CHECKLIST: REQUESTING NEW SITE TEMPLATES

Business & Usage Context

• Clearly state the primary business purpose of sites created from this template
(Example: “Project sites for cross-functional initiatives”, “Departmental knowledge bases”, “Customer-facing partner portals”)
• Identify the target audience and expected number of sites
(Example: “200–300 project sites per year”, “All regional sales teams – approx. 45 sites”)
• Specify the site type the template should be based on
  • Team site (Microsoft 365 group-connected)
  • Communication site
  • Other (specify)
• Indicate whether the sites will be connected to a hub (and if so, which hub(s))
• List any known regulatory / compliance requirements
(e.g., sensitivity labels, retention policies, restricted external sharing, DLP requirements).

Look & Feel (Branding & User Experience)

• Desired site theme
  • Existing organizational theme name
  • New theme required (provide palette/hex codes or reference approved brand guidelines)
• Header requirements
  • Layout (standard / compact / minimal)
  • Background (image / solid color / none)
  • Logo placement and file (recommended ≤ 400 × 100 px)
• Navigation style
  • Horizontal / vertical / mega menu
  • Key permanent links to include (max 8–10 recommended)
• Footer requirements (if any)
  • Show/hide footer
• Static links / legal disclaimer text
• Preferred language/locale and time zone defaults (if different from tenant default)

Structural Elements (Lists, Libraries, Pages)

• Required document libraries (name + purpose + number expected)
Example: “Project Documents”, “Contracts”, “Meeting Notes”
• Required custom lists (name + key columns)
Example: “Project Risks” (Title, Status, Impact, Mitigation, Owner)
• Essential site pages and layout expectations
  • Home page structure (sections, web parts)
  • Additional starter pages (e.g., “About”, “Resources”, “FAQ”)
• Any pre-configured content types or managed metadata columns needed
• Default views to create on lists/libraries (including any grouping/sorting/filtering)
• Any folders vs. metadata strategy preference (metadata strongly recommended)

Permissions & Sharing Model

• Proposed default permission model
  • Owners / Members / Visitors (standard M365 group)
• Custom SharePoint groups
• Read-only external sharing allowed. (Yes/No + conditions)
• Any automatic group membership requirements
(e.g., auto-add “Project Managers” security group as owners)
• Sensitivity label / DLP requirements to enforce by default

Automation & Advanced Functionality

• Desired Power Automate flows to trigger on site creation
(Examples: welcome email, create default approvals list, provision Teams channel)
• Any web parts that must be pre-added and configured
(e.g., News, Events, Quick Links, Highlighted Content, custom SPFx)
• Integration requirements with other Microsoft 365 services
(Planner, Teams, Forms, Power BI, Viva Engage feed, etc.)
• Any custom JavaScript/SPFx components needed
(Note: CSP enforcement begins March 2026 — only trusted sources allowed)

Governance & Lifecycle Considerations

• Expected site lifecycle and archiving strategy
• Who should be site owner(s) by default after creation?
• Any mandatory naming convention for sites created from this template?
• Training / documentation needs for end users who will receive the template

Reference / Model Site (Strongly Recommended)

• Provide URL of an existing model/reference site already configured as desired
(Best practice: Administrators can use this site to extract structure via PnP PowerShell)
• If no model site exists → indicate willingness to build one collaboratively

Request Submission Details

• Your name, department, role, and contact information
• Business sponsor name (if different)
• Priority / desired timeline
• Any attached supporting documents
(wireframes, brand guidelines, example screenshots, process flows)

Following this checklist significantly increases the likelihood of timely approval and successful implementation, while reducing back-and-forth communication. Most organizations that maintain strong SharePoint governance require a completed version of a form containing these elements before beginning technical development of a custom site template.