Change SharePoint Site Name: Complete Step-by-Step Guide (2025)

Changing SharePoint site name sounds simple, but it can affect your site URL, permissions, and connected apps if not done carefully. Today, I’ll show you how to change SharePoint site name safely, including the display name and the URL.

By the end, you’ll have a clear, step-by-step plan to update your site name without breaking anything.

So, let’s understand:

• Understanding What “Rename SharePoint Site” Means
• How to Change SharePoint Site Name?
  • Rename SharePoint Site (Title)
  • Change the Site URL (Address) – Admin-Level Operation
  • Rename SharePoint site URL Using PowerShell
  • Rename Communication Sites and Team Sites Carefully
• Post-Rename Checklist
• What to do Before Renaming Major SharePoint Sites?
• Situations Where You Can’t Rename SharePoint Site
• Best Practices I Follow
• Author’s Verdict
• People Also Ask

Understanding What “Rename SharePoint Site” Means

Before moving directly into the steps, let’s clear one common confusion:

SharePoint actually has two different “names”:

#1. Site Name (Title):
This is what users see on the site homepage, navigation bar, and Teams tab. Changing it is quick and harmless.

#2. Site URL (Address):
This is the actual web address, for example: https://organization.sharepoint.com/sites/ProjectA. Changing this requires admin access and affects connected apps.

When you confirm, if you want to change the Site name or URL, then move to the next section to start the renaming procedure.

How to Change SharePoint Site Name?

Since the steps for changing SharePoint site name and site URL are different, I’ve divided them into separate sections. This way, you can easily follow the one that fits your specific needs, i.e.

Rename SharePoint Site (Title)

If you only want to update the display name, which means the title that appears on the site:

1. Open the SharePoint site.
2. Click the Settings icon.
3. Select Site information.
4. Edit the Site name and, if needed, the Site description.
5. Click Save.

Done! The new name shows up instantly across your SharePoint and Teams. Additionally, this doesn’t affect the site URL or break any links. So, now learned how to change SharePoint site name.

So, for changing SharePoint site URL, let’s go through the next section.

Change the Site URL (Address) – Admin-Level Operation

Now, if you need to change the site’s web address, it’s a bit more technical. To do so, it is essential to have access to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center:

1. Open https://admin.microsoft.com in your browser.
2. Go to the SharePoint Admin Center > click Active sites.
3. Find your site using search.
4. Select the site > click Edit.
5. Enter your new site name.
6. Click Save.

That’s it. SharePoint starts the rename process and automatically creates a redirect from the old URL to the new one. The rename takes a few minutes, during which your site could be temporarily unavailable.

Rename SharePoint site URL Using PowerShell

If you’re managing multiple sites or prefer automation, PowerShell is the best option. For the same download or update SharePoint Online Management Shell, and run these commands:

# Connect to SharePoint Online
Connect-SPOService -Url https://macktenant-admin.sharepoint.com
# Rename the site URL
Start-SPOSiteRename -Identity https://macktenant.sharepoint.com/sites/OldName `
                    -NewSiteUrl https://macktenant.sharepoint.com/sites/NewName `
                    -Confirm:$false
# Monitor the progress
Get-SPOSiteRenameState -SiteUrl https://macktenant.sharepoint.com/sites/NewName

Rename Communication Sites and Team Sites Carefully

If your SharePoint site is connected to a Microsoft 365 Group or Teams, renaming it also affect:

• The Group name
• The Email address in Outlook
• The Team name in Microsoft Teams

Therefore, whenever you change SharePoint site name, always check the Microsoft 365 Group settings first to keep everything consistent across the platform.

What Happens After You Rename SharePoint Site URL?

When you change the site address:

• Microsoft automatically redirects old links to the new site.
• Permissions, content, and settings remain the same.
• However, some integrations, like Teams, Power Automate, Power Apps, and Power BI, will not update automatically.

That’s why always test everything after a rename. 

Post-Rename Checklist

After changing SharePoint site name or URL:

1. Visit the new URL, confirm pages and lists open correctly.
2. Test the old URL; it should automatically redirect to the new one.
3. Check any linked tools:
   • Microsoft Teams
   • Power Automate workflows
   • Power Apps forms
   • Power BI reports
4. Ask site members to refresh bookmarks or shortcuts.
5. Update documentation or shared links if needed.

What to do Before Renaming Major SharePoint Sites?

When you’re dealing with critical SharePoint sites, a simple change SharePoint site name can sometimes cause unexpected issues. 

That’s why, before making changes, especially when multiple sites or tenants are involved, I always backup SharePoint Online and secure everything first.

For the same, I use the SysTools SharePoint Online Migration Tool. I use it to copy sites, libraries, and permissions to another account, or tenant, before renaming or reorganising anything.

Download Now Purchase Now

I suggest this tool for SharePoint Cross Tenant migration because it:

It maintains the exact structure, metadata, and sharing settings, so even if something goes wrong, you can restore everything in minutes. Moreover, it also helps when I need to migrate SharePoint list to another site or restructure sites across different departments or tenants.

Situations Where You Can’t Rename SharePoint Site

These are the most common scenarios in which you can’t change SharePoint site name or URL:

• The site is under a retention policy or eDiscovery hold.
• You’re not a SharePoint Administrator or Global Admin.
• The site is connected to Microsoft Teams and has active syncs.
• The site has ongoing Power Automate workflows using hardcoded URLs.

If any of these apply, fix them first; otherwise, you can’t rename.

Best Practices I Follow

Here are a few points that keep your renames hassle-free:

1. Schedule downtime and communicate early.
2. Never try it first on a production site.
3. Use PowerShell for multiple sites.
4. Documenting old and new URLs helps track future link issues.
5. Monitor for 48 hours; some issues show up later, especially in synced Teams.

Author’s Verdict

Changing SharePoint site name is easy. Changing a site URL needs preparation and awareness of downstream effects.

If you plan and follow the steps above, you’ll change SharePoint site name smoothly, without breaking anything.

People Also Ask

1. Can I rename SharePoint site URL if it’s linked to Teams?
   Yes, but be cautious. Teams take time to reflect on changes, and some tabs need manual reconfiguration.
2. Who can change a SharePoint site address?
   Only users with SharePoint Admin or Global Admin permissions. 
3. How do I monitor rename progress?
   Use PowerShell:
   

   Get-SPOSiteRenameState -SiteUrl https://macktenant.sharepoint.com/sites/NewName