TL;DR
Links break during SharePoint migration because content moves to a new URL and nothing updates the references pointing to the old one. This blog explains why SharePoint broken links happen, where they hide, what they cost, and how to prevent them.
Most businesses plan a SharePoint migration around moving content. They focus on how much data needs to be migrated, where it will live, and how long the project will take. What gets overlooked is what happens to the thousands of links pointing to that content once it moves.
When sites, document libraries, or folder structures change, URLs change with them. Even if every file migrates successfully, users may still encounter broken links in documents, SharePoint pages, navigation menus, emails, or business applications.
According to McKinsey, employees spend nearly 20% of their workweek searching for information. Broken links make that search even harder and make it difficult for users to trust the new SharePoint environment. Research from IDC also estimates that information workers spend around 2.5 hours each day searching for the information they need, highlighting how quickly inaccessible content can affect day-to-day operations.
The good news is that broken links aren’t inevitable. With the right migration strategy, careful planning, and link preservation techniques, businesses can significantly reduce disruption and help users continue accessing content without interruption.
Why Do Links Break During a SharePoint Migration?
A link is an address. It tells your browser where a piece of content lives. When that content moves, even if it migrates successfully, the address changes. Unless something updates or redirects that link, it continues pointing to the old location.
During a migration, sites may be reorganized, document libraries renamed, or content moved to SharePoint Online. Every one of these changes can create new URLs. Existing links don’t automatically know where the content has gone.
The challenge becomes much larger in enterprise environments. Years of collaboration leave links scattered across documents, SharePoint pages, emails, browser bookmarks, workflows, and business applications. A migration can leave thousands of these references pointing to locations that no longer exist.
That’s why preserving access to content is just as important as migrating the content itself.
Where Do Broken Links Hide?
Broken links don’t always appear in just one place. They’re usually spread across the entire SharePoint environment, making them difficult to identify after migration.
Some of the most common locations include:
- SharePoint pages, news posts, and web parts
- Navigation menus and Quick Links
- Emails containing shared document links
- Browser bookmarks saved by employees
- Microsoft Teams conversations
- Business applications integrated with SharePoint
- Link list referencing library paths
Many businesses underestimate how many dependencies they’ve built over the years until users begin reporting “missing” documents after go-live.
What Does It Cost When Links Break?
Broken links don’t usually stop a migration project, but they do slow down the business afterward.
At first, users assume a document has been moved or is temporarily unavailable. Soon, they begin opening support tickets, asking colleagues for updated links, or recreating documents they believe have disappeared.
The consequences often include:
- Increased help desk requests
- Time spent searching for information
- Duplicate files are created because the original documents can’t be found
- Interrupted business processes
To users, there’s little difference between a broken link and a missing file. In both cases, the information they need isn’t accessible when they need it.
How Can You Preserve Links During a SharePoint Migration?
The most effective way to deal with broken links is to plan for them before the migration begins.
1. Understand how URLs will change
Every migration affects URLs differently. Moving from SharePoint on-premises to SharePoint Online, restructuring site collections, or consolidating document libraries can all create new paths.
Knowing what will change will help you identify where broken links are most likely to occur.
2. Identify high-value content
Every document might not carry the same business importance.
Focus first on:
- Frequently used SharePoint sites
- Department home pages
- Policy documentation
- Knowledge bases
- Shared document libraries
These areas deserve additional testing before go-live.
3. Run a pilot migration
Pilot migrations are an opportunity to verify navigation, embedded hyperlinks, and user workflows while the source environment is still available.
Issues identified during a pilot are significantly easier to resolve than those discovered after the entire migration has finished.
4. Plan for URL redirection
Sometimes URLs have to change. When they do, redirecting users from legacy URLs to their new location can dramatically reduce disruption and support requests.
How Tzunami Helps Preserve Access After Migration
Even with careful planning, manually updating every outdated URL across documents, SharePoint pages, emails, workflows, and business applications isn’t practical.
Tzunami helps businesses reduce disruption through its Link Resolver Service and URL Redirection Extension.
Find out more features here
When users follow legacy SharePoint URLs, the Link Resolver Service intercepts the request on the source server and redirects it to the corresponding location in the migrated SharePoint environment. Instead of receiving a “Page Not Found” error, users are automatically taken to the correct document.
For example, an employee might click a bookmark saved months before the migration or open a link from an old email. Rather than searching for the document manually, they’re redirected to its new location without needing to know the URL has changed.
Combined with Post-Migration Verification, businesses can validate that migrated content remains accessible before retiring the source environment.
Post-Migration Link Validation Checklist
Before considering your migration complete, verify the following:
| Validation Area | What to Check |
| Navigation | Menus and Quick Links work correctly |
| SharePoint Pages | Internal page references resolve correctly |
| Business Applications | Connected systems reference valid URLs |
| Bookmarks | Commonly used saved links redirect correctly |
| Redirects | Legacy SharePoint URLs resolve to migrated content |
Completing this checklist before go-live can prevent many of the issues users typically experience after migration.
Conclusion
Broken links are one of the most common and most preventable challenges in a SharePoint migration. While migration reports may confirm that every file was transferred, they don’t tell you whether users can still access the content they rely on every day.
Planning for URL changes, validating links throughout the project, and implementing an effective link preservation strategy help your business to reduce disruption and avoid unnecessary support requests after go-live.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why do links break during a SharePoint migration?
Because URLs change when content moves. Links point to the old address and stop working, even if the file migrated successfully.
2. What types of links break most often?
Links inside link list, SharePoint navigation menus, emails with shared links, and workflows referencing old library paths.
3. Can broken links be fixed manually?
In small environments, yes. At enterprise scale, manually updating every outdated link is rarely practical. Redirect-based solutions can help preserve access to migrated content.
4. What is SharePoint URL redirection?
A method that catches requests to old URLs and forwards them to the correct new SharePoint location, without requiring users to update their saved links.
5. How does Tzunami’s Link Resolver Service work?
It runs on the source server and automatically redirects requests for migrated content to their new SharePoint locations.
