Apply Site Design Templates Overview
Modern SharePoint sites are further extending the capabilities to alter or customize the default behavior of a site. Traditionally with SharePoint Server, site administrators had the ability to create custom XML based solutions as templates or save pre-configured sites as templates. Within a Modern Workspace, we now have the ability to view and apply these site design templates.
With the initial release of this functionality, site administrators were able to implement brand new sites from these templates. As the site design scripts execute upon provisioning, a significant amount of time may be saved by automatically generating relevant Columns, Libraries, Branding, Navigation, Applications, and Security.
Due to the timing of this release, site administrators found themselves with tens or hundreds of sites that were implemented in an inconsistent way before the availability of this new feature. Now with this latest update, admins can view and apply site design templates to existing sites as well.
Apply Site Design Templates Creation Process
- Create new Team Site or Communication Site. It is important to take note about the site type so that you can lookup the Site Template ID to be used later.
- Download and install the SharePoint Online Management Shell console.
- Configure, design, and add the Site Design Script to your tenant. This script defines the sequence of steps performed during the provisioning process
- Create and register the Site Design with your Office 365 tenant. This step will associate the script with a given site template.
- Apply Site Design Template to existing site. Only registered Site Designs associated with your Site Template will be listed as an available option.
- If a site design has already been applied, you may go back and view the resources that have been applied by re-selecting that design.
Minimum Requirements
- Only a Site Owner or Site Collection Administrator apply a Site Design to an existing site.
- The settings to apply this feature are only visible from a Modern Site Page.
- Site Designs may be applied to any Site or Sub-Site that match the Site Design definition.
