Modernizing a Classic SharePoint Site (Suomeksi)

Eduuni-workspaces service is currently on the SharePoint Server Subscription Edition version. In this version, the service has the ability to create new modern sites.

The modern experience is visible on all sites regardless of the site template. Users can switch between the classic and modern experiences on the sites. The view selection is stored in the user's browser cookies and is remembered in the Eduuni-workspaces service even when navigating from one site to another.

Modernizing old classic wiki sites is partially possible. This guide provides tips and instructions for modernizing sites.

Classic and Modern Pages

  • Wiki pages are based on the classic SharePoint experience and do not have a direct conversion function to the modern interface.
  • Modern SharePoint pages use completely different technology that does not support the old wiki page structures, such as old web parts and internal formatting.

Pages:

  1. Site Page = Modern page. A contemporary page that uses modern web parts.
  2. Wiki Page = Classic page. In Eduuni-workspaces, the most used page template for classic sites is the wiki page.
  3. Web Part Page = A page with web part zones (if you are creating a new page, prefer using a modern page "Site Page").

Transferring Content from a Classic Wiki Page to a Modern Page

Classic SharePoint wiki pages cannot be directly converted to modern pages, but it is possible to transfer (copy) or recreate the content on modern pages.

Create a New Modern Page

  1. Go to the Pages library of your SharePoint site. Ensure you are in the modern view (switch the view if necessary from the left sidebar "Exit classic experience").
  2. Select New > Site Page (modern page).

Copy Content from the Classic Wiki Page

  1. Open the classic wiki page and copy its text and images.
  2. Go to the newly created modern page and paste the content into the appropriate modern web parts:
    • Use the Text web part for text content.
    • Use the Image Gallery or Image web part for visual content.
    • Use the Links or Quick Links components for navigation.

Deploy the New Page

  1. Save and publish the modern page.
  2. If the new page replaces the old wiki page, update all links pointing to the old wiki page.
  3. Delete or archive the old wiki pages if they are no longer needed.

Changing the Homepage to a Modern Page on a Classic Site

You can change the homepage of your classic site to a new modern homepage as follows:

  1. Go to the Pages library.
  2. Create a new modern page:
    • Click New > Site Page.
      • Note: If you do not see this option, ensure you are in the modern view. Switch the view if necessary from the left sidebar "Exit classic experience".
  3. Build the new page using modern web parts (e.g., News, Quick Links, Document Library). Follow the above instructions for "Transferring Content from a Classic Wiki Page to a Modern Page".
  4. Save and publish the modern page.
  5. Set the created modern page as the homepage → Go to the Pages library, click the three dots next to the created page, and select "Make homepage".

Lists/Libraries

If a list/library appears in the classic experience and the site does not show the "Exit classic experience" link, activate the modern interface as follows:

  1. Open the classic library or list on your SharePoint site.
  2. Go to Library Settings.
  3. Select Advanced Settings and check the Experience section:
    • Change Classic experience to Modern experience.
  4. Save the changes.

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