There was a time — not too long ago — when SharePoint meant subsites. And back in that era, I was working with an organisation that embraced the platform hard… without any governance in place.
The result?
Over 1,000 SharePoint sites, most of them created by the IT team on request, and many of them completely empty. Some had just a single document library. Others had one document.
That experience shaped how I approach SharePoint governance today — and why I now help teams avoid the chaos that comes from unchecked site sprawl, unclear ownership, and missing structure. In this post, I’ll share what governance really means in the modern SharePoint world, and what practical steps you can take to keep your Microsoft 365 environment under control.
What Is SharePoint Governance
Governance is often misunderstood. It’s not about creating endless policies or blocking people from doing their jobs.
Governance is about clarity — around ownership, structure, lifecycle, permissions, and purpose.
It ensures that the SharePoint and Microsoft 365 environment remains:
- Organised
- Secure
- Usable
- Scalable
And most importantly — valuable to the business.
Governance in the Modern SharePoint World (No More Subsites)
We no longer build deep hierarchies of subsites under a single site collection. Today, we use flat site structures:
- Each Team Site or Communication Site is a separate site collection
- We use hub sites to group them
- We use metadata, navigation, and permissions to connect content — not folder structures or site nesting
That shift means we need to be even more intentional about what gets created, why, and how it’s managed over time.
Practical Steps for SharePoint Site Governance
Here’s how I now help organisations govern SharePoint effectively — without drowning in documents or red tape:
1. Define Who Can Create Sites (and Where)
Not everyone should have the ability to create a new SharePoint site. Work with IT to define:
- Who can request a site?
- Who approves it?
- What templates should be used?
Even if self-service site creation is enabled, use a site request form or intake process to help control sprawl.
2. Standardise Site Naming and Metadata
Use a consistent naming convention across your organisation.
Examples:
- HR-Onboarding-Docs
- Project-ABC-ClientX
- Ops-Meetings
Also standardise site metadata, like:
- Function
- Department
- Confidentiality level
This helps with reporting, permissions grouping, lifecycle planning, and AI readiness.
3. Establish Site Ownership and Responsibility
Every site should have:
- A primary owner
- A backup owner
- A commitment to review content and permissions regularly
Use automation where possible to remind owners every 6–12 months to review their site.
4. Set Lifecycle Policies
Sites aren’t forever.
Make decisions like:
- How long should project sites stay active after project closure?
- What happens to inactive sites?
- Who decides what gets archived or deleted?
In Microsoft Purview, you can configure retention policies and labels to help manage this automatically.
5. Structure Permissions Strategically
Don’t overuse custom permissions. Stick with:
- SharePoint Groups: Visitors, Members, Owners
- Break inheritance only when truly needed
- Avoid adding individual users directly to document libraries
Microsoft 365 Groups connect to SharePoint, Teams, Outlook, and Planner, so changing one permission can ripple across the ecosystem.
6. Document the Site Purpose
Every site should have a homepage section or document that explains:
- Why the site exists
- What content is here
- Who it’s for
- Who owns it
This simple step reduces confusion and helps during reviews or audits.
Governance for Microsoft Teams (It’s All Connected)
Microsoft Teams creates SharePoint sites by default. That means your governance approach must include Teams too.
What to define:
- Who can create Teams
- Naming conventions (especially for external-facing or client teams)
- Channel structure and tabs
- Where files go and how they’re managed
- Guest access rules
Don’t forget: every private channel creates a separate SharePoint site. That adds complexity fast if you’re not tracking it.
Don’t Overgovern. Just Be Clear.
I’ve seen organisations swing the other way — blocking everything, locking down every permission, and making SharePoint so rigid no one wants to use it.
That’s not governance. That’s paralysis.
Good governance is invisible to end users. It enables freedom within a clear structure. It makes SharePoint easy to use — because it’s predictable, not chaotic.
My Personal Lessons (A Thousand Sites Later)
Back in the subsite days, I worked in an organisation where requests for new SharePoint spaces were handled ad hoc. IT created subsites on demand, with no naming rules, no ownership tracking, and no content planning.
We ended up with over 1,000 sites, many completely unused — a mess that made migration, reporting, and user training a nightmare.
Now, I build governance into every SharePoint solution from day one — even if it’s simple.
Start small, stay consistent, and grow smart.
Governance Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated — It Just Has to Be Clear
If you take one thing from this, don’t wait until your SharePoint environment is a mess to think about governance. Start now. Start small. Be clear about who can create, what gets created, how it’s structured, and who owns it. Then evolve it as your organisation grows.
