SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019 End of Support: Migration Options Before July 2026
Billy Peralta
April 21, 2026
TL;DR
SharePoint Server 2016 and SharePoint Server 2019 both reach end of extended support on July 14, 2026. After that date, running these platforms becomes a business risk, not just an IT issue. Microsoft’s lifecycle guidance says products reaching end of support no longer receive new security updates, non-security updates, assisted support options, or online technical content updates.
If your organization is still on SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019, you should not treat this as a simple server upgrade. This is the right time to decide whether each site, library, workflow, integration, and custom solution should be migrated, modernized, archived, or retired.
Your realistic options are:
- Migrate to SharePoint Online / Microsoft 365 if you want the strongest long-term path.
- Upgrade to SharePoint Server Subscription Edition if you must keep SharePoint on-premises.
- Use a hybrid approach if you need time to move complex workloads gradually.
- Archive or decommission old content instead of migrating everything.
- Avoid staying unsupported unless leadership formally accepts the security, compliance, and operational risk.
Table of Contents
- What is happening in July 2026?
- Why this deadline matters for SharePoint environments
- Option 1: Migrate to SharePoint Online and Microsoft 365
- Option 2: Upgrade to SharePoint Server Subscription Edition
- Option 3: Use a hybrid migration approach
- Option 4: Archive, clean up, or decommission old content
- What you should not do: wait until the last minute
- SharePoint migration checklist before July 2026
- Decision matrix: which migration option fits your environment?
- A practical 90-day action plan
- Final thoughts
- FAQ
1. What is happening in July 2026?
Microsoft lists July 14, 2026 as the extended support end date for both SharePoint Server 2016 and SharePoint Server 2019.
That means the clock is no longer theoretical. If your organization is still running either version, you are approaching the point where the platform will no longer be supported by Microsoft.
This does not necessarily mean your SharePoint farm will suddenly shut down on July 15, 2026. Your servers may continue to run. Your content databases may still mount. Your users may still be able to browse sites.
The real issue is what happens after support ends:
- No new security updates for the product.
- No new non-security updates.
- No standard Microsoft assisted support path.
- No ongoing technical content updates from Microsoft for that product lifecycle stage.
For a platform that often stores corporate documents, HR files, project records, financial data, legal documents, intranet pages, workflows, and operational processes, that is a serious risk.
Important: End of support is not just an IT maintenance date. It can affect security posture, audit readiness, cyber insurance, compliance reporting, and business continuity.
2. Why this deadline matters for SharePoint environments
SharePoint migrations are rarely just “copy the files and move on.” In many organizations, SharePoint Server has been around for years and quietly became part of daily operations.
A typical on-premises SharePoint environment may include:
- Team sites and department portals.
- Document libraries with custom metadata.
- Classic publishing pages.
- SharePoint Designer workflows.
- InfoPath forms.
- Custom master pages and page layouts.
- Farm solutions and sandbox solutions.
- Timer jobs, event receivers, and custom web parts.
- Business Connectivity Services connections.
- Search customizations.
- Records management or retention configurations.
- Third-party migration, forms, workflow, or reporting tools.
- SQL Server, Office Online Server, Workflow Manager, or other supporting dependencies.
This is why waiting is dangerous. The actual content migration might be straightforward, but the hidden dependencies can create the real delay.
For example, a site collection might look small from a storage perspective, but it could contain an approval workflow that Finance still uses every week. Another site might have only a few documents, but those documents may be subject to retention requirements. A third site might have a custom web part that nobody wants to touch because the original developer left the company years ago.
When I look at a SharePoint migration, I do not start by asking, “How many gigabytes do we need to move?”
I start by asking:
What still has business value, what is a compliance requirement, and what is technical debt that should not be carried forward?
That question should guide your migration strategy before July 2026.
3. Option 1: Migrate to SharePoint Online and Microsoft 365
For many organizations, the best long-term option is to migrate from SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019 to SharePoint Online in Microsoft 365.
This is usually the right direction when your organization wants:
- Modern SharePoint sites and pages.
- Better integration with Microsoft Teams.
- OneDrive for personal file storage.
- Microsoft Purview retention, sensitivity labels, and compliance features.
- Reduced on-premises infrastructure dependency.
- Stronger alignment with Microsoft 365 security and identity controls.
- A better foundation for Microsoft 365 Copilot readiness.
Microsoft provides the SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) as a free option for migrating content from on-premises SharePoint sites to Microsoft 365.
What usually migrates well
SharePoint Online migration is a good fit for:
- Active team sites.
- Department document libraries.
- Project collaboration spaces.
- Intranet content that can be rebuilt as modern pages.
- File shares that should become SharePoint or Teams-based collaboration spaces.
- Content that benefits from Microsoft 365 search, compliance, and sharing controls.
What needs extra planning
These items usually need special assessment before migration:
- SharePoint Designer workflows.
- InfoPath forms.
- Custom master pages.
- Custom web parts.
- Farm solutions.
- Full-trust code.
- Classic publishing portals.
- Complex permissions.
- Large lists with custom views and threshold issues.
- Third-party add-ins or legacy integrations.
- Records centers or highly regulated document repositories.
Pros
- Best long-term Microsoft 365 alignment.
- Removes the burden of patching SharePoint Server farms.
- Supports modern collaboration with Teams and OneDrive.
- Enables a stronger path toward Purview, Entra ID, Conditional Access, and Copilot readiness.
- Gives users a more modern experience compared to classic on-premises sites.
Cons
- Some legacy customizations need to be rebuilt.
- SharePoint Designer workflows may need modernization to Power Automate or another supported workflow platform.
- Information architecture may need redesign.
- Users need training if they are moving from classic sites to modern SharePoint.
- You need governance, not just migration tooling.
My recommendation
If your organization does not have a hard requirement to keep SharePoint on-premises, prioritize SharePoint Online. Do not simply lift and shift every site exactly as-is. Use this deadline as the reason to clean up old content, simplify permissions, rebuild important pages, and modernize business processes.
If you are planning a migration to Microsoft 365, I have a detailed guide on how to plan a successful SharePoint migration in Microsoft 365 that walks through the process step by step.
4. Option 2: Upgrade to SharePoint Server Subscription Edition
Some organizations cannot move everything to SharePoint Online before July 2026. Others may have regulatory, data residency, network isolation, integration, or internal policy reasons to keep some workloads on-premises.
For those environments, the main supported on-premises path is SharePoint Server Subscription Edition.
Microsoft documents upgrade guidance for moving to SharePoint Server Subscription Edition from SharePoint Server 2016 or SharePoint Server 2019. SharePoint Server Subscription Edition follows Microsoft’s Modern Lifecycle Policy and is listed as currently in support. Microsoft has also stated that SharePoint Server Subscription Edition does not currently have a planned end of support and will not reach end of support before December 31, 2035.
When this option makes sense
SharePoint Server Subscription Edition may be the right path if:
- You must keep SharePoint on-premises.
- You have workloads that cannot move to Microsoft 365 yet.
- You need more time to modernize custom solutions.
- You are in a regulated environment with strict hosting requirements.
- You have integrations that depend on internal systems.
- You need a supported platform while planning a longer cloud migration.
Pros
- Keeps SharePoint on-premises.
- Provides a supported path after SharePoint 2016 and 2019 reach end of support.
- Gives your organization more time to modernize complex workloads.
- Can be a practical bridge for organizations that are not ready for full SharePoint Online adoption.
Cons
- You still own the infrastructure.
- You still need patching, monitoring, SQL Server planning, backups, disaster recovery, and farm administration.
- It does not automatically modernize old business processes.
- It may delay—but not eliminate—the need to move more workloads to Microsoft 365 later.
- You must review licensing and Software Assurance requirements carefully.
My recommendation
Use SharePoint Server Subscription Edition when there is a real business or compliance reason to stay on-premises. Do not use it as an excuse to postpone all modernization work. Even if you upgrade the farm, you should still assess workflows, customizations, unused sites, permissions, and records requirements.
5. Option 3: Use a hybrid migration approach
A hybrid approach can be the most realistic strategy for larger organizations.
In this model, you do not try to move everything at once. Instead, you divide the environment into logical groups:
- Move active collaboration sites to SharePoint Online.
- Move personal and departmental files to OneDrive, Teams, or SharePoint Online.
- Rebuild important intranet pages as modern SharePoint pages.
- Keep complex legacy applications on SharePoint Server Subscription Edition temporarily.
- Archive or decommission sites that no longer provide value.
This approach works well when your SharePoint farm has a mix of simple content and complicated legacy solutions.
Example hybrid strategy
| Workload Type | Recommended Path |
|---|---|
| Active team collaboration | Migrate to SharePoint Online / Teams |
| Department file repositories | Migrate to SharePoint Online |
| Personal work files | Migrate to OneDrive |
| Legacy approval workflows | Rebuild in Power Automate or another supported workflow tool |
| Custom farm solutions | Rebuild, replace, or keep temporarily on SharePoint Server Subscription Edition |
| Old project sites | Archive or delete after business approval |
| Records-heavy repositories | Review with compliance team before migration |
Pros
- Reduces risk by avoiding a big-bang migration.
- Lets the business prioritize high-value content first.
- Gives IT time to handle complicated workloads properly.
- Supports staged user adoption and training.
Cons
- Requires strong governance.
- Requires clear ownership of each site or workload.
- Can create temporary complexity across cloud and on-premises platforms.
- Needs a well-defined end state so hybrid does not become permanent technical debt.
My recommendation
Hybrid is a good strategy when it is intentional. It is a bad strategy when it simply means “we did not finish the migration.” Define what stays on-premises, why it stays there, who owns it, and when it will be reviewed again.
6. Option 4: Archive, clean up, or decommission old content
One of the biggest mistakes in SharePoint migration projects is migrating everything just because it exists.
If a site has not been used in years, has no business owner, contains outdated documents, or only exists because nobody wanted to make a decision, it should not automatically move to the new environment.
Before July 2026, every organization should identify:
- Sites with no recent activity.
- Sites with no clear owner.
- Duplicate libraries.
- Old project workspaces.
- Outdated policy documents.
- Broken workflows.
- Orphaned permissions.
- Content that should be retained but not actively migrated.
- Content that can be deleted after approval.
Archive does not mean “ignore”
Archiving should be intentional. You may need to preserve content for legal, compliance, or business reasons. But archived content does not always need to remain in a live collaboration site.
A good archive plan should define:
- What content is being archived.
- Who approved the archive decision.
- Where archived content will live.
- How long it must be retained.
- Who can access it.
- How it can be searched or restored.
- When it can be deleted.
My recommendation
Treat July 2026 as a cleanup opportunity. The less unnecessary content you migrate, the faster and cleaner your project becomes.
7. What you should not do: wait until the last minute
The riskiest option is to keep running SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019 after July 14, 2026 with no approved plan.
To be clear, some organizations may continue running unsupported software for a period of time. That happens in the real world. But it should never happen accidentally.
If leadership decides to accept the risk, that decision should be documented. The organization should understand the possible impact:
- Increased exposure to unpatched vulnerabilities.
- Higher audit and compliance concerns.
- No standard Microsoft support path.
- More difficult cyber insurance conversations.
- Greater dependency on internal experts or third-party support.
- More pressure when something breaks.
- More expensive emergency migration work later.
There is also a people risk. SharePoint Server knowledge is becoming more specialized. If your environment depends on a few people who know the farm history, custom solutions, service accounts, and undocumented dependencies, then waiting increases the chance that critical knowledge leaves before the migration starts.
8. SharePoint migration checklist before July 2026
Before choosing a migration path, start with an assessment. You need facts, not guesses.
If you need help collecting this information, the SharePoint Migration Scoping Toolkit is an open-source PowerShell project I built to help with on-premises discovery.
Farm and infrastructure inventory
Document the current environment:
- SharePoint version and patch level.
- Number of farms.
- Number of web applications.
- Number of site collections.
- Content database sizes.
- SQL Server version and configuration.
- Office Online Server or Office Web Apps dependency.
- Workflow Manager dependency.
- Search topology.
- Service applications.
- Authentication providers.
- SSL certificates.
- Load balancers and DNS records.
- Backup and disaster recovery configuration.
Content inventory
Identify:
- Site collection owners.
- Site usage and last activity.
- Storage size by site collection.
- Large lists and libraries.
- Checked-out files.
- Unique permissions.
- External sharing requirements.
- Retention or records requirements.
- Content types and metadata.
- Pages that need to be rebuilt.
Customization inventory
Look for:
- Farm solutions.
- Sandbox solutions.
- Custom web parts.
- Custom master pages.
- Custom page layouts.
- JavaScript injection.
- Script editor web parts.
- Event receivers.
- Timer jobs.
- Third-party tools.
- SharePoint Add-ins.
- Custom authentication or integration patterns.
If you are modernizing SPFx solutions, check out what’s new in SPFx 1.22 for the latest capabilities available in SharePoint Framework.
Workflow and forms inventory
Review:
- SharePoint Designer workflows.
- SharePoint 2010 workflows.
- SharePoint 2013 workflows.
- Nintex, K2, AgilePoint, or other third-party workflows.
- InfoPath forms.
- Custom forms.
- Business-critical approval processes.
- Workflows tied to retention, finance, HR, procurement, or legal processes.
Microsoft has also retired or announced retirement timelines for several legacy SharePoint Online extensibility and workflow models, including SharePoint Add-ins and SharePoint 2013 workflows in Microsoft 365. Even if your immediate concern is SharePoint Server, these related changes matter if your migration target is SharePoint Online.
Governance inventory
Define:
- Who owns each site.
- Who approves migration decisions.
- Naming standards.
- Hub site strategy.
- Teams creation policy.
- External sharing policy.
- Permission model.
- Retention and sensitivity labeling requirements.
- Site lifecycle policy.
- Support model after migration.
For a deeper look at governance tooling, the SharePoint Site Governance Dashboard is an open-source SPFx project that can help you track site health and ownership across your tenant.
9. Decision matrix: which migration option fits your environment?
Use this matrix as a starting point.
| Situation | Best-Fit Option |
|---|---|
| Most content is document collaboration and team sites | Migrate to SharePoint Online |
| Organization already uses Teams heavily | Migrate to SharePoint Online and align sites with Teams |
| Strict requirement to keep data on-premises | Upgrade to SharePoint Server Subscription Edition |
| Many custom farm solutions exist | Assess for rebuild, replacement, or temporary move to Subscription Edition |
| Many old unused project sites exist | Archive or decommission |
| Complex mix of modern collaboration and legacy applications | Hybrid approach |
| Need fastest path to supported platform | Upgrade to Subscription Edition or migrate priority sites first |
| Long-term goal is Microsoft 365 modernization | SharePoint Online-first strategy |
| Heavy compliance and records management requirements | Involve compliance team before migration path is finalized |
| No clear site ownership | Start with governance and ownership mapping before migration |
10. A practical 90-day action plan
If your organization is only starting now, you need a focused plan. You may not be able to modernize everything before July 2026, but you can still reduce risk quickly.
Days 1–15: Build the facts
- Confirm all SharePoint farms and versions.
- Identify business owners.
- Export site collection inventory.
- Gather storage, usage, and last activity data.
- Identify custom solutions and workflows.
- Review backup and disaster recovery status.
- Confirm whether SharePoint is internet-facing.
- Identify known compliance or retention requirements.
Days 16–30: Categorize every workload
Place each site or workload into one of these categories:
- Migrate to SharePoint Online.
- Upgrade/keep on SharePoint Server Subscription Edition.
- Rebuild as a modern solution.
- Archive.
- Delete after approval.
- Requires business decision.
Days 31–45: Choose the migration path
- Select migration tooling.
- Define target information architecture.
- Create pilot migration plan.
- Identify high-risk sites.
- Identify quick-win sites.
- Decide on cutover strategy.
- Create communication plan.
- Confirm licensing and capacity.
Days 46–60: Pilot and validate
- Run pilot migrations.
- Validate permissions.
- Validate metadata.
- Validate version history requirements.
- Validate workflows and forms.
- Confirm search behavior.
- Test user access.
- Document lessons learned.
Days 61–75: Migrate priority workloads
- Start with high-value, low-complexity sites.
- Schedule incremental migrations.
- Communicate with site owners.
- Train users on modern SharePoint and Teams.
- Resolve permission issues.
- Track migration defects.
Days 76–90: Reduce remaining risk
- Finalize plan for complex sites.
- Archive unused content.
- Document unsupported items.
- Confirm post-migration support process.
- Prepare executive status reporting.
- Define what happens to the old farm after cutover.
The key is to avoid treating migration as a weekend copy job. Even a fast migration needs ownership, validation, communication, and support.
11. Final thoughts
The July 14, 2026 deadline for SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019 is not just about moving away from an old version. It is a chance to make better decisions about how your organization manages content, collaboration, workflows, permissions, and governance.
Some sites should move to SharePoint Online. Some workloads may need SharePoint Server Subscription Edition. Some content should be archived. Some old solutions should finally be retired.
The worst approach is to wait until the deadline becomes an emergency.
If your SharePoint environment has been running for years, the migration project should start with discovery. Find the sites. Find the owners. Find the workflows. Find the customizations. Find the content nobody has touched in five years. Then make a plan that matches the business value of each workload.
July 2026 is close. But with the right assessment and migration strategy, it can become the forcing function your organization needs to modernize SharePoint the right way.
Still running SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019?
I can help you assess your farm, identify migration blockers, and build a realistic path before the July 2026 deadline.
Request a SharePoint Migration Assessment →
FAQ
When does SharePoint Server 2016 end support?
SharePoint Server 2016 reaches end of extended support on July 14, 2026 according to Microsoft’s lifecycle page.
When does SharePoint Server 2019 end support?
SharePoint Server 2019 also reaches end of extended support on July 14, 2026 according to Microsoft’s lifecycle page.
Will SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019 stop working after July 14, 2026?
Not necessarily. The servers may continue to run, but they will be unsupported. That means your organization assumes the risk of running a platform that no longer receives the normal support and update benefits available during the supported lifecycle.
What is the best migration option for SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019?
For many organizations, the best long-term option is SharePoint Online in Microsoft 365. However, organizations with strict on-premises requirements may need to upgrade to SharePoint Server Subscription Edition. The right answer depends on business requirements, compliance, customizations, integrations, and user needs.
Can I upgrade from SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019 to SharePoint Server Subscription Edition?
Yes. Microsoft provides documentation for upgrading to SharePoint Server Subscription Edition from SharePoint Server 2016 or SharePoint Server 2019. Before choosing this path, review prerequisites, patch levels, customizations, database health, and licensing requirements.
Should I migrate everything to SharePoint Online?
No. You should not migrate everything just because it exists. Start with discovery and classify each site as migrate, modernize, archive, delete, or keep temporarily on-premises. A cleaner migration usually leads to a better SharePoint environment.
What tools can help migrate from SharePoint Server to SharePoint Online?
Microsoft’s SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) is a free tool for migrating content from on-premises SharePoint sites to Microsoft 365. Depending on complexity, organizations may also evaluate third-party migration tools for advanced reporting, scheduling, restructuring, permissions mapping, or complex migration scenarios.
What should I check before migrating?
Check site owners, permissions, storage, last activity, custom solutions, workflows, InfoPath forms, large lists, metadata, retention requirements, and integrations. The biggest migration problems usually come from hidden dependencies, not from simple document libraries.
Is SharePoint Server Subscription Edition a permanent solution?
SharePoint Server Subscription Edition is the current supported on-premises SharePoint path. Microsoft states it is in support and has no planned end of support before December 31, 2035. However, it should still be part of a broader modernization strategy, especially if your organization is also adopting Microsoft 365.
Sources
- Microsoft Lifecycle — SharePoint Server 2016
- Microsoft Lifecycle — SharePoint Server 2019
- Microsoft Lifecycle — Products reaching end of support in 2026
- Overview of the SharePoint Migration Tool
- SharePoint Migration Tool release notes
- Upgrade to SharePoint Server Subscription Edition
- Microsoft Lifecycle — SharePoint Server Subscription Edition
- Additional support for select server products following Modern Lifecycle Policy
- SharePoint Add-In retirement in Microsoft 365
- SharePoint 2013 workflow retirement
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