To change SharePoint site name, a site owner opens Settings, selects Site information and edits the site name. The address stays the same. To change the address as well, a SharePoint admin uses the admin center or PowerShell. Microsoft leaves a redirect at the old address, but web parts, forms and flows may need a fix.
People ask me to change SharePoint site name when a project ends, a team gets a new title or a merger makes the old label wrong. It sounds like one click. It is really two different jobs, and mixing them up is how links break.
Microsoft keeps these jobs in two places and gives them to two different roles. This guide shows both, with the exact steps, the limits and the cleanup that follows.
What is the difference between a site name and a site address?
The name is what people read. The address is what the browser opens.
When you change SharePoint site name, you edit the title that shows in the header, in search results and in the site list. The link stays as it was. When you change the address, you edit the last part of the URL, for example /sites/project-x to /sites/project-y. Only that last part can change. A site cannot move from /sites to /teams.
A site rename takes about ten minutes. Finding every hard coded link to the old address takes much longer, so start that list before you press Save.
Jamie Kaler Marketing Head and Content Strategist, RecoveryTools
How do you change SharePoint site name step by step?
Use this order to change SharePoint site name. Steps 1 and 2 change the name. Steps 3 to 8 change the address and check the result.
- Check your role. A site owner or designer can edit the name. Only a SharePoint administrator can edit the address.
- Change the site name. Open the site, select the Settings gear, select Site information, edit the Site name field and select Save.
- Open Active sites. Sign in to the SharePoint admin center, go to Active sites and select the site name to open its details panel.
- Edit the site address. On the General tab, under Site address, select Edit.
- Enter the new address and save. Type the new last part of the URL, check that it is free and select Save. You can update the site name in the same step.
- Wait for the change to finish. Microsoft says it takes about 10 minutes, depending on the size of the site, and the site is read only during that time.
- Test the old link. Open the old address and the new one. Microsoft creates a redirect at the old address, so both should reach the site.
- Check the connected parts. Look at the hub association, web parts, forms and flows that mention the old address, then tell your users.
If the Site information option is missing, you do not have owner or designer rights. Ask the site owner to make the change or to give you access.
How do you change SharePoint site name with PowerShell?
PowerShell is the better route when you have many sites or want a dry check first. You need to be a SharePoint administrator and connect with the SharePoint Online Management Shell.
Start with the validation command. It checks that the address can be changed and does not change anything.
Start-SPOSiteRename -Identity https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/project-x -NewSiteUrl https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/project-y -ValidationOnlyIf the check passes, start the real change. Add -NewSiteTitle if you want a new site name at the same time.
Start-SPOSiteRename -Identity https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/project-x -NewSiteUrl https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/project-y -NewSiteTitle "Project Y"Microsoft says you can change up to 100 sites at a time, but you should wait for the current changes to finish before you start more. The cmdlet also has switches that skip the checks for marketplace apps, SharePoint 2013 workflows and Business Connectivity Services. I leave those off until the validation shows a real reason to use them.
Which SharePoint sites can you rename?
Most modern sites, but not all. Microsoft allows an address change on the site types below and blocks it in the cases that follow.
| Site or condition | Address change | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 group connected team site | Allowed | The group name changes only if you update the site name in the same step. The group email address does not change |
| Communication site or classic team site | Allowed | Same steps in the admin center or PowerShell |
| Hub site | Blocked | You cannot change a hub site address. A normal site must be joined to its hub again after a change |
| Publishing feature active now or before | Blocked | Microsoft does not support the change on these sites |
| More than 15 million documents | Blocked | The site is too large for the rename job |
| Locked or on hold site | Blocked in the admin center | Remove the lock or hold first, or plan a move instead |
If your site falls in a blocked row, do not fight it. Ask one question first. Very large sites also hit storage trouble, and I cover that in how to check and increase the SharePoint storage limit.
When the answer is no to all three, you can change the address. When any answer is yes, the clean fix is a new site at the address you want and a move of the content. A move to another tenant follows a different route, and I cover it in how to migrate a SharePoint site to another tenant.
What breaks after you change SharePoint site name?
The name change breaks nothing. The address change can, and Microsoft names the parts that need a look.
Links and favorites are safe. Microsoft creates a redirect at the old address, and sharing links redirect to the new one. The OneDrive sync app also detects the new address and carries on without a new sign in, though files updated during the change show a pending message. Older OneNote versions may show a sync error until they update.
Content that holds a typed URL is the risk. The table lists what I check first.
| What you use | What can break | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| News and list web parts | Embedded URLs and news thumbnails do not update | Edit the web part and select the content again |
| List view web part on a folder | Shows an error after the change | Reset the folder path or add the web part again |
| Power Apps custom forms | The form stops working | Recreate the form on the list |
| SharePoint 2013 workflows and apps | Still point at the old address | Republish the workflow or the app |
| Microsoft Forms with file upload | The upload question breaks | Recreate the question |
| Custom code and embedded links | Hard coded URLs are not updated | Search your code and pages for the old address |
Links in other tools are the quiet problem. Some third party tools do not follow redirects, so a document, a wiki page or a chat bookmark can still hold the old link. For the sharing side of this, read what happens to SharePoint sharing links after migration.
Need a new address and the same content
RecoveryTools SharePoint Migrator moves a site, its libraries and lists to a new site with permissions, versions and metadata. Lookup and calculated columns, workflows and Power Automate flows stay behind, so plan to rebuild those on the new site.
No credit card, no sign-up. Works on Windows 11, 10 and Windows Server 2022.
What should you check before you change SharePoint site name?
I keep a short list, and I do not skip it on small sites.
First, choose a quiet hour, because the site is read only while the change finishes. Second, search for the old address in your web parts, forms and flows, so you know what to fix before users find it. Third, tell the site members what is changing and when. Fourth, if the site belongs to a hub, plan to join it to the hub again after the change.
Two mistakes cause most of the pain I see. The first is renaming a site again to undo it. Microsoft says to delete the redirect, rename back and then delete the new redirect, so a second rename on top of the first leaves a mess. The second is reusing an old address without deleting its redirect, which Microsoft does not allow until the redirect is gone.
If the rename is part of a bigger move, put it on the same plan as everything else. The Microsoft 365 migration planning checklist shows where a rename sits in the cutover week.
My verdict on renaming a SharePoint site
Change the name freely. Change the address rarely, and only once.
A new site name is a safe five minute edit that any owner can make. A new address is an admin job with a redirect, a short read only window and a list of parts to check. When a rename is blocked, a new site with the right address is cleaner than any workaround, and a migration moves the content without a copy and paste. Use the same care every time you change SharePoint site name, and your users will barely notice.
Frequently asked questions
Can you change SharePoint site name without changing the URL?
Yes. A site owner or designer opens Settings, selects Site information and edits the Site name field. The address stays the same, so no links break.
Who can edit a SharePoint site name or address?
Owners and designers can edit the site name in Site information. Only a SharePoint administrator can change the site address, in the admin center or with PowerShell.
Does the old SharePoint link still work after a rename?
Yes. Microsoft creates a redirect at the old address, so favorites and sharing links reach the new one. To reuse the old address later, you must delete the redirect first.
How long does it take to change a SharePoint site address?
About 10 minutes, depending on the size of the site. The site is read only while the change finishes, so choose a quiet time.
Why can I not change my SharePoint site address?
The site may be a hub site, may have the Publishing feature active or used before, may hold more than 15 million documents, or may be locked or on hold. In those cases, create a new site and move the content.
Can RecoveryTools SharePoint Migrator rename a site?
No. It moves a site, its libraries and lists to a new site with permissions, versions and metadata. Lookup and calculated columns, workflows and Power Automate flows stay behind and need a rebuild.
Jamie blends strategic marketing insight with technical writing, turning migration and recovery topics into guidance that works for technical and general readers alike.
Published 13 October 2026. Steps and limits come from Microsoft Learn and Support pages on changing a site address, the Start-SPOSiteRename cmdlet and changing a site title and site information.