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Written By
Simran Bhatia -
Approved By
Sonika Rawat -
Updated on
September 7th, 2026 -
Read Time
6 minutes
Migrate SharePoint to Office 365: Secure & Seamless Migration
User Query: We recently acquired a smaller company, and management wants both teams working from our Office 365 tenant by the end of the quarter. Their SharePoint environment has nearly 30 sites with years of project files, documents, and folders, and I’m the only IT person handling the migration. What’s the actual process for moving their SharePoint data into our tenant without breaking permissions, losing files, or causing problems for users during the switch?
Introduction: A lot of companies still run SharePoint to store their documents, project files, and team content in one place. But when it runs on an on-premises server, the IT team has to handle server maintenance, storage, updates, and security. Moving to Office 365 can make things easier by putting the data in the cloud. Sites, folders, lists, permissions, and other SharePoint content also need to be reviewed and moved properly. This blog explains the manual method and a professional SysInfo SharePoint Migration Tool to migrate SharePoint to Office 365.
What Does SharePoint to Office 365 Migration Mean?
SharePoint Migration to Office 365 involves migrating the SharePoint data from an on-premises SharePoint Server environment to SharePoint Online in Microsoft 365. The source environment consists of: SharePoint Sites, Team Sites, Document Libraries, Documents, Folders, Lists, List Items, Site Pages, Metadata, Permissions, Groups, Version History, Customizations, and Workflows.
SharePoint Online vs SharePoint Server
Before the migration process starts, it is important to understand the distinction between the two options.
- SharePoint Server is managed by the organization. It implies that the organization is accountable for the server, storage, updates, backup, and infrastructure.
- SharePoint Online is the cloud version of SharePoint offered by Microsoft. In this case, Microsoft controls the cloud infrastructure, whereas the administrators manage users, sites, permissions, and content.
Methods to Migrate SharePoint to Office 365
Migration cannot be done through one particular process for all organizations. It all depends on the volume of information, version of SharePoint, and the scope of the migration. The main approaches are:
- Manual migration
- Microsoft migration tools
- SysInfo migration software
Method 01: Manual Method to Move SharePoint Online to Office 36
- First, create the required SharePoint Online sites in Microsoft 365.
- Create the required document libraries and lists.
- Move the required documents from the source SharePoint environment to SharePoint Online.
- Set up the required users and groups on the destination side.
- Open the destination libraries and verify that the files and folders are available.
- Ask selected users to access the migrated content and confirm that they have the expected permissions.
Manual Method Limitations: This method is effective for dealing with a small number of documents, but it becomes very tough to use if there are many files, multiple websites, or large document libraries in the environment.
Method 02: Migrate SharePoint Online to Microsoft 365 Using Microsoft Migration Tool
Migration tools are provided by Microsoft in order to move the supported content to Microsoft 365. Among many options, one of the most frequently used is the SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT). It may be applied to the following supported migration scenarios:
- Set up the Microsoft 365 environment and then install the migration tool.
- Next, connect to the source and choose the content for migration.
- After that, select the destination and review the migration settings.
- Lastly, run the migration and check the migration reports.
Note: The exact steps depend on the SharePoint source version and migration scenario.
Method 03: Migrate SharePoint to Office 365 Using SysInfo Tool
The Microsoft SharePoint Migration Tool is a secure solution to migrate sites & group sites, drive data, generic lists, columns, latest file versions, document libraries, and metadata with zero data loss. Multiple features, such as Date Filter, Dual authentication mode, and more. Applicable for all technical and non-technical users. Highly compatible with all Windows and Mac OS versions. Apart from that, you can perform SharePoint deduplication to remove duplicate data.
Steps for Migrating from on-premises SharePoint to Microsoft 365
- Download the software and choose Copy SharePoint.
- Select the source sites from the list after completing secure modern authentication.
- Map the SharePoint account from source to destination and apply advanced features. Click Start Migration.
Note: For complete instructions, refer to the SysInfo SharePoint to SharePoint Migration software guide. It provides detailed information about the migration process, authentication, account mapping, and other required settings.
Conclusion
In this technical blog post, we explored several methods to migrate SharePoint to Office 365. You can use the manual method, SPMT tool, or SysInfo software as per your needs. But we highly recommend using a professional tool because it is cost-effective, suitable for large data, and for enterprise users. Also tested for GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, and more in terms of security.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How do I migrate SharePoint to Office 365?
Ans. You can move SharePoint data to Office 365 manually, use Microsoft’s SharePoint Migration Tool, or use SysInfo migration software. The right option depends on the amount of data, number of sites, and migration requirements.
Q2. Is it possible to migrate SharePoint Online to Microsoft 365 without losing files?
Ans. Yes, use the professional tool to migrate your SharePoint Online to Microsoft 365 without losing files. It uses the Microsoft Graph API for data transfers over secure TLS-encrypted HTTPS between tenants.
Q3. Does SharePoint migration preserve document libraries?
Ans. Yes, SharePoint Migration Tool preserves the document libraries, lists, sites, and other data.
Q4. Can SharePoint groups be mapped to Microsoft 365 groups?
Ans. User and group mapping should be reviewed before migration so that users get the correct access at the destination.
Q5. Does data security get maintained during SharePoint migration to Office 365?
Ans. This will be determined by the migration software that is being used and authentication. Make sure that you use secure authentication and restrict access to authorized administrators.
Q6. Is there a possibility to use a date-range filter while migrating to SharePoint?
Ans. Yes, the SysInfo utility offers a date filter. You can define a Start or End Date for selective migration.
Q7. Is the migration from SharePoint Online to Office 365 across tenants possible?
Ans. Yes. Migration of SharePoint content between two different tenants is possible. However, this process will need appropriate planning.
Q8. Can duplicate SharePoint files be excluded before migration?
Ans. The professional tool provides deduplication or duplicate-checking options. These features can help identify duplicate content and avoid moving unnecessary copies to the destination.
Q9. Is incremental synchronization useful for SharePoint Online migration?
Ans. Yes. Incremental synchronization can be helpful when users continue working with the source SharePoint environment during the migration. It can copy changes made after the initial migration and make the final cutover easier to manage.
Q 10: Is it possible for companies to move SharePoint during a merger or acquisition?
Ans. Yes. Migration of SharePoint is usually one of the IT consolidation activities that occur post-merger or acquisition. A phased migration may allow sites and content to be moved in phases while the user base tests their access.
About The Author:
Simran Bhatia is a technical content writer engaged in writing clear, concise, and SEO-optimized content. With a background in computer science and a passion for writing, I thrive to deliver complex technical content in simple layman terms.
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