SharePoint Server to SharePoint Online, step by step
Extended support for SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019 ended on July 14, 2026: no more security updates. Moving the content to SharePoint Online is the usual next step, but farms built over years carry workflows, forms and custom code that SharePoint Online no longer runs. This is what to check, and the order that works.
What SharePoint Online no longer runs
| Support | SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019: extended support ended on July 14, 2026. |
|---|---|
| Workflows | SharePoint 2010 workflows were retired in SharePoint Online in November 2020, and 2013 workflows on April 2, 2026. Microsoft points to Power Automate. |
| Add-ins | SharePoint Add-ins stopped working in SharePoint Online on April 2, 2026. Microsoft points to SharePoint Framework (SPFx). |
| InfoPath forms | InfoPath Forms Services in SharePoint Online ended on July 14, 2026. Microsoft points to Power Apps, Power Automate or Microsoft Forms. |
| Farm solutions | Server-side code deployed as farm solutions does not run in SharePoint Online. |
Source: Microsoft, as published in October 2026. SharePoint Server 2019 lifecycle, SharePoint Server 2016 lifecycle, SharePoint 2013 workflow retirement, SharePoint Add-In retirement and InfoPath notice MC616550
The migration, step by step
- 1
Take an inventory without changing anything
Sites, libraries, sizes and permissions, and everything custom: workflows, InfoPath forms, add-ins, farm solutions and site templates. Also what nobody has opened in years. Nothing gets decided before this.
- 2
Decide what moves, what gets rebuilt and what retires
Content moves. Workflows become Power Automate flows, forms become Power Apps or Microsoft Forms, custom code becomes SharePoint Framework or a separate application. What nobody uses anymore retires.
- 3
Map permissions and groups, never wider
SharePoint groups, Active Directory groups and individual grants need an equivalent in Microsoft Entra ID. Years of broken inheritance can be simplified on the way, as long as nobody ends up seeing more than before.
- 4
Let the site owners decide
Whether a site still needs to exist, and who should see it, is a question for its owner. Ask, and keep a record of who decided.
- 5
Migrate in incremental passes
Copy while the farm is still in use, then repeat: each pass copies only what is new or changed, with dates and authors kept. Only the last pass and the switch need a short window.
- 6
Verify every file, then cut over
Compare each file with its original and read dates, authors and permissions back from SharePoint Online. Then move people over and set the old sites to read-only before the farm is shut down.
How Sendero does it
Sendero moves the content of SharePoint Server sites and libraries to SharePoint Online and OneDrive. It analyzes without writing anything, proposes the plan as rules you can read, asks the site owners, migrates once someone with authority approves and checks every file against the original. Workflows, forms and custom code are rebuilt as a project of their own, and Montecode does that work too.
Questions
Does SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019 stop working after July 14, 2026?
No, it keeps running, but Microsoft no longer releases security updates or fixes for it. Every month on an unsupported farm adds risk.
Should we move to SharePoint Server Subscription Edition instead?
If you have to stay on your own servers, Subscription Edition is Microsoft’s supported on-premises version. If you already pay for Microsoft 365, SharePoint Online leaves you no servers to patch.
Do our workflows and InfoPath forms move too?
Not as they are. SharePoint Online no longer runs 2010 or 2013 workflows or InfoPath forms, so they are rebuilt with Power Automate and Power Apps. The inventory shows which ones are still in use.
Can we use SPMT or ShareGate instead?
Yes, both move content. Sendero focuses on the decisions around it: an analysis explained in plain language, permission choices made and recorded by the owners, and every file checked against the original.