Site Provisioning in SharePoint Online - Step-by-Step Guide

Author: Vishal Thakur

Introduction

Site Provisioning or Site Templating is a developer-friendly feature of SharePoint. Using Site Templating, SharePoint allows you to create a replica of a Site Collection and use it to create similar sites for departmental or other purposes. It is easy to create and apply, requiring a one-time operation. However, there are some prerequisites to using it:

• Knowledge of PowerShell Scripts.
• Knowledge of PnP Module.
• Must have SharePoint Online Administrator credentials.

Step 1: Open PowerShell in Administrator Mode

Start by opening PowerShell in Administrator mode.

Step 2: Install the PnP Module

Run the following command to install the PnP module:

Install-Module -Name "PnP.PowerShell"

Step 3: Connect to SharePoint Online

Run the following command to connect to your SharePoint Online site:

Connect-SPOService -Url https://rb500-admin.sharepoint.com

After running the command, you will be prompted to enter your SharePoint admin credentials.

Step 4: Generate Site Script

Run the following command to generate a site script from an existing site:

Get-SPOSiteScriptFromWeb -WebUrl "https://test.sharepoint.com/sites/mysite" -IncludeTheme -IncludeBranding -IncludeSiteExternalSharingCapability -IncludeRegionalSettings -IncludeLinksToExportedItems -IncludedLists ("SiteAssets", "SitePages", "Lists/Tools", "Lists/Tips", "Lists/Quick Links List", "Lists/Highlights", "Lists/Footer Links", "Lists/Alerts", "Lists/Company News", "Lists/Article News", "Lists/Dashboard")

Step 5: Create JSON File

Copy the output generated by the above command and create a new JSON file named myProvisioning.json. Paste the copied content into this file, excluding the last line.

Step 6: Connect to PnP Online

Run the following command to connect to PnP Online:

Connect-PnPOnline -Url "https://test.sharepoint.com/sites/mytest" -Interactive

Enter your credentials when prompted.

Step 7: Get Installed Apps

Run the following command to list the apps installed on your tenant:

Get-PnPApp

Copy the component IDs of the apps you want to include in your template.

Step 8: Add Component IDs to JSON

Add the component IDs to the JSON file in the following format:

{
    "verb": "installSolution",
    "id": "10688609-079b-4b54-aeab-9768be2d7984"
},
{
    "verb": "installSolution",
    "id": "15368b1d-9ebb-4a94-9920-c57893795441"
},
{
    "verb": "installSolution",
    "id": "26b0d083-c2a1-4eb7-a070-97c985f0cc6d"
}
    

Paste this at the end of the myProvisioning.json file.

Step 9: Add Site Script

Run the following command to add the site script:

Get-Content "D:\PowerShell Scripts\myProvisioning.json" -Raw | Add-SPOSiteScript -Title "MySiteHomeSiteTemplate"

Copy the ID generated by this command.

Step 10: Add Site Design

Run the following command to add the site design:

Add-SPOSiteDesign

Provide the following details when prompted:

• Title: The name of your template.
• WebTemplate: Use 64 for a team site or 68 for a communication site.
• SiteScripts[0]: Paste the ID generated in Step 9.

Step 11: Apply the Template

To apply the template to a new or existing site:

1. Go to the site where you want to apply the template.
2. Click on the gear icon and select Site Template.
3. Select your template from the list and apply it.

Step 12: Delete an Existing Template

To delete an existing template, run the following command with the specific ID:

Remove-SPOSiteDesign <ID>

For example:

Remove-SPOSiteDesign 21209d88-38de-4844-9823-f1f600a1179a

Conclusion

This guide provides a step-by-step process for site provisioning in SharePoint Online using PowerShell and the PnP module. By following these steps, you can create and apply site templates efficiently.

Thanks for Referring!