When you move a SharePoint site from one hub to another, the site inherits the new hub’s navigation, theme, and home page settings. This change can break custom branding, security groups, and content rollups if not done carefully. Many site owners lose permissions or see broken links after the move because they overlook hidden dependencies. This article explains the common mistakes that happen during a hub change and how to avoid each one.
Key Takeaways: Avoiding Hub Migration Pitfalls
- Check site permissions before the move: Hub associations do not change site permissions, but inherited permissions from the old hub may be lost.
- Review custom scripts and web parts: Content rollups that reference the old hub ID will break and must be updated after the move.
- Communicate the change to all site members: Users who rely on the old hub navigation will need training on the new hub structure.
How Hub Association Works and What Changes
A SharePoint site can be associated with one hub at a time. When you move a site to a different hub, the site immediately adopts the new hub’s navigation bar, theme, and home page layout. The site’s content, permissions, and metadata remain intact. However, the old hub loses any content rollups or search refinements that pointed to the moved site. The new hub gains the site in its global navigation and any automated rollups that include all associated sites. The change is not reversible through a simple undo command. You must reassociate the site with the original hub manually if you need to revert.
What Stays the Same
Site permissions, site collection admins, and content stay unchanged. Workflows and Power Automate flows that run on the site continue to run. Document libraries, lists, and pages remain in place. The site URL does not change.
What Changes
The site navigation bar updates to match the new hub. The site theme may change if the new hub has a different theme. Any custom branding that was applied through the old hub is replaced. Home page layouts that come from the hub’s design may override your home page settings. Content rollups on the old hub that included this site stop showing its content.
Steps to Move a Site to a Different Hub Correctly
Follow these steps in SharePoint admin center to move a site between hubs without causing errors. Perform each step in the order listed.
- Document the current hub settings
Before making any change, open the site in SharePoint admin center and note the current hub ID, navigation links, and any custom theme applied from the hub. Save a screenshot of the navigation bar. - Check site permissions and sharing settings
Go to SharePoint admin center > Policies > Sharing. Verify that the new hub’s sharing policy does not override your site’s external sharing settings. If the new hub has more restrictive sharing, your site will inherit those restrictions after the move. - Review content rollups and web parts
On the site, check for any web parts that pull content from the hub such as Highlighted Content or News web parts. Note the hub ID they reference. You will need to update these after the move. - Disconnect the site from the current hub
In SharePoint admin center, go to Active sites. Select the site you want to move. In the command bar, choose Hub and then Remove from hub. Confirm the removal. - Wait for the disassociation to propagate
Allow up to 24 hours for the change to fully apply across all services. During this time, the site may not show any hub navigation. - Associate the site with the new hub
In SharePoint admin center, select the site again. Choose Hub and then Join a hub. Select the target hub from the list. Confirm the association. - Update all custom web parts and navigation links
On the site, edit any web parts that referenced the old hub ID. Point them to the new hub ID or use relative URLs. Update any hardcoded navigation links in the site’s top link bar or quick launch. - Test the site from a user account that is not a site admin
Sign in with a test user account that has Contribute permissions. Verify that navigation, theme, and content rollups work as expected. Check that external sharing links still function if you use them.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Not Checking Hub Permissions Before the Move
The new hub may have different permission settings for its associated sites. If the new hub uses a unique permission set, your site may lose access for some users. Always compare the new hub’s site collection admins and owners group with your site’s current permissions. Add any missing users before the move.
Forgetting to Update Content Rollups on the Old Hub
After you move a site, the old hub’s Highlighted Content web parts, search results, and news web parts will no longer show content from that site. The old hub’s owner must update those web parts to exclude the moved site or to point to a different site. If you own both hubs, update the old hub web parts immediately after the move.
Ignoring Custom Scripts and Power Automate Flows
Custom scripts that reference the old hub’s site ID or hub ID will stop working. Power Automate flows that use the old hub’s site URL may fail. Review all customizations before the move and update any hardcoded references to the new hub.
Moving a Hub Site Itself
You cannot associate a hub site with another hub. To move a hub site, you must first unregister it as a hub. This removes all hub associations for every site in that hub. Plan this change carefully and communicate with all site owners whose sites are associated with the hub you are unregistering.
Not Communicating the Change to Users
Users who rely on the old hub’s navigation to find the moved site will lose that link. Send an email to all site members at least one week before the move. Explain the new hub name and how to find the site after the change. Provide a direct link to the site in the email.
Hub Site vs Regular Site: Key Differences After a Move
| Item | Regular Site (after move) | Hub Site (after move) |
|---|---|---|
| Can be associated with a new hub | Yes, immediately | No, must unregister as hub first |
| Navigation changes | Inherits new hub navigation | Keeps own navigation, but loses associated sites |
| Theme changes | Inherits new hub theme | Keeps own theme |
| Content rollups | Stop on old hub, start on new hub | Stop completely until re-registered |
| Permissions | Unchanged | Unchanged |
Moving a site to a different hub is a straightforward operation in SharePoint admin center, but the side effects can be significant if you skip the preparation steps. Always document your current hub settings, update custom web parts, and communicate with users before the change. After the move, test the site with a non-admin account to confirm that navigation, permissions, and content rollups work correctly. The most reliable way to avoid mistakes is to perform a dry run on a test site that mirrors your production site.