Posted on

How to save a SharePoint site as a template

Photo by Andre Mouton from Pexels

What does a site template do?

Saving a SharePoint site as a template saves you a time by making it so you don’t have to recreate similar apps (lists and libraries) and views for multiple sites that are mostly the same in structure and function. You can even save a site as template including its content (documents/items) so that you don’t need to re-upload the same content to each (such as blank worksheets, forms, guides, etc. you’ll complete/utilize on each site).

Examples of what to use site templates for

Frequently people might use site templates for project sites, where each project is going to have the same needs for communication and collaboration, and sometimes the same content such as project and budget worksheets or documents. You may also wish to use site templates for regular committee or group work such as annual event or semi-annual review processes and projects where you want a separate site to archive for each regular iteration of the group’s function.

How to create site templates

There are two methods I use to create templates of SharePoint sites. Either via Site Settings, or by simply modifying the URL of the site. Once created using one of the these methods, the template is saved to your site’s solution gallery and available to users creating new sites on the “Custom” tab of site template selection:

Save SharePoint site as template URL modification

To save a site as template, add _layouts/15/savetmpl.aspx to the end of the specific site or subsite’s URL. For example if you wanted Subsite C to be a reusable site template, you’d modify:

WebApp/sites/SiteCollection/SubsiteA/SubsiteB/SubsiteC

to this:

WebApp/sites/SiteCollection/SubsiteA/SubsiteB/SubsiteC/_layouts/15/savetmpl.aspx

Then complete the fields (file name, template name, description, etc.) and choose whether or not the template should include the site’s existing content (documents and items) or if the lists/libraries should be empty on sites created using the template.

If you get the error The “Save site as template” action is not supported on this site, follow these steps then try again.

Save SharePoint site as template via settings

This requires the site to have never had SharePoint Server Publishing (site feature) activated on the site. See next section if it already has.

To save a site as a template via site settings:

1. Click on the settings wheel (upper right corner)

2. Click site settings (if classic) or site information > view all site settings (if modern).

3. Choose Save site as template from under Site Actions

Save site as template option missing from Site settings?

The option is removed when users activate SharePoint Server Publishing Infrastructure (site collection feature) or SharePoint Server Publishing (site feature). You can still activate the “save site as template” ability separately via PowerShell for the site then follow the steps for URL modification above to get to the “Save as template” form.

Posted on

How to create a SharePoint Governance Plan (includes template)

spgov

What is governance?

The Burton Group says “Governance uses people, process, technology, and policies to define a service, resolve ambiguity, and mitigate conflicts within an organization.” I would only add that it specifically helps create a consistent user experience which, in turn, promotes better adoption. I like the Burton Group’s definition because it doesn’t rely solely on rules/control, or the quality of the final governance document or on SharePoint itself, but on the people.

A successful implementation of SharePoint in your organization starts and ends with people from server admins to end users who have clear expectations and an understanding of proper usage and capabilities. The governance plan provides the written documentation for regular reference and sharing. People are still responsible for making it successful.

When I set out to create my own SharePoint Governance Plan, I had two objectives:

  • Create a plan that’s flexible enough to still encourage innovation and creativity
  • Create a plan written for more than IT professionals; I wanted to create an accessible, consumable (less than 20 pages) plan that avoided using too much industry jargon and encouraged an ongoing discussion with end users in the spirit of continuous improvement

Continue reading “How to create a SharePoint Governance Plan (includes template)”