SharePoint is a core foundational element in Microsoft 365. It is primarily used for the storage of digital objects (including pages) in document libraries and rows and columns of data in lists. It is ubiquitous and almost impossible to remove from a Microsoft 365 licence because it ‘powers’ so many different things.
While the idea that anyone can easily create a SharePoint site seems a good idea in some ways, from a recordkeeping of view this starts to look like network file shares all over again.
Microsoft’s response to the default ‘free for all’ ability to create SharePoint sites is to use the so-called ‘records management’ functionality (via the more expensive E5 licence) to auto-classify content and auto-apply retention labels. The problem is that those (more expensive options) provide limited functionality, including inadequate metadata details to make decisions on disposal, and similarly inadequate metadata (for records subject to disposition review labels only) as ‘proof of disposition’.
So, records managers are more often than not left with a network file share-like sprawl of uncontrolled content.
Unfortunately, the ability to create a new SharePoint site is fairly easy, almost as easy as creating a folder on a … network file share.
The following is a list of the main ways a person can create a SharePoint site. Have I missed any?
1. Via a PowerShell script
As described in the Microsoft docs web page ‘Create SharePoint Online sites and add users with PowerShell‘. The script is based on a csv file (‘sitecollections.csv) and looks something like the following (see the link for more details):
Import-Csv C:\users\MyAlias\desktop\SiteCollections.csv | ForEach-Object {New-SPOSite -Owner $_.Owner -StorageQuota $_.StorageQuota -Url $_.Url -NoWait -ResourceQuota $_.ResourceQuota -Template $_.Template -TimeZoneID $_.TimeZoneID -Title $_.Name}
This option also allows the administrator to provision new SharePoint sites.
2. Via the SharePoint Admin portal (+ Create)
This option allows the creation of three main types of sites: modern team sites (Team site),
communication sites, and non-Microsoft 365 Group-linked sites (Other options).
3. By creating a Microsoft 365 Group
Microsoft 365 Groups are created in the Microsoft 365 Admin portal, in the Groups section, Add a group > Microsoft 365. This is also where Security Groups and Distribution Lists (both collectively known as ‘AD Groups’) are created.
Every new Microsoft 365 Group creates both a SharePoint site and an Exchange mailbox that is visible in the Outlook application (under ‘Groups’) of everyone who is an Owner or a Member of the Group.
The new Group creation process allows the Group email address to be created (it really should be the same as the Group name), the Group to be made public or private, and a new Team to be created.
Because the Microsoft 365 Group name becomes the SharePoint site (URL) name, it is a good idea to consider naming conventions.
4. By an end-user creating a new Team in MS Teams
Unless the creation of Microsoft 365 Groups is not restricted, an end-user can create a new SharePoint site (possibly without realising it) by creating a new Team in MS Teams. There is nothing in the creation process to indicate that (a) they will create a SharePoint site or a Microsoft 365 Group, or (b) that they will be the Owner of the Team, Group and SharePoint site – and therefore have responsibility for managing the Team/Group membership.
Every new Team creates a Microsoft 365 Group which always has a SharePoint site and an
Exchange Online mailbox that is not visible in Outlook.
5. By creating a Private Channel in MS Teams
If the option is not disabled in the MS Teams admin portal under Teams > Teams Policies, end users will be able to create private channel in a Teams channel. Every private channel creates a new SharePoint site with a name that is an extension of the ‘parent’ Team site name.
For example, if the parent site name is ‘Finance’ and the private channel is named ‘Invoice chat’, the new SharePoint site will be ‘Finance-Invoicechat’. These new site is not connected with the ‘parent’ site and is not visible in the list of Active Sites from the SharePoint admin portal (and so the SharePoint Admin won’t know it exists). It is only visible in the list of Sites under the Resources section of the Microsoft 365 Admin portal.
A private channel does not create a new Microsoft 365 Group. A ‘compliance copy’ of the chats in the private channel are stored in the Exchange Online mailboxes of individual participants in the chat.
6. By the Teams Admin creating a new Team
The MS Teams admin area includes the ability for the Teams admin to go to Manage Teams, click +Add and create a new Team.
As with the end-user creation process, a new Team creates a Microsoft 365 Group that has an Exchange mailbox and a SharePoint site.
7. From the end-user SharePoint portal (+ Create site)
If not disabled, end users can create a new SharePoint site by clicking on ‘+ Create site’ from the SharePoint portal – https://tenantname.sharepoint.com/_layouts/15/sharepoint.aspx
This process creates a Microsoft 365 Group that has a SharePoint site and an Exchange mailbox. It also creates a new Team with the same name.
It is recommended that the ability for end-users to create new sites this way is disabled, at least initially. This is done from the SharePoint admin portal under Settings > Site Creation.
8. From OneDrive for Business as a ‘shared library’
This option is relatively new. When the end-user opens their OneDrive for Business, they will see ‘Create shared library’ directly under a list of sites they have access to under a heading ‘Shared libraries’ (they are actually SharePoint sites; when you click on the site name, it (confusingly) displays the document libraries as … folders.
9. When a new Plan is created in Planner
If end-users open the Planner app, they will see ‘New Plan’ on the top left. This opens a dialogue to create a New Plan or add one to an existing Microsoft 365 Group. The process of creating a new Plan creates a new Microsoft 365 Group with a SharePoint site.
10. When a new Yammer community is created
End users with access to Yammer can click on ‘Create a Community’ from Yammer.
To quote from the Microsoft 365 documentation ‘Join and create a community in Yammer‘: ‘When a new Office 365 connected Yammer community is created, it gets a new SharePoint site, SharePoint document library, OneNote notebook, plan in Microsoft Planner, and shows up in the Global Address Book.’
Why have Microsoft allowed this?
It’s a smarter way to manage access.
Some years back, Microsoft moved away from the idea of having Security Groups that give access to individual IT resources, to having individual Microsoft 365 Groups that provide access to multiple IT resources, in this case resources across Microsoft 365. One Microsoft 365 Group controls access to a SharePoint site, an Exchange mailbox, a Team, a Plan, and a Yammer Community. Security Groups don’t have that sort of functionality.
The trade off is that you get all of these options with a Microsoft 365 Group, whether you like it or not.
But, some of the decisions don’t seem to make sense.
- Why allow end-users to create a private channel in Teams when they can simply use the 1:1 chat area?
- Why allow the creation of a so-called ‘Shared Library’ from OneDrive, limited to and controlled by the person who created it, when a SharePoint site provides that functionality.
- Why does an end-user need an Exchange mailbox (for the Microsoft 365 Group) when they create a new site from the ‘Create site’ option in SharePoint?
- And why does a new Plan create a SharePoint site? For what purpose?
Perhaps there is a reason for it. It’s just not clear.
Records about the world 
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