Backing up your SharePoint is as important as safeguarding your data for other Microsoft 365 services. In this article, we’ll show several ways to back up SharePoint data using native and third-party tools.

How to Back Up SharePoint with Native Options

Microsoft 365 has several built-in SharePoint Online backup tools and restore options: eDiscovery, Files Restore, and OneDrive Sync.

Log in to your Microsoft 365 account and select SharePoint.
Select the site you need to back up.
Click DocumentsName.
Click Sync.
Open OneDrive.

Done! Remember that you’ll need the desktop versions of OneDrive. However, backing up SharePoint using OneDrive is not the best option. After all, neither OneDrive nor other Microsoft 365 apps are backups. They have some limitations.

Limitations of Native Tools

Though you can back up and restore SharePoint data using built-in tools, they have some limitations:

Turning off the version history prevents you from restoring files to a previous version.
If you upload a deleted item again, the restore operation for that item will be skipped.
If your files were removed from the site collection recycle bin, you can’t restore them.
All data is stored in the same cloud, which leaves backup data vulnerable to the same threats as the original data.
Backing up your Sharepoint data is a manual process. To ensure you can retrieve the latest version, you must back up your data again if any changes are made.
Using OneDrive Sync is not the most secure option, as your backup can be infected with ransomware.

Using automated third-party tools will help you to avoid those limitations.

There are several ways to back up your SharePoint site. There are also several ways to restore it.

How to Backup SharePoint Online with SpinBackup

To make your SharePoint backup and recovery more efficient, you can use third-party software. Spinbackup is a fully automated backup solution that helps you protect your data.

Our tool backs up your SharePoint sites automatically and saves all changes without any effort on your part. With SpinBackup, you can back up SharePoint online to Azure, Amazon’s AWS, or Google’s GCP. To back up SharePoint, make sure you are subscribed to our Custom Storage plan.

If you need to change backup settings or recover your data, here’s what to do:

1. Log in to your Spin.AI account (get a free 15-day trial here)

2. Go to SharePoint & Teams section.

how to Back up Microsoft Office 365 Sharepoint with SpinBackup

3. Pick the SharePoint you want to create a backup and press Autobackup. In the pop-up window, select Backup settings and click Update

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I manually back up SharePoint online?

To backup your SharePoint manually, do the following 3 steps:

open SharePoint in your browser;
go to your online files library, click on Documents, and select the files to back up;
right-click and select the Download option, then download the files to your device or a portable hard drive.

Do we need to back up SharePoint?

As same as with backing up other platforms and services, SharePoint backups can easily help retrieve important data that might have been deleted or lost due to human error, cloud outages, cyber-attacks (including ransomware and malware attacks, phishing, and hacking); third-party app issues etc. Regular data backups also help avoid multiple compliance and regulatory challenges.

What are the data backup solutions for SharePoint?

You can backup your SharePoint either:

manually by downloading the necessary files from the online library to your device;
using native backup tools such as eDiscovery, Files Restore, and OneDrive Sync;
using third-party software like SpinOne for Microsoft Office 365. This is a fully automated backup solution that helps you protect your data.

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About Author

Davit Asatryan is the Vice President of Product at Spin.AI

He is responsible for executing product strategy by overseeing the entire product lifecycle, with a focus on developing cutting-edge solutions to address the evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats.

He has been with the company for over 5 years and specializes in SaaS Security, helping organizations battle Shadow IT, ransomware, and data leak issues.

Prior to joining Spin.AI, Davit gained experience by working in fintech startups and also received his Bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley. In his spare time, Davit enjoys traveling, playing soccer and tennis with his friends, and watching sports of any kind.

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