How to Permanently Delete SharePoint Site? Effortlessly

SharePoint site provides simple ways to create a site whether Communication or Teams. Due to this, there are many sample or test sites also made by the site owner or SharePoint administrator. As a result, it hampers the SharePoint document management best practices or stimulates users to search for why is SharePoint Online so slow. This article delves into the different ways to permanently delete SharePoint site. But before moving further, let’s find what you should check before directly deleting the SharePoint site.

Prerequisite to Delete SharePoint Sites

So, you should check certain parameters before deleting the SharePoint site and these are.

1. Validate the SharePoint site usage report to identify the user base active on the SharePoint site.
2. Also, sometimes the site usage report misleads in Office 365 group sites. So, do not forget to cross-check with the group owner to know the site’s usage.
3. Validate the site hierarchy to make sure it is not having any subsites or apps.
4. Inform users of the site that is going to be deleted so that they can copy document library to another SharePoint site if required.

What Data Gets Deleted in Permanently Site’s Deletion?

You will lose all the below content when you permanently delete SharePoint site.

• All documents libraries
• SharePoint Lists
• Site configuration settings along with the permissions.
• Role and security information.
• Subsites of the top-level website including their content.

How to Delete Classic SharePoint Site?

To delete the SharePoint sites, either you should be the site owner or SharePoint administrator.

1. Access to the SharePoint site that is going to delete
2. Press the Gear icon then choose Site Settings.
3. Hit the option of Delete this site.
4. You will get a prompt message in which choose the Delete option and then OK.

Steps to Delete Modern SharePoint Site

Most users are using modern sites that require the below steps to delete.

1. Launch the SharePoint site.
2. Press Gear icon > Site Information.
3. Hit the Delete Site option.
4. Tick the checkbox of Yes, and delete this group and all its associated resources.
5. Finally, click on Delete.

How to Delete SharePoint Site Using Admin Center?

If you are a SharePoint administrator and want to delete the SharePoint sites. Then you can follow the below steps using the Admin Center.

1. Launch the SharePoint Admin Center and Sign in using the appropriate credentials.
2. Go to Sites and Expand.
3. Click on the Active Sites option.
4. Now, select the SharePoint site that you want to delete.
5. Press the Delete option and again choose Delete for confirmation.

Follow the below steps to delete the bulk SharePoint sites easily.

1. Select the SharePoint sites that you want to remove from SharePoint,
2. After that click on Bulk edit.
3. Now, choose the Delete option to delete the selected files quickly.

Delete SharePoint Site Using PowerShell

Import-Module Microsoft.Online.Sharepoint.PowerShell

$URLofAdminSite = "https://crescent-admin.sharepoint.com"
$Admin_Name = "provide here"
$SiteCollectionURL = "https://crescent.sharepoint.com/sites/Sales"

#Credentials to connect
$Password = ConvertTo-SecureString "Password" -asplaintext -force
$AllCredential = New-Object -TypeName System.Management.Automation.PSCredential -argumentlist $Admin_Name, $Password

Connect-SPOService -url $URLofAdminSite -credential $AllCredential

Remove-SPOSite -Identity $SiteCollectionURL -NoWait -Confirm:$false

Write-Host "SharePoint Site has been deleted successfully!"

All these methods can delete a SharePoint site but not permanently. As per SharePoint retention policy, classic SharePoint sites are kept for 93 days while modern SharePoint sites are kept for 30 days in the recycle bin. So, for permanent deletion, you should also remove them from the recycle bin.

How to Permanently Delete SharePoint Site?

To delete the SharePoint sites permanently, you can opt for two approaches either Admin Center steps or PowerShell commands. Let’s elaborate on both of them in detail.

1. Delete SharePoint Sites from Recycle Bin Permanently Using Admin Center

1. Open the SharePoint account using the Admin credentials.
2. Now, go to Sites > Deleted Sites.
3. Then choose the Site to delete from the recycle bin.
4. Click on the Permanently Delete option.

2. PowerShell Commands to Permanently Delete SharePoint Site

Execute the below commands to delete the site from the recycle bin.

$Deleted_Site_URL = “enter here”

Remove-SPODeletedSite -identity $Deleted_Site_URL -Confirm:$false

Expert’s Advice on SharePoint Sites Deletion

According to the SharePoint experts, you should perform SharePoint Online tenant to tenant migration before deletion of the sites. Sometimes the SharePoint sites get deleted accidentally even from the recycle bin. Due to this, it becomes tough to restore a deleted SharePoint site. So, to avoid such data loss, having a backup keeps your data safe and secure. You can achieve it by using the Most Efficient SharePoint Migrator, which is well-versed in SharePoint data migration.

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Conclusion

In this write-up, we have discussed how to permanently delete SharePoint site. All the methods are elaborated in detail. Now you can easily delete SharePoint sites whether you are a SharePoint site owner or administrator. Also, remember to delete the SharePoint sites from the recycle bin to delete them permanently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Can I delete my SharePoint site permanently?

A – Yes, you can delete your SharePoint permanently using the below steps:-

1. Open the Deleted sites from SharePoint.
2. Now, go to the site that needs to be deleted from the recycle bin.
3. Lastly, hit on the permanently delete option.

Q2. Which data I will lose if I delete a SharePoint site permanently?

A – You might lose the below data if you have deleted the SharePoint site permanently.

• Documents libraries and Lists.
• Site Permissions and Configuration Settings.
• Subsites.

Q3. What are the steps to delete a modern SharePoint site?

A – Follow the below quick steps.

1. Open the SharePoint site.
2. Press the Gear icon and then the site information.
3. Click on the Delete site option.
4. Confirm the opened dialog and Delete.

Q4. Can I recover the permanently deleted SharePoint site?

A – No, you cannot recover the permanently deleted SharePoint site. That’s why it is recommended to use the above mentioned tool to move your crucial data before deletion.