How to Restore Deleted SharePoint Sites? Most Efficient Solutions

If you are working as a SharePoint administrator or global administrator, you might encounter situations where SharePoint sites are deleted accidentally or deliberately. While undeleting SharePoint sites can be a cumbersome process, it’s often possible to restore deleted SharePoint sites along with their document libraries, lists, and other data by following the right approach.

In this detailed guide, we’ll explain the numerous methods to recover deleted SharePoint sites in the SharePoint environment. It includes site collection recycle bins and PowerShell commands.

We will also make you aware of the importance of recovering deleted sites and the best practices that you should follow to prevent upcoming data loss.

Why You Should Recover a Deleted SharePoint Site?

• Data Preservation: Because of the variety of ongoing projects in the organizations. Sometimes, there is a need to access the cross-projects that are demanding the same requirement. So, in that situation, preserving or recovering the SharePoint sites helps to reduce the extra efforts of the team.
• Business Continuity: If any SharePoint is lost instantly while team members are still working on the site. It affects the workflow of the organizations due to which team members have to face downtime.
• Compliance and Legal Requirements: As per the organization’s policies, some organizations need to maintain the old data for their compliance purposes.
• Restoring Customizations and Settings: SharePoint sites use the custom configurations and permissions. Therefore, recovering a deleted site also restores these customizations, saving time and effort in rebuilding them from the beginning.

What are the Different Types of Sites in SharePoint Online?

There are types of sites used in SharePoint as per the business requirements. All of the sites can be restored in SharePoint with somewhat similar or dissimilar approaches. Below are the SharePoint site types.

• Team Site with a Microsoft 365 Group
• Team Site without a Microsoft 365 Group
• Communication Site
• Private Channel Site
• Shared Channel Site

Check Eligibility to Restore Deleted SharePoint Sites

Before going to discuss the SharePoint data recovery techniques. Let’s take a look at who can recover deleted SharePoint sites.

The Team Site with a Microsoft 365 Group or without a Group and Communication Site can be recovered by the SharePoint administrator. While Communication and Private channel sites can be restored by Team or Channel owners.

What is the Restore Period for Recovering SharePoint Sites?

SharePoint has its own retention period criteria to specify the period to recover a deleted SharePoint site. In SharePoint, Team Site and Communication Sites can be restored within 93 days before going to permanent deletion. While the private and shared channel sites can be recovered within 30 days only.

How to Restore Deleted SharePoint Sites: Team and Communication in SharePoint?

Follow the below steps to restore your deleted SharePoint sites using the admin center.

• Step 1. Open App Launcher and then hit the Admin option.
• Step 2. Now choose SharePoint under the Admin Centers.

• Step 3. From the Sites option, select the Deleted Sites.

• Step 4. Enable the check next to the site that you want to recover and hit the Restore button.

Steps to Restore Private and Shared Channel Site

Recovering private and shared channel sites are different from the other sites. You can execute the below steps to recover a deleted SharePoint site whether private or shared.

• Step 1. Open Microsoft Teams and choose Manage Team.
• Step 2. Press the Channels option,
• Step 3. Expand the Deleted option and hit Restore.
• Step 4. After opening the dialog box, click on the Restore button.

How to Restore Deleted SharePoint Sites Using PnP PowerShell?

Execute the below commands in order to back your lost SharePoint sites from the recycle bin.

#Config Variables
$URLofTenant = "Enter Here"
$URLofDeletedSite ="Enter Here"

Connect-PnPOnline -Url $URLofTenant -Credentials (Get-Credential)

$DeletedSite = Get-PnPTenantRecycleBinItem | Where {$_.URL -eq $URLofDeletedSite}

If($DeletedSite)
{

Restore-PnPTenantRecycleBinItem -Url $URLofDeletedSite -Force -ErrorAction Stop
Write-Host -f Green "Deleted Site '$URLofDeletedSite' Restored Successfully!"
}
Else
{
Write-host -f Yellow "Unable to Find Deleted site:"$URLofDeletedSite
}

Best Way to Void Data Loss Even After Deletion of SharePoint Sites

You can use the Widely Opted SharePoint Migration Tool to transfer SharePoint data to another tenant. It’s better to be prepared even for the worst situations. So, use this tool and store your data with another tenant. Which helps to retrieve the SharePoint data whenever you want.

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Below are the quick steps that can help to restore deleted SharePoint sites even after complete SharePoint site deletion.

Step 1. Download and Run the tool.
Step 2. Choose O365 for both Source and Destination.
Step 3. Hit the Sites option under the workload selection.
Step 4. Provide O365 admin details.
Step 5. Map the Source User with the Destination users.
Step 6. Finally, press the Start Migration button.

Best Practices to Minimize the Impact of Site Deletion in SharePoint

• Regular Backups: Always take a backup of SharePoint data to serve as a safety net during data deletion. Also, check storage space in SharePoint before pursuing backup.
• Version History: Make use of the SharePoint version history feature of SharePoint to retain the data according to the period.
• Retention Policies: Modify your SharePoint retention policies to preserve the data from inappropriate deletion.
• User Training: Inform users about the benefits of data backup and the consequences of data deletion.

Conclusion

Here we have simplified one of the most asked queries on the Internet “How to Restore Deleted SharePoint Sites”. We have discussed multiple approaches that you can adopt to recover your deleted sites. Also, do not forget to use the best way to avoid data deletion and follow the best practices to minimize the impact of accidental deletions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Can I restore a SharePoint site that was deleted more than 50 days ago?
A: This depends upon your organization’s retention period settings. There is by default a period of retention policy such as 90 days for Team and Communication sites, and 30 days for Private and Shared channel sites.

Q2. Is there any alternate option to recover the deleted SharePoint site other than the recycle bin?
A: You can use the PnP PowerShell to restore deleted SharePoint sites.

Q3. Should I use PowerShell for site restoration?
A: You can go with the PowerShell for site restoration, but it requires technical expertise and necessary permissions to perform.