Dellenny provides actionable strategies to prevent SharePoint sprawl, balancing collaboration and governance for organizations using Microsoft 365.

Avoiding SharePoint Sprawl Without Killing Collaboration

SharePoint is a vital platform for collaboration in many organizations due to its flexibility, enabling teams to create sites, share documents, and manage projects easily. However, this flexibility can lead to problems if not managed correctly – known as SharePoint sprawl. This article offers techniques to maintain organized, navigable SharePoint environments without restricting the collaboration the platform was designed for.

What is SharePoint Sprawl?

SharePoint sprawl occurs when environments expand without structure or control, resulting in:

  • Dozens of almost identical team sites
  • Confusing folder structures (many “Final” versions of documents)
  • Orphaned, unused sites consuming space
  • Unclear authoritative sources for documents

Unchecked, SharePoint becomes cluttered and less useful.

Why Overly Strict Controls Backfire

While it can be tempting to lock down site creation and file organization tightly, excessive restrictions discourage collaboration. Users might seek workarounds—like using personal drives or unauthorized tools—which create additional security and version control risks.

Strategies to Avoid SharePoint Sprawl

1. Lightweight Governance

  • Define simple, clear rules about when and why new sites are created.
  • Assign ownership for site content.
  • Specify site and content lifecycle: review, archive, or delete regularly.

2. Empower Site Owners

  • Train site owners rather than routing all actions through IT.
  • Provide checklists and templates to standardize common tasks.

3. Use Templates and Naming Conventions

  • Encourage use of standardized templates for sites and libraries.
  • Set up clear naming conventions (e.g., “HR-Recruiting”) to avoid duplication.

4. Automate Repetitive Management

  • Utilize Microsoft 365 features like groups, retention policies, and automated archiving.
  • Flag inactive sites for review after set periods (e.g., 12 months).
  • Encourage use of metadata tagging over deep folder hierarchies.
  • Help users rely on search and tagging to find documents, reducing the tendency to create duplicate content.

6. Make Archiving Routine

  • Integrate regular content reviews, archiving, and deletion into team routines (quarterly or annually, or at project completion).

Conclusion

SharePoint sprawl can be managed with a pragmatic mix of governance, automation, and user empowerment—ensuring the environment stays organized and supports genuine collaboration.

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