SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019 End of Support: What You Must Do Before July 2026

Why This Date Matters

Microsoft has set July 14, 2026 as the extended support end date for both SharePoint Server 2016 and SharePoint Server 2019. After this date, Microsoft will discontinue the following:

• Security updates: No patches will be released for newly discovered vulnerabilities.
• Non-security fixes: Performance improvements and bug fixes will cease.
• Technical support: Neither free nor paid Microsoft support will be available.
• Documentation updates: Official Microsoft Learn content will no longer be maintained.

These dates are published on Microsoft's official Lifecycle pages. SharePoint Server 2016, governed by the Fixed Lifecycle Policy, began support on May 1, 2016, with mainstream support ending on July 13, 2021, and extended support ending on July 14, 2026. SharePoint Server 2019 began support on October 22, 2018, with mainstream support having already ended on January 9, 2024, and extended support also concluding on July 14, 2026.

Another critical date to note is April 2, 2026, when SharePoint Add-Ins and Azure Access Control Service (ACS) authentication will be fully retired. Provider-hosted add-ins and custom applications relying on ACS will stop functioning after this date. This retirement affects SharePoint Online only and does not directly impact on-premises SharePoint environments.

Risks After End of Support

Security Vulnerabilities

Unsupported platforms no longer receive security patches, leaving them exposed to known exploits. According to industry analyses, organizations running end-of-life infrastructure face a significantly higher risk of multisystem failure during critical incidents. Previously documented active exploits in SharePoint Server environments underscore this risk. Modern security controls such as granular Conditional Access policies and sensitivity labels cannot be applied to unsupported versions.

Compliance Implications

Regulatory frameworks including ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, and similar standards require organizations to run supported, regularly patched software. Audit trail gaps on unsupported platforms are routinely flagged as high-risk findings by assessors. NIST SP 800-53 SA-22 recommends replacing or isolating unsupported components, but neither approach is scalable over the long term.

Operational Risks

Maintenance costs increase on unsupported systems as vendor support shrinks. Data recovery from outdated systems takes significantly longer compared to modern cloud solutions. Existing workflows, add-ins, and custom integrations face breakage risk as retirement dates pass.

Migration Options

Organizations have three primary paths forward:

1. Upgrade to SharePoint Server Subscription Edition (SPSE)

When to choose this option: Organizations that must remain on-premises due to regulatory requirements, data sovereignty constraints, or existing infrastructure investments.

Migration method: Microsoft supports a database-attach upgrade from both SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019 directly to SPSE. The process follows these steps:

1. Build and configure a new SPSE farm.
2. Back up existing content and service application databases and restore them to the new farm.
3. Upgrade service applications.
4. Attach and upgrade content databases.
5. Upgrade site collections.

Prerequisites: Databases must be at version 16.0.4351.1000 or higher. Web applications must be recreated with the same URL, port, and authentication method.

2. Migrate to SharePoint Online (Cloud)

When to choose this option: Organizations pursuing a long-term cloud strategy, supporting hybrid or remote work models, and seeking to reduce infrastructure management overhead.

Benefits:

• Infrastructure maintenance, security patching, and updates are handled by Microsoft.
• Native integration with Microsoft 365 Copilot, Teams, and Power Platform.
• Automatic scaling and geo-distribution.
• Continuously updated modern site experience.

Migration tools: Microsoft provides the SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) and Migration Manager at no additional cost. For large-scale data transfers at the terabyte level, third-party tools such as ShareGate, AvePoint, and Metalogix may also be evaluated.

3. Hybrid Approach

For organizations that cannot move all data to the cloud due to regulatory or data sovereignty requirements, a hybrid model allows partial cloud adoption while keeping sensitive data on-premises. SharePoint Server Subscription Edition and SharePoint Online can be configured to work together.

Timeline: How Much Time Do You Have?

The extended support end date of July 14, 2026 is fast approaching. A typical enterprise-scale migration project takes 6 to 18 months depending on data volume and complexity, which means the window of opportunity is narrowing for many organizations.

Typical project phases:

• Discovery and assessment: 4–8 weeks — auditing existing sites, workflows, permissions, and data size.
• Planning and design: 6–10 weeks — information architecture modernization, governance and compliance planning.
• Tool selection and pilot migration: 2–4 weeks — selecting tools and running test migrations.
• Production migration: Variable depending on data volume.
• Validation and go-live: 2–4 weeks — data integrity checks and user training.

This timeline makes it clear that immediate action is required to meet the July 2026 deadline. As demand for migration consultants increases, early planning will help avoid resource bottlenecks.

Steps to Take Now

1. Conduct an inventory: Document all site collections, workflows, add-ins, custom solutions, and data volumes in your current SharePoint farm.
2. Identify ACS dependencies: Determine which add-ins and applications rely on Azure ACS. Microsoft's assessment tool (Microsoft 365 Assessment Tool) can help.
3. Choose your migration path: Decide between SPSE, SharePoint Online, or a hybrid model.
4. Inform stakeholders: Communicate the timeline and implications to IT, compliance, risk management, and business units.
5. Engage professional support: For complex environments, working with an experienced SharePoint consulting firm minimizes risk and shortens the project timeline.

At Fiboo, we provide end-to-end consulting for SharePoint migration projects. Contact us for a comprehensive assessment of your current environment and a tailored migration roadmap for your organization.