Microsoft Begins Phasing Out Classic SharePoint in March 2027

Microsoft is retiring classic SharePoint experiences as part of a multi-year plan that will restrict classic publishing and customization beginning in 2027 before making user-created classic pages read-only in 2028.

The company has announced the retirement plan, saying classic publishing and UX extensibility now account for less than 5% of active SharePoint Online tenants.

Microsoft says classic pages no longer meet its current presentation and security standards. They also were not designed to support newer Copilot experiences, giving organizations another reason to move toward modern SharePoint publishing.

Phase 1 starts on March 1, 2027

The first stage of the retirement begins March 1, 2027, when Microsoft will prevent all existing SharePoint Online tenants from creating new classic publishing sites.

Administrators will not have an option to reverse the restriction. New Microsoft 365 tenants created after that date will also lose the ability to create classic pages.

Microsoft will also tighten controls around custom scripts. The company will disable adding or updating custom scripts by default and set the DenyAddAndCustomizePages site setting to True without the option to change it.

Classic SharePoint pages become read-only in 2028

Microsoft will start the second phase on October 1, 2028.

At that point, all user-created classic SharePoint pages will become read-only. Organizations will still have access to existing pages and their content, but users will no longer be able to edit them.

Microsoft does not plan to delete existing classic content automatically, giving businesses additional time to preserve information or move it into modern SharePoint experiences.

The long transition period gives IT teams more than two years between the first restrictions and the final read-only deadline.

Microsoft recommends migrating to modern SharePoint

Microsoft wants organizations that still depend on classic publishing to start reviewing their SharePoint environments before the restrictions arrive.

Administrators should identify classic sites, determine which workflows and customizations still depend on them, and coordinate migrations with individual site owners.

Microsoft recommends moving content to the modern SharePoint publishing experience and offers first-party migration tools to help organizations make the transition.

SharePoint remains a security target

The retirement also comes as SharePoint continues to attract attention from attackers.

A critical SharePoint exploit is already being used in attacks, highlighting the risks organizations face when exposed SharePoint systems contain exploitable vulnerabilities.

Researchers have also demonstrated how multiple SharePoint flaws can provide a path to remote code execution.

Most recently, the company delayed the retirement of Microsoft Whiteboard, extending the deadline for organizations that still rely on the service.