Rename SharePoint Site with Graph API or REST: A Step-by-Step Guide

Are you tired of being stuck with a SharePoint site name that no longer reflects your project’s identity? Do you want to breathe new life into your site by giving it a fresh name? Look no further! In this comprehensive guide, we’ll show you how to rename a SharePoint site using Graph API or REST, and take your site to the next level.

Why Rename a SharePoint Site?

Renaming a SharePoint site can be a crucial step in rebranding your project, product, or service. Perhaps your project’s name has changed, or you want to make it more descriptive or catchy. Whatever the reason, renaming your SharePoint site can help:

• Improve site discoverability and searchability
• Enhance user experience and engagement
• Reflect changes in your project’s scope or focus
• Align with your organization’s branding guidelines

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the renaming process, make sure you have:

1. A SharePoint site with administrator privileges
2. A Microsoft Azure AD account with the necessary permissions
3. Postman or a similar tool for sending API requests (optional)
4. Familiarity with Graph API or REST basics

Rename SharePoint Site using Graph API

Microsoft Graph API provides a powerful way to manage SharePoint sites, including renaming them. To get started, you’ll need to:

Step 1: Register an Azure AD Application

Head over to the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com) and register a new Azure AD application. Fill in the required information, such as the app name and redirect URI.

Note the Application (client) ID and , as you’ll need them later.

Step 2: Grant Permissions

In the Azure portal, navigate to the API permissions section and add the following permissions:

• Sites.Read.All
• Sites.Write.All

Grant consent for the added permissions.

Step 3: Authenticate with Microsoft Graph

Using the Application (client) ID and , authenticate with Microsoft Graph using the OAuth 2.0 protocol. You can use the Microsoft Graph authentication documentation as a reference.

Step 4: Send a PATCH Request

Once authenticated, send a PATCH request to the Microsoft Graph API endpoint:

PATCH https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/sites/{siteId}
{
  "displayName": "New Site Name"
}

Replace {siteId} with the ID of the SharePoint site you want to rename.

Step 5: Verify the Rename

After sending the request, verify that the site has been successfully renamed by checking the site’s URL or using the Microsoft Graph API to retrieve the site’s details.

Rename SharePoint Site using REST

If you prefer to use REST instead of Graph API, you can follow these steps:

Step 1: Get the SharePoint Site ID

Using the SharePoint REST API, retrieve the site’s ID by sending a GET request to:

GET https://{tenantName}.sharepoint.com/_api/web

Note the d:Id property in the response, which contains the site ID.

Step 2: Update the Site Title

Send a POST request to the SharePoint REST API endpoint:

POST https://{tenantName}.sharepoint.com/_api/web/UpdateWebTitle
{
  "Title": "New Site Name"
}

Replace {tenantName} with your SharePoint tenant name.

Step 3: Verify the Rename

After sending the request, verify that the site has been successfully renamed by checking the site’s URL or using the SharePoint REST API to retrieve the site’s details.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

When renaming a SharePoint site using Graph API or REST, you may encounter some common issues:

• 401 Unauthorized: Ensure that you have the necessary permissions and that your authentication is correct.
• 404 Not Found: Verify that the site ID is correct and that the site exists.
• 403 Forbidden: Check that you have the necessary permissions to rename the site.

Conclusion

In this comprehensive guide, we’ve shown you how to rename a SharePoint site using Graph API or REST. By following these steps and troubleshooting common issues, you can give your SharePoint site a fresh new name that reflects your project’s identity.

Remember to always test your API requests in a development environment before applying them to production, and to follow Microsoft’s guidelines and best practices for using Graph API and REST.

Method	Endpoint	Description
Graph API	PATCH https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/sites/{siteId}	Rename a SharePoint site using Graph API
REST	POST https://{tenantName}.sharepoint.com/_api/web/UpdateWebTitle	Rename a SharePoint site using REST

We hope this guide has been helpful in your journey to renaming your SharePoint site. If you have any further questions or need more assistance, feel free to ask in the comments below!

Frequently Asked Question

Rename SharePoint site with Graph API or REST can be a bit tricky, but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here are some frequently asked questions and answers to help you out: