Delete SharePoint Subsite: Complete Guide for Admins

Managing SharePoint involves cleaning up sites that are no longer needed. But when it comes to deleting a subsite, many users get stuck; either the delete SharePoint subsite option is missing, or permission blocks the request. 

With 12+ years of experience in SharePoint management, I know how to remove subsite from SharePoint safely via the modern interface, classic settings, and PowerShell step by step. 

But before moving to the solutions, I have to know that you’re well aware of what a SharePoint subsite is. If your answer is no, then first let me start with a quick intro to subsites. 

What is a SharePoint Subsite?

A SharePoint subsite is a child site that exists under a parent SharePoint site, also called a site collection. These come with their own unique libraries, lists, and settings.

Think of a subsite as a “child site” under a parent site collection. For example:

• Main site: https://mackjohn.sharepoint.com/sites/Marketing
• Subsite: https://mackjohn.sharepoint.com/sites/Marketing/Campaigns

Prerequisites to Delete SharePoint Subsite Effortlessly

Before hitting delete, always make sure:

• You have Site Collection Admin rights or Full Control.
• No retention policies, labels, or eDiscovery holds are blocking deletion.
• Remove empty folders in SharePoint Online, then back up to local storage to access data in future.
• Teams using the subsite have been informed.

These checks are mandatory to be verified. If not, you can’t initiate the procedure. So, when everything is set, move to the next section, in which I’ll share how to remove subsite from SharePoint from one or multiple tenants simultaneously.

How to Delete SharePoint Subsite?

Deleting a subsite from SharePoint is the easiest task. For the same, two options are available, i.e.

#Solution 1. Using the SharePoint Interface

If you want to remove one or two subsites, then SharePoint UI will help you to achieve this manually. Here’s how:

Modern UI:

1. Open subsite.
2. Click the gear icon > Site information > Delete site.
3. Confirm the warning.

Classic UI:

1. Open the subsite.
2. Select Settings > Site Settings.
3. Under Site Actions, choose Delete this site.
4. Confirm deletion.

#Solution 2. Delete SharePoint Subsite via PowerShell

If you need to delete multiple subsites, PowerShell will be your go-to:

SharePoint Online (PnP PowerShell):

Connect-PnPOnline -Url "https://mackjohn.sharepoint.com/sites/ParentSite" -Interactive
Remove-PnPWeb -Identity "SubsiteName" -Force

SharePoint On-Premises:

Remove-SPWeb -Identity "http://intranet/sites/Parent/Subsite" -Confirm:$false

With PowerShell, be extra careful. One wrong URL can wipe out the wrong site.

What Happens After Deletion?

Deleting a subsite doesn’t remove it instantly forever. Instead:

• It goes into the Site Collection Recycle Bin.
• It stays there for 93 days in SharePoint Online.
• During that time, admins can restore it if needed.
• After 93 days, it’s permanently deleted.

Unlike full site collections, subsites don’t go to the tenant-level recycle bin, which means you cannot restore them once they’re gone. That’s why I always recommend taking a backup or migrating the content before you permanently delete SharePoint subsite.

For the same reason, opting for a professional SysTools SharePoint Online Migration Tool is the wise decision.

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Instead of risking data loss, you can:

• Migrate subsite content, including documents, lists, libraries, etc, to another SharePoint site or tenant.
• Preserve metadata and hierarchy.
• Bulk transfer subsites or libraries in one go.
• Move document library to another site
• Archive SharePoint site to ensure compliance before cleanup.

I’ve personally seen admins regret deleting a subsite without moving its critical content first. So, don’t make these mistakes; instead, leverage this solution and move the subsite data to the other site or tenant first.

Best Practices to Delete SharePoint Subsite Smoothly

To keep things smooth, here’s the checklist before you remove subsite from SharePoint:

1. Backup content or migrate it.
2. Make sure you have the required permissions, or you’re a Site Collection Admin.
3. If the retention policy is blocking deletion, then remove it first or wait for it to expire.
4. Inform stakeholders, so that they are well aware of why the SharePoint list not showing all items.
5. Check workflows and automations linked to the subsite.
6. Document the deletion for audit.

Author’s Verdict

Subsites are a legacy approach. If you’re still creating them, it’s worth rethinking your architecture. Today, we’ll learned how to delete SharePoint subsite, but still, my advice: clean up old subsites, but plan for a modern SharePoint structure to take advantage of cloud computing. 

It is recommended to take a backup of data before any SharePoint Online tenant to tenant migration or deletion.