MIGRATION PLANNING & TESTING

Introduction to SharePoint Migration

A SharePoint migration is the process of moving content, configurations, customizations, workflows, permissions, and metadata from a source environment (on-premises SharePoint, file shares, Google Drive, Box, older SharePoint Online tenants, etc.) to a target SharePoint environment (typically SharePoint Online in Microsoft 365, or a newer on-premises version).

SharePoint Migration Projects – Planning and Pre-Go-Live Testing Checklist

Common Migration Scenarios

  • SharePoint 2007/2010/2013/2016/2019 → SharePoint Online (Modern)
  • SharePoint 2013/2016/2019 → Newer on-premises farm
  • File shares / legacy ECM → SharePoint Online
  • One Microsoft 365 tenant → Another Microsoft 365 tenant (tenant-to-tenant)
  • Classic SharePoint sites → Modern SharePoint experience

Key Success Factors

  • Thorough planning and inventory
  • Clear governance and information architecture for the target
  • Accurate mapping of permissions, metadata, and content types
  • Minimal business disruption
  • Data integrity and zero (or near-zero) data loss
  • User adoption and change management

The most critical phase that determines whether the migration is truly “successful” is the final validation and testing before cutover/go-live.

Comprehensive Pre-Go-Live Testing Checklist

Content Integrity & Completeness

  • Item/Folder/File count comparison (source vs target)
  • Full content sampling (random + high-risk items) • Large files (>15 GB) and long paths (>400 chars)
  • Version history count and major/minor versions
  • Checked-out documents
  • Items with unique permissions

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • Counts match ±0.5% (explain variances)
  • Sampled items open correctly
  • All versions preserved

Metadata & Content Types

  • Required columns have values
  • Choice/Term Store/Managed Metadata values correctly mapped
  • Content Type assignment
  • Lookup columns

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • No missing required fields
  • Terms resolved correctly
  • Lookups return expected values

Permissions & Security

  • Site/List/Library-level unique permissions
  • SharePoint Groups & Microsoft 365 Groups membership
  • External sharing settings
  • Item-level permissions (if used)
  • “Limited Access” cleanup

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • Users can access what they should and are blocked from what they shouldn’t
  • No orphaned permissions

Customizations & Solutions

  • Custom site columns, content types, lists
  • SharePoint Framework (SPFx) solutions deployed
  • Legacy Full-Trust / Sandbox solutions (if on-prem)
  • Custom master pages / CSS / JS (modern sites)

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • All customizations functional in target
  • No deprecated features in use

Workflows & Power Automate

  • 2010/2013 workflows (if migrated or rebuilt)
  • Power Automate cloud flows
  • Nintex / third-party workflows (if in scope)

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • All workflows trigger and complete successfully

Search Functionality

  • Crawl completion
  • Search schema mapping (managed properties)
  • Refiners and query rules
  • Content Search Web Parts / Highlighted Content

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • Expected results appear at top 90% of test queries return correct items

Navigation & Site Structure

  • Global/ hub navigation
  • Mega menus
  • Site hierarchy and hub site associations
  • Quick Launch / left navigation

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • Navigation matches design Hub features (news rollup, associated sites) work

Pages & Web Parts

  • Classic wiki/library pages → modern pages
  • Script Editor / Content Editor web parts (if allowed)
  • Modern web parts configuration
  • Embedded Power BI / Forms

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • All pages render correctly
  • No script errors
  • Embedded content loads

Integrations & Third-Party Tools

  • Power Apps embedded in pages
  • Power BI reports
  • Microsoft Teams tab integration
  • Embedded Stream videos
  • Third-party connectors

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • All integrations functional

Links & Hyperlinks

  • Internal hyperlinks within documents and pages
  • Shortcuts (.url) and mapped drives references
  • Bookmark validation

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • < 1% broken links (industry benchmark)

Document Libraries Features

  • IRM / Sensitivity labels • Retention / Records management policies
  • Co-authoring
  • Sync with OneDrive client

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • Labels applied
  • Policies active
  • Co-authoring works
  • Sync succeeds

Lists & Forms

  • Large lists (>5,000 items) with indexed columns
  • Custom forms (Power Apps)
  • Attachment preservation

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • Lists load quickly
  • views work
  • Forms submit correctly

Performance & Responsiveness

  • Page load time (target < 3 sec for modern pages)
  • Large library scrolling performance
  • Mobile device rendering

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • Meets performance KPIs

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

  • Business users execute scripted day-in-the-life scenarios
  • Pilot group feedback collection

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • 95% scenario success rate
  • All high-severity defects resolved

Failover & Rollback Testing

  • Verify rollback plan works (if applicable)
  • Test “re-migration” of delta content after initial cutover

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • Rollback completes within SLA

Accessibility Testing

  • WCAG 2.1 AA compliance (color contrast, alt text, keyboard navigation, screen reader)

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • Zero critical accessibility defects

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) & Compliance

  • DLP policies
  • Sensitivity labels
  • Retention
  • eDiscovery holds

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • Policies trigger correctly, no false negatives

Backup Verification

  • Confirm Microsoft 365 backup (or third-party) can restore migrated content

Success Criteria / Validation Method

  • Successful test restore of sample site/collection

3. Recommended Testing Phases

  1. Pre-Migration Mock Runs – Execute full migration in staging tenant and run all tests above.
  2. Final Pilot Migration – Migrate a representative subset with real users; complete UAT.
  3. Delta/Cutover Migration – After final sync, re-run critical tests (1–6, 10,13–18).
  4. Post-Go-Live Smoke Test – Quick validation immediately after cutover.
  5. Hypercare Period (2–4 weeks) – Monitor logs, support tickets, and re-test high-risk items.

Following this comprehensive checklist significantly reduces the risk of post-migration surprises and ensures a smooth transition to the new SharePoint target environment.

Risk Mitigation Strategies

Recommended Risk Management Practices

  • Maintain a live RAID log (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies) updated weekly.
  • Perform formal gate reviews after each pilot wave with mandatory sign-off on critical risks.
  • Keep the source environment in read-only mode for at least 30–90 days after cutover as a safety net.
  • Conduct a post-migration lessons-learned workshop within 4 weeks of final wave go-live.

By proactively addressing these risks with the mitigation strategies above — combined with the comprehensive testing checklist — organizations can achieve a 95%+ success rate with minimal business disruption.

Risk Area

  • Data loss or corruption

Potential Impact

  • Business-critical content unavailable

Mitigation Strategies (Preventive & Contingency)

  • Use only Microsoft-recommended tools (SharePoint Migration Tool, Migration API, or certified 3rd-party tools)
  • Run multiple mock migrations with full validation
  • Enable versioning & Recycle Bin retention in target
  • Take immutable backups before final cutover

Owner

  • Migration Lead

Risk Area

  • Missing or broken permissions

Potential Impact

  • Data leakage or users locked out

Mitigation Strategies (Preventive & Contingency)

  • Export permission matrix early

  • Use Azure AD group-based permissions in target when possible

  • Perform pre- and post-migration permission reports

  • Run “What If” permission remediation scripts

  • Prepare “permission fix” runbook for hyper care

Owner

  • Security & Migration

Risk Area

  • Unsupported customizations / features

Potential Impact

  • Functionality breaks after go-live

Mitigation Strategies (Preventive & Contingency)

  • Conduct Modernization Scanner + SharePoint Migration Assessment Tool (SMAT) early

  • Replace sandbox/full-trust solutions with SPFx/Power Platform

  • Block or rewrite deprecated web parts

  • Budget time for re-engineering

Owner

  • Solutions Architect

Risk Area

  • Workflow failure (2010/2013/Nintex)

Potential Impact

  • Critical business processes stop

Mitigation Strategies (Preventive & Contingency)

  • Inventory all workflows 6–12 months ahead

  • Rebuild in Power Automate or supported alternative before migration

  • If “lift & shift” is required, use temporary 2013 on-prem farm for legacy workflows

  • Test every workflow end-to-end in pilot

Owner

  • Process Owners + Dev

Risk Area

  • Performance degradation

Potential Impact

  • Poor user experience, low adoption

Mitigation Strategies (Preventive & Contingency)

  • Flatten deep folder structures

  • Apply proper indexing & metadata

  • Limit list views >5k items

  • Use hub sites & modern pages

  • Conduct performance baseline tests after each pilot wave

Owner

  • Technical Architect

Risk Area

  • Long or invalid paths / restricted characters

Potential Impact

  • Migration jobs fail or files skipped

Mitigation Strategies (Preventive & Contingency)

  • Run pre-scan reports (SPMT or 3rd-party) 3–6 months ahead

  • Implement automated path shortening & character replacement scripts

  • Communicate restricted character policy to users early

Owner

  • Migration Lead

Risk Area

  • Large volume of versions / very big files

Potential Impact

  • Extremely long migration time, throttling

Mitigation Strategies (Preventive & Contingency)

  • Define version limit policy (e.g., keep last 10 major + last 5 minor)

  • Use Azure Data Box or SPMT “bulk” mode for >100 TB

  • Schedule migrations during low-throttle windows (evenings/weekends)

Owner

  • Project Manager

Risk Area

  • User resistance / lack of adoption

Potential Impact

  • Project perceived as failure

Mitigation Strategies (Preventive & Contingency)

  • Start change management & communication 3–6 months before go-live

  • Run “lunch & learn” sessions

  • Deploy modern home site & training portal

  • Assign site owner champions in each department

Owner

  • Change Manager

Risk Area

  • Search not returning expected results

Potential Impact

  • Users can’t find content → shadow IT

Mitigation Strategies (Preventive & Contingency)

  • Map crawled & managed properties before final migration

  • Create custom result sources & query rules if needed

  • Test search with real user queries during UAT

  • Enable Continuous Crawl

Owner

  • Search Architect

Risk Area

  • Cutover downtime too long

Potential Impact

  • Business disruption

Mitigation Strategies (Preventive & Contingency)

  • Use incremental/final-delta sync (most tools support this)

  • Perform cutover during weekend or holiday window

  • Pre-communicate read-only period

  • Have rollback plan ready (keep source available read-only)

Owner

  • Project Manager

Risk Area

  • Sensitivity labels / DLP not applied

Potential Impact

  • Regulatory non-compliance

Mitigation Strategies (Preventive & Contingency)

  • Re-apply labels via PowerShell or auto-labeling policies post-migration

  • Test DLP rules in target tenant before cutover

  • Include compliance team in UAT

Owner

  • Compliance Officer

Risk Area

  • Broken links (hyperlinks, shortcuts)

Potential Impact

  • Users frustrated, manual rework

Mitigation Strategies (Preventive & Contingency)

  • Run link-fix tools (ShareGate, AvePoint, PowerShell) after migration

  • Use modern “Move” experience when possible (preserves GUIDs & links)

  • Replace .url shortcuts with browser bookmarks or pinned tabs

Owner

  • Migration Lead

Risk Area

  • Budget or timeline overrun

Potential Impact

  • Project cancellation or reduced scope

Mitigation Strategies (Preventive & Contingency)

  • Include 20–30% contingency in both time and budget

  • Use wave/phase approach instead of Big Bang

  • Lock scope early and control via change request process

Owner

  • Project Manager / PMO

Risk Area

  • Lack of skills or resources

Potential Impact

  • Delays, poor quality

Mitigation Strategies (Preventive & Contingency)

  • Bring in certified migration partner early if internal team lacks experience

  • Train site owners on modern SharePoint 3–6 months ahead

  • Create runbooks and handover documentation

Owner

  • Program Sponsor

Risk Area

  • Tenant-to-tenant cross-geo restrictions

Potential Impact

  • Data sovereignty violations

Mitigation Strategies (Preventive & Contingency)

  • Verify Microsoft 365 Message Center for Multi-Geo capabilities

  • Use third-party tools that support geo-location routing if needed

  • Get legal sign-off on data residency plan

Owner

  • Legal & Compliance

Recommended Risk Management Practices

  • Maintain a live RAID log (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies) updated weekly.
  • Perform formal gate reviews after each pilot wave with mandatory sign-off on critical risks.
  • Keep the source environment in read-only mode for at least 30–90 days after cutover as a safety net.
  • Conduct a post-migration lessons-learned workshop within 4 weeks of final wave go-live.

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