SharePoint Online: review inactive sites before Copilot

Key insights

• In SharePoint admin center, sort Active sites by Last activity date to find sites with little recent activity.
• An old activity date is a starting point for review, not proof that a site is obsolete.
• ShareGate can generate an inactivity report and let admins ask site owners to review selected workspaces.
• A delegated review can cover workspace lifecycle, sharing links, or group membership.
• The demonstration describes hiding selected sites from Copilot search while they are reviewed or updated.

SharePoint Online admins can identify inactive sites and review their content before deciding which workspaces should be available to Copilot. This approach matters to administrators preparing SharePoint content for Copilot, as well as site owners responsible for deciding whether workspaces should be kept, updated, archived, or deleted. Dougie Wood [MVP] demonstrates a SharePoint activity check and a delegated owner-review workflow using ShareGate.

What it does

Copilot can surface information from SharePoint sites that a user can access, so stale or duplicated content can create confusing answers. An inactive site may contain old policies or procedures alongside current material, and users may still be able to access a site that nobody maintains. The demonstration focuses on identifying those workspaces and routing decisions to the people who know their content.

The first check uses the Last activity date in the SharePoint admin center. Sorting active sites by that date provides a way to spot workspaces that have not had recent activity. Wood points out that this is a starting point, not a decision to delete: an administrator should investigate the site and determine whether its information still has value.

The next step is to choose how to manage the content while that assessment happens. The demonstration describes selecting which SharePoint sites are ready for Copilot and hiding other sites from Copilot search until they have been reviewed or updated. It also shows a ShareGate workflow for generating an inactivity report and asking site owners to review selected workspaces.

Who it is for and what you need

The activity check is aimed at SharePoint administrators working in the SharePoint admin center. Owner reviews involve site owners, who are asked to decide whether a workspace remains valuable and whether it should be archived or deleted. This division keeps the administrative task of finding candidate sites separate from the content decision.

The material does not specify a Microsoft 365 or Copilot license requirement, a SharePoint role beyond using the admin center, or tenant and regional availability. ShareGate is used for the report and delegated-review workflow; the demonstration does not state its licensing requirements. It also does not establish whether the described Copilot exclusion control is available in every environment or identify its exact configuration path.

Do not treat an inactivity threshold as a universal cleanup rule. The example uses a 90-day report prompt, then changes the threshold to 180 days, illustrating that an administrator can choose a period for the report. The activity date alone does not show whether content is accurate, whether access is appropriate, or whether a site must be retained.

How it works

1. In the SharePoint admin center, open Active sites. Scroll across the site list to find Last activity date, then sort the column from older to newer to surface sites with older activity dates.
2. Inspect candidate sites before acting. Consider whether the site contains information that should be updated, retained, archived, or removed. Look for duplicate workspaces that may have been superseded by a newer site, such as an older HR site and a newer Human Resources site.
3. In ShareGate, choose Generate with AI to create a report using a written prompt. The example asks for sites with no activity in the last 90 days. Check the resulting filters, including the selected workloads and last-activity period, and adjust the threshold if needed.
4. Select the sites for review, open bulk actions, and choose Delegated reviews and Ask owner to review. Name the review, set an expiry period, and select the review type. The example uses workspace lifecycle; sharing links and group membership are also named as possible review subjects.
5. Review the email, add a custom message if useful, and send a test email. Confirm which workspaces are included, then launch the review. Use ShareGate's tracker to monitor which sites have been reviewed and the review progress.

These steps make the review process explicit: administrators identify and select candidate sites, while owners assess the value and lifecycle of their content. Separately, the demonstration recommends choosing which SharePoint sites are ready for Copilot and holding back others during cleanup. It does not provide the exact steps to configure that exclusion.

Limitations and open questions

Last activity is a useful signal but cannot establish that a site's content is outdated. A quiet site could still contain information that matters, while an active site could contain inaccurate or duplicated material. Owner review and inspection are therefore necessary before deciding what to do with a workspace.

The report and review workflow depends on ShareGate, but no details are given about its licensing, setup, or whether every ShareGate user has the same options. The video also does not show the precise controls for excluding a site from Copilot search, how long an exclusion takes to apply, or how administrators should verify that a site is no longer included.

There is no specific Microsoft licensing, rollout, or availability information in the supplied material, and no official Microsoft source was provided. The demonstrated thresholds of 90 and 180 days are examples, not recommended retention periods. Treat them as configurable report criteria and set an interval that suits the organization’s review process.

Sources

• Dougie Wood [MVP] demonstration of SharePoint site reviews

Frequently asked questions

How do I find inactive SharePoint sites?

Open Active sites in the SharePoint admin center and sort by Last activity date. Use old activity dates to identify sites for further review, not as an automatic deletion rule.

Can I ask SharePoint site owners to review unused sites?

The demonstrated ShareGate workflow lets an administrator select sites and choose Delegated reviews, then Ask owner to review. It supports a workspace lifecycle review and can also review sharing links or group membership.

Does SharePoint activity date prove a site is outdated?

No. It helps identify candidates, but an administrator should inspect the site and ask its owner whether the content remains valuable.

What license is needed for the ShareGate review process?

The material does not state ShareGate licensing requirements or the Microsoft licenses needed for the process.