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Save site as a template and use it to create a Site Collection

 

Recently I was browsing the TechNet Forums like I usually do a few times a week, and I’ve seen a question a user was asking, which intrigued me.

Quote
When we save a subsite as a template, can we re-use it to create a Site Collection?

I thought that was a good question, especially in SharePoint Online (where things are a bit “restricted”), and I’ve never had this request either so… What’s the best way to know if that’s possible? You got it. Try! So I went into my own Office 365 environment, and started to play around, trying to achieve what the user was asking for.

Needless to say that I was happy to be able to help this user at the end.
 

Save site as a Template

First thing to do, is obviously to save your site as a template for re-use.

Navigate to your Site Collection, then choose one of your subsite.

  • Go to Site Settings –> Save site as a template (under Site Actions)
  • Give it a File name
  • Give it a Template name
  • [OPTIONAL] – Include the content
    • not recommended if you create a new Site Collection. Remember? Isolation… Security…
    • Or the content should not be sensitive
    • Or… you have your reasons to include the content……
  • Click on OK

/images/sharepoint-screenshots/save-site-as-a-template-img1.png
 

The template is now created and available in the Solution Gallery.

By clicking on OK, you are redirected to the subsite you saved as a template. We need to go to the Solution Gallery, but this is only available under the Site Collection.

Navigate to the root of the site collection –> Site Settings, OR you can still go under Site Settings from the subsite –> “Go to top level site settings” (under Site Collection Administration).

Now, under Web Designer Galleries, click on Solutions. Here, you’ll have a list of your “solutions“, and our new template is listed:

/images/sharepoint-screenshots/save-site-as-a-template-img2.png
 

Time to save the template to use later…

Click on the solution name (it’s a link) to save it locally on your machine. This will save the solution with a .WSP extension.
 

Create the new Site Collection

Now let’s create a new Site Collection where we’ll use the new template.

  • Navigate to the SharePoint Admin Center –> New –> Private site collection
  • Create the Site Collection like you normally would BUT select the Custom tab with “Select a template later…“
  • Access your new Site Collection, and you’ll be asked to choose a template –> Click on the Solution Gallery link (currently the “Custom” tab isn’t showing up)
  • Click on the Upload Solution in the ribbon » Browse to the location where you saved the template earlier » Click on OK
  • Then click on Activate in the ribbon

/images/sharepoint-screenshots/save-site-as-a-template-img3.png
 

/images/sharepoint-screenshots/save-site-as-a-template-img4.png
 

That’s all for the solution (template) – It’s now activated!
 

Assign the Template to the new Site Collection

Re-access your new site collection from the SharePoint Admin Center, and observe that the “Custom” tab is now present! Select it, and click on OK

/images/sharepoint-screenshots/save-site-as-a-template-img5.png
 

The last thing to do is to choose your groups (new ones OR existing), and you’re good to go!