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Automate SharePoint Site Creation with PowerShell and PnP

Creating new SharePoint sites while maintaining a consistent look and feel can be challenging. Fortunately, with PowerShell and the PnP (Patterns and Practices) framework, we can automate the process of backing up a site template and applying it to a new site. This blog post will guide you through the necessary steps.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

  • SharePoint Online Management Shell
  • PnP PowerShell module installed
  • Appropriate permissions to access the SharePoint site and admin center

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Backup the Site Template

First, you need to connect to the source site and back up its template.

# Source Site URL input
$SourceSiteURL = Read-Host "Enter Source Site URL"

# Path to XML file
$SchmaXMLPath = ""

# Connect to PnP Online to take template backup
Connect-PnPOnline -Url $SourceSiteURL -Interactive

# Get Site Schema and save to file
Get-PnPSiteTemplate -Out ($SchmaXMLPath) -PersistBrandingFiles -PersistPublishingFiles

This script prompts for the source site URL, connects to it, and exports the site's schema to an XML file named . It also includes branding and publishing files in the backup.

2. Connect to the Admin Center

Next, you need to connect to the SharePoint Admin Center to create a new site.

# Take Admin center URL as input
$AdminCenterURL = Read-Host "Enter Admin Center URL"

# Connect to admin center
Connect-PnPOnline -Url $AdminCenterURL -Interactive

3. Create the New Site

Now, create a new SharePoint site with the specified details.

# Variables
$SiteName = Read-Host "Enter New Site Name"
$SiteURL = Read-Host "Enter New Site URL"
$SiteDescription = Read-Host "Enter New Site Description"

# Create new site
$NewWeb = New-PnPSite -Title $SiteName -Url $SiteURL -Description $SiteDescription -Type CommunicationSite

This script prompts for the new site's name, URL, and description, then creates a new communication site with those details.

4. Apply the Backup Template to the New Site

Finally, connect to the newly created site and apply the backup template.

# Connect to PnP Online to destination site
Connect-PnPOnline -Url $SiteURL -Interactive

# Apply Pnp Provisioning Template
Invoke-PnPSiteTemplate -Path $SchmaXMLPath -ClearNavigation

This script connects to the new site and applies the previously saved template, ensuring the new site has the same configuration as the source site.

Conclusion

Using this PowerShell script, you can easily back up a SharePoint site template and apply it to a new site. This ensures consistency across your SharePoint environment and saves time in setting up new sites. Remember to run these scripts with appropriate permissions and verify the applied template to ensure all customizations are in place.

If you have any questions or run into issues, feel free to leave a comment below. Happy SharePoint site creating!

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