Site Rename Does Not Change the URL Everywhere: Root Cause and Fix

When you rename a SharePoint site, you expect the site URL to update everywhere. But the URL often stays the same in navigation links, shared files, and third-party tools. This happens because SharePoint separates the site name from the site address. Changing the display name does not automatically update the URL.

The root cause is that SharePoint stores the site title and the site URL as two distinct properties. The site URL is set when the site is created and can only be changed through a specific admin action. This article explains why the URL stays unchanged and provides the exact steps to update the site URL manually.

You will learn how to rename a site URL in the SharePoint admin center and how to fix broken links that result from the change. You will also see which components are not affected by a URL change and how to handle them.

Why the Site URL Does Not Change When You Rename the Site

SharePoint stores the site title and the site URL in separate system fields. The site title is the name shown in the site header, navigation, and search results. The site URL is the address used to access the site in a browser. Changing the site title does not change the site URL because they are independent properties.

When you create a site, SharePoint generates a URL based on the title you provide. For example, if you create a team site named “Marketing”, the URL might be https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/Marketing. If you later rename the site to “Marketing 2025”, the URL stays as /sites/Marketing. This is by design. The URL is a permanent identifier for the site in SharePoint.

To change the site URL, you must use the SharePoint admin center. This action is called “Change site address” and it updates the URL while leaving the site title unchanged. After the URL change, SharePoint automatically sets up a redirect from the old URL to the new URL for 90 days. This prevents immediate broken links.

However, the URL change does not update references in external systems. Bookmarks, shared links in emails, and links in Word documents still point to the old URL. These must be updated manually.

Steps to Change the Site URL in SharePoint

Follow these steps to change the site URL in the SharePoint admin center. You need SharePoint admin permissions to complete this process.

1. Open the SharePoint admin center
   Go to https://admin.microsoft.com and sign in with your admin account. In the left navigation, click Admin centers and then click SharePoint.
2. Go to Active sites
   In the left menu of the SharePoint admin center, click Active sites. This shows a list of all sites in your tenant.
3. Select the site you want to rename
   Click the check box next to the site name. Do not click the site name itself. Click Settings in the top toolbar.
4. Open the Site address section
   In the Settings panel, scroll down to Site address. Click Edit next to the current URL.
5. Enter the new URL
   Type the new site name in the box. For example, change Marketing to Marketing2025. Click Save.
6. Confirm the change
   A confirmation dialog appears. Click Save again. SharePoint updates the URL and creates a redirect from the old address. The process takes a few minutes.

If SharePoint Still Has Issues After the URL Change

Old links still work but show a redirect

SharePoint creates a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new URL. This redirect lasts 90 days. After 90 days, the redirect is removed and the old URL returns a 404 error. To avoid broken links, update all shared links and bookmarks before the redirect expires.

Third-party applications still use the old URL

Applications that connect to SharePoint via API or web service often cache the site URL. You must update the connection string or configuration file in those applications. Check the documentation for each third-party tool to find where the site URL is stored.

The site display name did not change

Changing the site URL does not change the site display name. To update the display name, go to the site, click Settings (gear icon), click Site information, and then click Rename site. Enter the new display name and click Save.

Navigation links in SharePoint are not updated

The site URL change updates the navigation on the site itself. But navigation links on other sites that point to this site are not updated. You must manually update those links in the parent site or hub site navigation settings.

Search results still show the old site name

SharePoint search indexes site content periodically. After a URL change, search results may still show the old site name for a few hours or up to 24 hours. This is normal. The search index updates during the next crawl cycle.

Site Display Name vs Site URL: Key Differences

Item	Site Display Name	Site URL
Definition	The name shown in the site header, navigation, and search results	The web address used to access the site
Where to change it	Site Settings > Site information > Rename site	SharePoint admin center > Active sites > Settings > Site address
Effect on other sites	No effect on links or navigation from other sites	Creates a 301 redirect for 90 days
Effect on search	Updates search results immediately	Updates search results after the next crawl (up to 24 hours)
Effect on external tools	No effect on external tools	Breaks links in external tools until they are updated

After you change the site URL, you can update the display name separately. Both changes are independent. Plan to communicate the new URL to all site users and update any shared links before the 90-day redirect expires. For advanced management, consider using the SharePoint REST API to automate URL changes across multiple sites.