Migrate SharePoint List to Another Site: Top 5 Ways

Are you looking for a reliable solution to migrate SharePoint list to another site? Although moving items from one SharePoint list to another can be a complex task, but with careful planning and the right approach, it can be a smooth and efficient process.

Whether you're consolidating multiple sites, improving performance, or adapting to organizational changes, understanding the different migration methods and best practices is crucial. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the various techniques for migrating SharePoint lists, from manual methods to powerful professional tool.

We'll also discuss key considerations, potential challenges, and tips for a successful migration.

Why Migrate SharePoint List to Another Site?

There are several reasons why you might want to move items from one SharePoint list to another.

• Site Consolidation: To streamline your SharePoint environment and reduce the number of sites.
• Performance Optimization: To improve the performance of your lists by moving them to a less congested site.
• Organizational Changes: To reflect changes in your organization's structure or workflows.
• Compliance Requirements: To meet specific compliance or regulatory requirements.
• Security Enhancements: To strengthen the security of your lists by moving them to a more secure environment.

Major Considerations to Move Items from One SharePoint List to Another

Before you dive into the migration process, it's important to consider a few key factors:

• List Size and Complexity: Larger and more complex lists may require more time and resources to migrate.
• Data Volume: The amount of data in the list will impact the migration time and the tools you choose.
• Customizations and Workflows: Any customizations or workflows associated with the list need to be migrated as well.
• Permissions and Security: Ensure that the appropriate permissions and security settings are transferred to the new site.
• Testing and Validation: Thoroughly test the migrated list to ensure that it functions correctly and that the data integrity is maintained.

By carefully considering these factors, you can plan a successful SharePoint list migration. In the next section, we'll explore the methods you can use to migrate your lists.

Approach 1. Copy SharePoint List to Another Site

One of the simplest methods to migrate a SharePoint list is to manually copy it to the destination site. Here's how:

1. Create a New List: Navigate to the destination site and create a new list with the same name and columns as the source list.
2. Copy List Items Manually: Manually copy and paste the items from the source list to the new list.

However, there are some limitations to this approach:

• Time-Consuming: Manual copying can be time-consuming, especially for large lists.
• Error-Prone: Human error can lead to data loss or corruption.
• Limited Functionality: Manual copying may not preserve certain list settings, such as views, forms, and workflows.

Approach 2. Exporting and Importing a List

Another manual method involves exporting the list to Excel and then importing it into the destination site. Here's a step-by-step guide to migrate SharePoint list to another site:

1. Export the List to Excel: Navigate to the source list, click the "List" tab, and select "Export to Excel."
2. Create a New List in the Destination Site: Create a new list in the destination site with the same columns as the source list.
3. Import Data from Excel: Open the new list, click "Quick Edit," and paste the data from the exported Excel file.

Important Considerations:

• Data Integrity: When importing data from Excel, ensure that the data types and formatting match the source list.
• Data Loss: Be mindful of potential data loss or corruption during the import process.
• List Settings: This method may not preserve all list settings, such as views, forms, and workflows.

While manual methods can be a viable option for simple migrations, they may not be suitable for larger or more complex lists. In the next section, we'll explore the use of SharePoint list templates for a more efficient migration process.

Approach 3. Using SharePoint List Templates

SharePoint list templates offer a convenient way to move items from one SharePoint list to another while preserving their structure and settings. Here's how to utilize them:

1. Creating a List Template:
2. Deploying the List Template:

Limitations

• Limited Customization: List templates may not capture all customizations, such as custom forms or workflows.
• Data Migration: You'll still need to manually migrate the list data to the new list.

In the next section, we'll delve into the powerful world of third-party tools that can significantly streamline your SharePoint list migration process.

Approach 4. Migrate SharePoint List to Another Site Using PowerShell Commands

Install-Module -Name PnP.PowerShell

Connect-PnPOnline -Url https://[entertenantname].sharepoint.com/sites/[source site] -Interactive

Get-PnPSiteTemplate -Out C:\Temp\Lists.xml -ListsToExtract “List Y”, “List Z” -Handlers Lists

Add-PnPDataRowsToSiteTemplate -Path C:\Temp\Lists.xml -List “List Y” Add-PnPDataRowsToSiteTemplate -Path C:\Temp\Lists.xml -List “List Z”

Connect-PnPOnline -Url https://[entertenantname].sharepoint.com/sites/[destination SharePoint site] -Interactive

Invoke-PnPSiteTemplate -Path “C:\Temp\Lists.xml” If the SharePoint list contains some attachments, then execute the below PowerShell script.

Function Copy-SharePointListAttachments() { param ( [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)] [Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ListItem] $SourceItem, [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)] [Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ListItem] $DestinationItem ) Try {

$AllAttachmentsofList = Get-PnPProperty -ClientObject $SourceItem -Property “AttachmentFiles” $AllAttachmentsofList | ForEach-Object {

$File = Get-PnPFile -Connection $Source_Cont -Url $_.ServerRelativeUrl -FileName $_.FileName -Path $Env:TEMP -AsFile -force

$FileStream = New-Object IO.FileStream(($Env:TEMP+”\”+$_.FileName),[System.IO.FileMode]::Open) $Attachment_Info = New-Object -TypeName Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.AttachmentCreationInformation $Attachment_Info.FileName = $_.FileName

$Attachment_Info.ContentStream = $FileStream $AttachedFile = $DestinationItem.AttachmentFiles.Add($Attachment_Info) Invoke-PnPQuery -Connection $DestinationConn

Remove-Item -Path $Env:TEMP\$($_.FileName) -Force }}

Catch { write-host -f Red “Error while Copying the Attachments:” $_.Exception.Message } }

Function Copy-MSPAllListItems() { param ( [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)] [Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.List] $SourceList, [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)] [Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.List] $DestinationList ) Try {

Write-Progress -Activity “Reading Source…” -Status “Getting Items from Source List. Please wait…” $SourceSharePointAllListItems = Get-PnPListItem -List $SourceList -PageSize 500 -Connection $Source_Cont SourceSharePointListItemsCounter= SourceSharePointListItems.count Write-host “Total Number of List Items Found are:”SourceSharePointListItemsCounter

$Source_ListFields = Get-PnPField -List $SourceList -Connection $Source_Cont | Where { (-Not ($_.ReadOnlyField)) -and (-Not ($_.Hidden)) -and ($_.InternalName -ne “ContentType”) -and ($_.InternalName -ne “Attachments”) }

[int]$Count = 1 ForEach($SourceItem in $SourceSharePointAllListItems) { $Items_Value = @{}

Foreach($SourceField in $Source_ListFields) {

If($SourceItem[$SourceField.InternalName] -ne $Null) {

$FieldsType = $SourceField.TypeAsString

If($FieldsType -eq “User” -or $FieldsType -eq “UserMulti”) { $PeoplePickerValues = $SourceItem[$SourceField.InternalName] | ForEach-Object { $_.Email} $Items_Value.add($SourceField.InternalName,$PeoplePickerValues) } ElseIf($FieldsType -eq “Lookup” -or $FieldsType -eq “LookupMulti”) # Lookup Field { $LookupIDs = $SourceItem[$SourceField.InternalName] | ForEach-Object { $_.LookupID.ToString()} $Items_Value.add($SourceField.InternalName,$LookupIDs) } ElseIf($FieldsType -eq “URL”) #Hyperlink { $URL = $SourceItem[$SourceField.InternalName].URL $Description = $SourceItem[$SourceField.InternalName].Description $Items_Value.add($SourceField.InternalName,”$URL, $Description”) } ElseIf($FieldsType -eq “TaxonomyFieldsType” -or $FieldsType -eq “TaxonomyFieldsTypeMulti”) { $TermGUIDs = $SourceItem[$SourceField.InternalName] | ForEach-Object { $_.TermGuid.ToString()} $Items_Value.add($SourceField.InternalName,$TermGUIDs) } Else {

$Items_Value.add($SourceField.InternalName,$SourceItem[$SourceField.InternalName]) }}}

$Items_Value.add(“Created”, $SourceItem[“Created”]); $Items_Value.add(“Modified”, $SourceItem[“Modified”]);

$Items_Value.add(“Author”, $SourceItem[“Author”].Email); $Items_Value.add(“Editor”, $SourceItem[“Editor”].Email);

Write-Progress -Activity “ List Items starts copying:” -Status “Copying Item ID ‘$($SourceItem.Id)’ from Source List ($($Count) of $($SrcListItemsCount))” -PercentComplete (($Count / $SrcListItemsCount) * 100)

$New_Item = Add-PnPListItem -List $DestinationList -Values $Items_Value

Copy-SharePointListAttachments -SourceItem $SourceItem -DestinationItem $New_Item

Write-Host “Copied Item ID from Source to Destination List:$($SourceItem.Id) ($($Count) of $($SrcListItemsCount))” $Count++ } } Catch { Write-host -f Red “Error:” $_.Exception.Message } }

$Source_SiteURL =? “[enter? here]” $Source_ListName = “[enter? here]”

$Destination_SiteURL =? “[enter? here]” $Destination_ListName =? “[enter? here]”

$Source_Cont = Connect-PnPOnline -Url $Source_SiteURL -Interactive -ReturnConnection $SourceList = Get-PnPList -Identity $Source_ListName -Connection $Source_Cont

$DestinationConn = Connect-PnPOnline -Url $Destination_SiteURL -Interactive -ReturnConnection $DestinationList = Get-PnPList -Identity $Destination_ListName -Connection $DestinationConn

Copy-MSPAllListItems -SourceList $SourceList -DestinationList $DestinationList

Don’t forget to Ensure

1. You have expertise in PowerShell commands.
2. Already created a backup of data.
3. Data hierarchy is not means a lot for you.

Approach 5. Leveraging SysTools SharePoint Migration Tool to Copy SharePoint List to Another Site

You can use the most reliable software to copy the SharePoint list items from one site to another. This is the recommended by the Microsoft experts after a lot of trials. It is not only able to migrate the SharePoint list but also the document library. It accomplish the migration process without losing a bit. There are several features of this tool such as:-

1. It offers the batch migration process for a hassle free and efficient migration process.
2. Provides Date filter for the selective sites migration.
3. Able to perform the bulk site migration to another account.
4. Incorporates multiple options to add sites or users into the tool.
5. Provides Delta migration option to move the newly arrived data in between the process.

Steps of the Professional Tool to Migrate SharePoint List to Another Site

Step 1. Download, Install, and Execute the tool.

Step 2. Choose the Source & Destination platforms from the opened screen.

Step 3. Click the Sites option and filter them.

Step 4. Add Sites and Users into the tool for migration.

Step 5. Lastly, click on the Start Migration button to initiate the migration process.

Best Practices for SharePoint List Migration

To ensure a smooth and successful SharePoint list migration, follow these best practices:

Planning and Preparation

• Assess the List's Complexity: Evaluate the size, complexity, and dependencies of the list to determine the appropriate migration method.
• Backup the Source List: Create a backup of the source list before starting the migration process to minimize the risk of data loss.
• Test the Migration Process: Test the migration process on a small-scale basis to identify and resolve any issues before migrating the entire list.

Post-Migration Verification

• Validate Data Integrity: Verify that all data has been migrated correctly and that there are no data inconsistencies or errors.
• Test List Functionality: Test all list features, including views, forms, and workflows, to ensure they are working as expected.
• Update Permissions and Security Settings: Review and update permissions and security settings for the migrated list to ensure proper access control.

By following these best practices, you can migrate SharePoint list to another site with minimal risk of errors.?

In the next section, we'll discuss some common issues you may encounter during the migration process and how to troubleshoot them.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

While moving SharePoint list from one site to another site, you may encounter some common issues. Here are some tips for troubleshooting:

• Data Loss or Corruption:
• Permission Issues:
• Performance Problems:

By being aware of these common issues and taking proactive steps to address them, you can minimize downtime and ensure a smooth SharePoint list migration experience.

Conclusion

Successfully moving the SharePoint list items to another site requires careful planning, execution, and attention to detail. By understanding the different migration methods, and following best practices, you can minimize risks, and optimize performance to migrate SharePoint list to another site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What are the risks of migrating a SharePoint list??

A - The risks of migrating a SharePoint list include data loss, corruption, and performance issues. To minimize these risks, it's important to plan the migration carefully, test the process, and use reliable tools.

Q3. How do I migrate a SharePoint list to a different domain??

A - Using the above-mentioned professional tool, you can transfer the SharePoint list to another domain.

Q3. Can I migrate a SharePoint list to Microsoft Teams??

A - While you can't directly migrate a SharePoint list to Microsoft Teams, you can create a new list in Teams and manually copy the data. However, this approach may not preserve all list settings and customizations.

Q4. How do I migrate a SharePoint list to OneDrive??

A - You can export a SharePoint list to Excel and then import it into a new Excel workbook in OneDrive. However, this method may not preserve all list features and functionality.

Q5. How do I migrate a SharePoint list to another site collection??

A - You can migrate SharePoint list to another site using any of the above-elaborated methods. But the professional method is way better than the other ones. So, you can move your SharePoint to another SharePoint site using the below steps quickly and efficiently.

1. Download the tool and select both platforms.
2. Enable the Sites option from the workload section.
3. Provide the details of both accounts.
4. Add Sites and Users into the tool.

Finally, click on the Start Migration button to initiate the process.