#8217;s users work: mobile-first, security by default, and deeply embedded within Microsoft 365.<\/p>\n<p>The Classic UI simply can\u2019t keep up with those demands or the rapid pace of Microsoft\u2019s cloud release cycle. Here&#8217;s why the move to Modern is not only logical\u2014it\u2019s essential.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Cloud-Native Performance<\/h3>\n<p>Modern pages render client-side using lightweight JavaScript bundles and pull structural assets like CSS and images from Microsoft\u2019s global CDN network. With over 60 edge locations, this dramatically reduces latency.<\/p>\n<p>Independent testing shows first paint time drops from 3\u20134 seconds on Classic publishing pages to around 1.8 seconds on Modern sites, assuming standard 25 Mbps broadband. Add in HTTP\/2 multiplexing, and total load time improves by another 15\u201320%.<\/p>\n<p>Modern loads faster, reduces bounce rates, and improves search adoption.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Mobile-First Accessibility<\/h3>\n<p>Modern SharePoint uses responsive section grids, semantic HTML5 tags (e.g., <code>&lt;main&gt;<\/code>, <code>&lt;nav&gt;<\/code>), and ARIA landmarks that screen readers can automatically interpret.<\/p>\n<p>Microsoft\u2019s Accessibility Insights tool scores Modern pages 98+\/100 against WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines out of the box. Classic pages, by contrast, often fail keyboard navigation or color contrast standards\u2014especially older ribbon pages.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bottom line:<\/strong> For U.S. federal contractors, that difference can be the line between procurement eligibility and a costly Section 508 remediation.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Deeper Microsoft 365 Integration<\/h3>\n<p>Modern SharePoint sites are group-connected. Each one is automatically tied to a Microsoft 365 Group, enabling:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>One-click surfacing in Microsoft Teams<\/strong> (no connectors needed)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Branded Viva Connections cards<\/strong> on mobile<\/li>\n<li><strong>Loop component support<\/strong> for real-time co-authoring in Outlook and Word<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Classic sites lack this native integration, which fragments user experience across tools and forces duplicate permissions, context switching, and missed notifications.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Security &amp; Compliance by Default<\/h3>\n<p>Modern SharePoint integrates directly with Microsoft Purview and supports:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sensitivity labels (e.g., \u201cConfidential \u2013 Finance\u201d) that enforce encryption<\/li>\n<li>Information Barriers to restrict communication between regulated teams<\/li>\n<li>Multi-geo data residency to meet regional compliance requirements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Classic pages do not support these features natively, often requiring brittle custom scripts or third-party add-ons that become risk factors during SOC 2 or HIPAA audits.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Future-Proof Development<\/h3>\n<p>Modern development is powered by the SharePoint Framework (SPFx)\u2014a standards-based model aligned with Microsoft 365 and Azure AD. Developers can use React, Angular, or vanilla JavaScript to build components that work across:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SharePoint<\/li>\n<li>Microsoft Teams<\/li>\n<li>Viva<\/li>\n<li>Outlook (via Loop)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Meanwhile, the legacy SharePoint Add-In model will stop working after April 2, 2026, when Azure Access Control Services (ACS) is retired. No new tokens will be issued, and existing Add-Ins will return authentication errors.<\/p>\n<p>SPFx adopters gain future-proof tools &#8211; Graph API access, reusable components, and alignment with Microsoft\u2019s full-stack vision.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 18px; margin-top: 20px;\"><strong>Also Read:<\/strong><\/p>\n<div style=\"margin: 5px 0px 25px 0px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 15px 0px; border-top: 1px solid #dbdbdb; border-bottom: 1px solid #dbdbdb;\"><strong>\u25b8<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/microsoft-project-online-retirement\/\"><em>Microsoft Project Online Retirement \u2013 Official Announcement<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>What\u2019s Being Deprecated or Losing Support?<\/h2>\n<p>As Microsoft continues to retire legacy components, several Classic SharePoint features face either hard end-of-life or silent deprecation. Below is a breakdown of what\u2019s going away\u2014and what it means for your business.<\/p>\n<table class=\"table-responsive\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #2d55a5; color: #ffffff; font-weight: 550;\">\n<td>Feature<\/td>\n<td>Deprecation Path<\/td>\n<td>Impact on Business<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Add-Ins \/ Azure ACS<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Hard retirement on April 2, 2026<\/td>\n<td>KPI dashboards, authentication proxies, and line-of-business widgets built on the Add-In model will stop working. No token issuance, no backward compatibility.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Custom Script<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Global block begins November 2024<\/td>\n<td>Script Editor and Content Editor web parts will auto-disable every 24 hours. jQuery hacks and DOM manipulation will vanish\u2014breaking page layouts and custom UX.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Classic Web Parts<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>No ongoing engineering support<\/td>\n<td>Legacy parts like Content Query, Chart, and Silverlight are already read-only in many tenants. They won\u2019t be fixed or updated moving forward.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>InfoPath &amp; Designer Workflows<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>2013 workflow engine removed in SharePoint Online by 2026<\/td>\n<td>Any approval, provisioning, or automation flow tied to Classic lists must be rebuilt using Power Automate or Power Apps.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Classic Master Pages \/ Ribbon<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Frozen codebase, no Modern migration path<\/td>\n<td>Branding tied to master pages and ribbon customizations won\u2019t carry forward. Sites must be rebuilt using Modern site theming and extensions.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Even if a Classic page technically loads, Microsoft has stated that deprecated feature issues will not be eligible for support after retirement deadlines. That includes Add-In troubleshooting, ACS token failures, or script injection anomalies.<\/p>\n<h2>Why Staying on SharePoint Classic is Risky?<\/h2>\n<p>As Microsoft sunsets Classic SharePoint components, businesses still relying on them face a growing list of operational, security, and compliance risks. Here\u2019s why staying on Classic isn\u2019t just outdated\u2014it\u2019s potentially damaging.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Compliance Exposure<\/h3>\n<p>Modern SharePoint writes every file action, query and permission change to the Microsoft Purview Unified Audit Log (UAL). Classic pages often rely on Script-Editor or JSLink customizations that operate outside this pipeline; Microsoft explicitly warns that once you <a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/sharepoint\/security-considerations-of-allowing-custom-script\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">allow custom script<\/a> you &#8220;can&#8217;t audit the insertion of script&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>In regulated sectors (FedRAMP, CMMC, ISO 27001), that blind spot is routinely flagged by assessors as a high-risk gap, delaying an Authority to Operate (ATO) and pushing migration ROI into the next fiscal year.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Security Debt<\/h3>\n<p>Microsoft\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.microsoft.com\/on-the-issues\/2023\/11\/02\/secure-future-initiative-sfi-cybersecurity-cyberattacks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Secure Future Initiative<\/a> enables granular Conditional Access policies, such as restricting specific SharePoint libraries to FIDO2-authenticated users or blocking downloads on unmanaged devices. These controls apply only to Modern, group-connected sites that issue Azure AD tokens via the modern page framework.<\/p>\n<p>Classic pages lack this infrastructure and cannot consume policy claims tied to user risk or device state. A compromised session token on a Classic site often results in broader access inheritance, forcing SOC teams to maintain separate playbooks and extending investigation timelines by up to 2x.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/entra\/identity\/conditional-access\/overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/entra\/identity\/conditional-access\/overview<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>3. Productivity Drag<\/h3>\n<p>Classic libraries still depend on deep folder trees and static views. Microsoft\u2019s own Modernization guidance shows that Modern sites add metadata filters, instant-search highlights and faster client-side rendering\u2014key drivers of user adoption and reduced click depth.<\/p>\n<p>Even a conservative 5-minute daily saving in document retrieval for a 2,000-person firm equates to \u2248 US $400 k a year in recovered productivity at a $50\/hour fully-loaded cost.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Hidden Opex<\/h3>\n<p>Beginning November 2024, the<a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/sharepoint\/allow-or-prevent-custom-script\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Allow Custom Script<\/a> toggle will reset every 24 hours; admins who still need Classic scripts must re-enable them daily or schedule PowerShell workarounds.<\/p>\n<p>Every cumulative SharePoint Online update also risks breaking un-supported master pages, CEWPs and jQuery hacks\u2014costing unplanned regression-test cycles and outage windows.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Vendor Abandonment &amp; Tooling Desert<\/h3>\n<p>Microsoft has formally scheduled a <a href=\"https:\/\/techcommunity.microsoft.com\/blog\/spblog\/sharepoint-add-in-retirement-in-microsoft-365\/3982035\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hard retirement of the SharePoint Add-In model<\/a> and Azure ACS on 2 April 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Most major ISVs (Nintex, K2, Layer2, etc.) are now \u201cModern-first,\u201d and many Classic-only add-ins will stop receiving security patches before that date. As backup, governance and analytics vendors follow suit, organizations clinging to Classic face last-minute migrations at premium consulting rates.<\/p>\n<h2>Your Options: Migrating from Classic to Modern (Detailed Process)<\/h2>\n<h3>Phase 1: Inventory &amp; Assessment<\/h3>\n<p>Run the <a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/sharepoint\/dev\/transform\/modernize-scanner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PnP Modernization Scanner<\/a> to capture pages, Add-Ins, custom actions, event receivers, and inline scripts across the tenant. The built-in Excel dashboards highlight \u201cmodernization readiness\u201d at site-collection level.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Classify findings<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Critical<\/strong> \u2013 business stops if the element fails<\/li>\n<li><strong>Important<\/strong> \u2013 daily productivity impact<\/li>\n<li><strong>Long-tail<\/strong> \u2013 archival or seldom accessed material<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In practice, large environments (~10 000 sites) show 15-20 % Critical items, giving you a clear targeting matrix (figure based on aggregated scanner projects across three global tenants).<\/p>\n<h3>Phase 2: Target Architecture &amp; Branding<\/h3>\n<table class=\"table-responsive\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #2d55a5; color: #ffffff; font-weight: 550;\">\n<th style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Design Choice<\/th>\n<th style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Modern Technique<\/th>\n<th style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Source<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Flat over deep navigation<\/td>\n<td>Replace subsites with hub-site topology for human-readable URLs and simpler permissions.<\/td>\n<td>\u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Corporate theming<\/td>\n<td>Use the JSON-based Fluent theme engine to map tokens such as <code>themePrimary<\/code> and <code>themeLighterAlt<\/code>\u2014no more master-page hacks.<\/td>\n<td>(<a title=\"SharePoint site theming | Microsoft Learn\" href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/sharepoint\/dev\/declarative-customization\/site-theming\/sharepoint-site-theming-overview?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Microsoft Learn<\/a>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Group-aligned security<\/td>\n<td>Connect legacy team sites to Microsoft 365 Groups (\u201cgroupify\u201d) to unlock Teams, Planner, and Loop without extra licenses or content moves.<\/td>\n<td>(<a title=\"Overview of the Connect to new Microsoft 365 group feature\" href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/sharepoint\/dev\/features\/groupify\/groupify-overview?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Microsoft Learn<\/a>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3>Phase 3: Pilot &amp; Proof of Concept<\/h3>\n<table class=\"table-responsive\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #2d55a5; color: #ffffff; font-weight: 550;\">\n<td>Pilot Metric<\/td>\n<td>Classic Baseline<\/td>\n<td>Modern Goal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>First Paint (ms)<\/td>\n<td>3,400<\/td>\n<td>1,800<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mobile Accessibility Score (WCAG)<\/td>\n<td>63 \/ 100<\/td>\n<td>92 \/ 100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Time\u2010to\u2010Find Document (s)<\/td>\n<td>45<\/td>\n<td>18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Pilots validate performance targets and surface edge-case blockers (e.g., deeply nested SharePoint Designer 2010\/2013 workflows) before you scale. Microsoft\u2019s own modernization guidance recommends pilot-then-wave execution to reduce risk.<\/p>\n<h3>Phase 4: Migration Waves<\/h3>\n<table class=\"table-responsive\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #2d55a5; color: #ffffff; font-weight: 550;\">\n<td><b>Stream<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Modernization Tooling<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Key Tip<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Source<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Content migration<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ShareGate Migrate \u2013 \u201cCopy if newer (incremental)\u201d mode<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Run incremental passes after business-hours cut-over to capture late edits.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/help.sharegate.com\/en\/articles\/10236133-copy-if-newer-incremental?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ShareGate Help<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Page transformation<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PnP PowerShell <code data-start=\"2459\" data-end=\"2478\">Convert-ToPnPPage<\/code> for wiki<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\/ web-part pages; publishing cmdlets for portals<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expect manual adjustments on hero web parts and custom page layouts.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/sharepoint\/dev\/transform\/modernize-userinterface-site-pages-powershell?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Microsoft Learn<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bulk publishing conversion<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PnP sample scripts for classic publishing portals \u2192 Modern comms sites<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Automate hundreds of pages in one run; keep author metadata with <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; <code data-start=\"2829\" data-end=\"2871\">-KeepPageCreationModificationInformation<\/code>.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/sharepoint\/dev\/transform\/modernize-userinterface-site-pages-model-publishing?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Microsoft Learn<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Custom app re-platform<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Port Add-Ins to SPFx; align permission scopes to least-privilege<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SPFx components render across SharePoint, Teams, Viva, and Outlook.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/sharepoint\/dev\/spfx\/sharepoint-framework-overview?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Microsoft Learn<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Workflow redevelopment<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Power Automate cloud flows; call Azure Functions for complex logic<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use solution-aware connectors for ALM.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Search &amp; metadata uplift<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Replace deep folders with managed metadata; auto-classify with Syntex where licensed<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improves refiners and Viva Topics discovery.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>A 5 TB \/ 1 200-site tenant tackled in two parallel threads typically completes Waves 1-4 in <strong>18\u201324 weeks<\/strong> when transformation tasks run nightly.<\/p>\n<h3>Phase 5: Governance &amp; Continuous Improvement<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Retention:<\/strong> publish <a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/purview\/create-retention-labels-data-lifecycle-management\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Purview retention labels<\/a> to auto-expire temporary project sites and ensure immutable records.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/purview\/information-barriers-sharepoint\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Information Barriers<\/a>:<\/strong> enforce dataset segregation (e.g., R&amp;D vs Sales) directly in SharePoint and Teams.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Adoption dashboards:<\/strong> a Power BI report pulls site-usage telemetry; sites under 30 % monthly active users trigger a coaching workflow.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Center of Excellence:<\/strong> a quarterly forum curates approved SPFx patterns, Power Apps templates, and Viva Learning paths, ensuring Modern stays modern.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Putting It All Together<\/h3>\n<p>Following this five-phase approach turns a high-risk, one-off \u201clift &amp; shift\u201d into a governed, data-driven programme:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Know exactly what you have before touching a single page.<\/li>\n<li>Design a Modern-native landing zone (hub sites, themes, Groups).<\/li>\n<li>Prove the gains in a pilot, then scale by wave.<\/li>\n<li>Automate repeatable tasks (PnP + ShareGate) and rebuild only what adds value.<\/li>\n<li>Institutionalize governance so Modern stays secure, compliant and adopted.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Costs, ROI, and Budget Considerations<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Use these numbers as an illustrative model\u2014they combine publicly verifiable benchmarks (cited) with typical labor\u2010rate assumptions from real migration projects. Adjust the inputs to match your own rates, volumes, and risk posture.<\/p>\n<table class=\"table-responsive\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #2d55a5; color: #ffffff !important; font-weight: 550;\">\n<th style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Cost Line<\/th>\n<th style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Classic Status Quo (Annual)<\/th>\n<th style=\"color: #ffffff;\">After Modern Migration (Annual \/ One-off)<\/th>\n<th style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Sources &amp; Notes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Maintenance &amp; Regression Testing<\/td>\n<td>US $425 K \u2002(\u22481 500 engineering hrs. \u00d7 $283 blended rate)<\/td>\n<td>US $140 K\u2002(Modern self-patching; 500 hrs. \u00d7 $280)<\/td>\n<td>Hour estimates are drawn from three global tenants (10 K\u201312 K sites) that ran PnP Page Transform + ShareGate; blended rate from Gartner 2025 IT Services Benchmarks.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>User Productivity<\/td>\n<td>7.5 hrs. lost \/ employee \/ yr \u00d7 2 000 staff \u2192 US $750 K<\/td>\n<td>Modern metadata &amp; search recover \u22484.5 hrs. \u2192 US $450 K gain<\/td>\n<td>5 min\/day time-save derived from Microsoft Modernization guidance; hourly cost = US $50 fully-loaded.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Security \/ Audit Exposure<\/td>\n<td>Breach impact indeterminate; IBM reports US $4.88 M global average cost \/ breach in 2024(<a title=\"Cost of a data breach 2024 | IBM\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ibm.com\/reports\/data-breach\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IBM<\/a>)<\/td>\n<td>Purview + Information Barriers remove &gt;70 % of unauthorized-sharing vectors (risk reduction, not cash in hand)<\/td>\n<td>IBM Cost of a Data Breach 2024; risk-mitigation benefit should be modelled as a probability-weighted figure for your sector.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>One-Time Migration Spend<\/td>\n<td>\u2014<\/td>\n<td>US $700 K (licenses, ShareGate seats, partner-led wave delivery)<\/td>\n<td>Based on a 5 TB \/ 1 200-site tenant using ShareGate + PnP PowerShell and a mid-tier Microsoft partner.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Five-Year Net Benefit<\/td>\n<td>\u2014<\/td>\n<td>\u2248 US $3.0 M cumulative\u2003(285 K maintenance savings + 450 K productivity gain) \u00d7 5 years \u2013 700 K one-time = US $2.98 M<\/td>\n<td>Security-breach avoidance is upside not included in the cash figure, keeping the projection conservative.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Where to Get Help with SharePoint Classic Migration?<\/h2>\n<table class=\"table-responsive\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #2d55a5; color: #ffffff; font-weight: 550;\">\n<th style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Resource<\/th>\n<th style=\"color: #ffffff;\">What You Get<\/th>\n<th style=\"color: #ffffff;\">When It Makes Sense<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Microsoft FastTrack<\/td>\n<td>Remote onboarding engineers, planning templates, and self-service tool guidance for tenants with \u2265150 paid Microsoft 365 seats.<\/p>\n<p>No-cost data-migration execution (including SharePoint and OneDrive content) once you reach \u2265500 seats.<\/td>\n<td>You already license Microsoft 365 at scale and want Microsoft engineers to steer (and, at \u2265500 seats, execute) the move without added fees.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>GitHub PnP Community<\/td>\n<td>Weekly-updated, open-source tools:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Modernization Scanner (site &amp; customization inventory)<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Page Transformation cmdlets<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Search-index reset scripts and sample pipelines<\/td>\n<td>DIY teams that prefer scripting and need granular control over site-by-site modernization.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Specialist Microsoft Partners<\/td>\n<td>Fixed-price \u201cClassic \u2192 Modern\u201d programmes that bundle tooling, wave planning, SPFx re-platforming, and post-go-live adoption metrics (e.g., <a href=\"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/\">NGenious Solutions<\/a>).<\/td>\n<td>You want predictable cost\/timeline and a partner accountable for business-outcome KPIs rather than just lift-and-shift effort.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Microsoft Learn Learning Paths<\/td>\n<td>Optimize web-part performance in modern pages\u2014practical steps to cut load time and improve Core Web Vitals.<\/p>\n<p>Diagnosing SharePoint Online performance issues\u2014built-in diagnostics, Page Diagnostics tool, and troubleshooting checklists.<\/td>\n<td>Upskilling internal admins and devs so Modern stays performant and compliant long after the migration partner exits.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>If your roadmap spans on-prem estates, refer to our deep dives: <a href=\"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/sharepoint-2019-end-of-life\/\">SharePoint 2019 End of Life<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/sharepoint-2016-end-of-life\/\">SharePoint 2016 End of Life<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/sharepoint-2013-end-of-life-get-ready-to-say-goodbye-make-the-right-move-with-sharepoint-online\/\">SharePoint 2013 End of Life<\/a>, plus tips on <a href=\"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/types-of-workflows-in-sharepoint\/\">SharePoint workflow<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/sharepoint-online-vs-on-premise\/\">SharePoint Online vs On-Premise<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/how-to-successfully-migrate-from-sharepoint-2019-to-sharepoint-online\/\">Migrate from SharePoint 2019 to SharePoint Online.<\/a><\/p>\n<div style=\"box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.16) 0px 1px 4px; background-color: #3354a7; padding: 30px 30px 45px 30px; margin: 25px 0px 10px 0px; border-radius: 10px !important;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 24px; color: #ffffff; line-height: 1.5 !important;\"> Get expert help migrating from SharePoint Classic to Modern\u2014start now. <\/span><\/p>\n<div><a style=\"font-size: 15px; background-color: #ffffff; color: #3354a7; padding: 10px 15px; text-align: center; border-radius: 3px !important;\" href=\"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/contact-us\/\">Schedule Free Consultation<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>SharePoint Classic End of Life is not a rumor\u2014it is a dated, documented event. Organizations that act now benefit from faster load times, mobile-ready UX, tighter security, and seamless Microsoft 365 integration.<\/p>\n<p>Those that wait will scramble to rebuild broken Add-Ins, rewrite workflows, and explain outages to executives and regulators. Start with a scan, design a modern architecture, run controlled pilots, cut over in waves, and institutionalize governance. Do it once\u2014do it right\u2014and your digital workplace stays evergreen.<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"font-size: 17px !important; font-weight: 550 !important; margin-bottom: 15px !important;\">SharePoint Services We Offer<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>SharePoint Consulting Services<\/li>\n<li>SharePoint Implementation Services<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/services\/sharepoint-migration-services\/\">SharePoint Migration Services<\/a><\/li>\n<li>SharePoint Integration Services<\/li>\n<li>SharePoint Support Services<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>SharePoint Classic End of Life FAQs<\/h2>\n<h5 style=\"font-size: 16px !important; font-weight: 550 !important; padding-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;\">1. Is SharePoint Classic going away?<\/h5>\n<p>Yes. Add-Ins retire 2 Apr 2026, custom script is blocked, and Classic templates are hidden. Modern SharePoint becomes the only supported UI.<\/p>\n<h5 style=\"font-size: 16px !important; font-weight: 550 !important; padding-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;\">2. How to tell if a SharePoint site is classic or modern?<\/h5>\n<p>Classic sites display the ribbon and fixed-width layout. Modern sites have a flat command bar, responsive design, and a \u201cNew \u2192 List\u201d lightning icon.<\/p>\n<h5 style=\"font-size: 16px !important; font-weight: 550 !important; padding-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;\">3. What is the difference between SharePoint Classic and SharePoint Modern?<\/h5>\n<p>Classic uses server-rendered master pages, Add-Ins, and inline script. Modern relies on client-side SPFx, Microsoft 365 Groups, responsive design, and built-in Purview compliance.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 40px; padding-top: 25px; margin-bottom: -20px; border-top: 1px solid #e5e7eb; font-size: 14px; color: #6b7280;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 4px; color: #6b7280;\">Written by<\/div>\n<p style=\"font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; color: #111827; text-decoration: none;\">Prasad Patkar<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top: -35px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways SharePoint Classic is officially being phased out in SharePoint Online, with hard retirement of SharePoint Add-Ins and Azure ACS authentication on April 2,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":12022,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[210],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-microsoft-sharepoint-blogs"],"menu_order":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12003","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12003"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12003\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13040,"href":"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12003\/revisions\/13040"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ngenioussolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}