Templates

The Templates tab lets you capture the structure and configuration of an existing SharePoint Online site and re-apply that configuration to new sites. This is useful for standardizing site setups across a department or project portfolio.

Overview

Templates in SharePoint ToolBox are lightweight JSON snapshots of selected aspects of a site, which the tool can replay when creating a new site. All templates are stored in Sharepoint_Templates.json in the configured data folder.

What a Template Captures

Element	Description	Optional
Folder structure	All document libraries and their folder hierarchies	Yes
Permissions	SharePoint groups and their assigned permission levels	Yes
Site settings	Site title and language (LCID)	Yes
Logo	Site logo image (stored as base64 inside the JSON)	Yes

Each element can be individually included or excluded both when capturing and when applying a template. You can capture everything from a source site but only apply the folder structure to the new site, for example.

Capture Workflow

Step 1 — Connect to the Source Site

Connect to the site you want to use as a source (see Connection and Profiles). Make sure only one site is selected.

Step 2 — Open the Templates Tab

Switch to the Templates tab.

Step 3 — Click "Capture Template"

A dialog opens with checkboxes for each capturable element. Select the elements you want to capture and click OK.

Step 4 — Name the Template

Enter a descriptive name (e.g., HR Department Standard) and click Save. The template is written to Sharepoint_Templates.json.

Apply Workflow

Step 1 — Decide the Target

You can apply a template to a new site created by the tool (Communication or Teams type) or to an existing site you are already connected to.

Step 2 — Create a New Site (Optional)

Click New Site from Template.
Select Communication site or Teams site.
Enter the new site's title and URL alias.
Click Create.

Step 3 — Select Elements to Apply

A checklist appears showing which elements are available in the chosen template. Uncheck any elements you do not want to apply, then click Apply.

Template File Format

[
  {
    "Name": "HR Department Standard",
    "CapturedAt": "2025-11-15T10:32:00",
    "SourceSiteUrl": "https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/HR",
    "FolderStructure": [
      {
        "Library": "Shared Documents",
        "Folders": ["Policies", "Procedures", "Templates"]
      }
    ],
    "Permissions": [
      { "GroupName": "HR Members", "PermissionLevel": "Edit" }
    ],
    "SiteSettings": { "Title": "HR Portal", "Lcid": 1033 },
    "Logo": "data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgo..."
  }
]

Limitations

Folder structure only: The tool captures folder hierarchies, not the files inside them.
SharePoint groups only: Azure AD groups assigned directly to a site are not captured.
No page content: Wiki pages, web parts, and site pages are not captured.
No workflows: Power Automate flows and classic SharePoint workflows are not included.
Logo size: Very large logo images increase the JSON file size (stored as base64).
Language: The LCID is captured and re-applied. If the target tenant does not have the language pack installed, site creation may fail.

Managing Templates

View templates: The Templates tab lists all saved templates with their capture date and source URL.
Delete a template: Select a template in the list and click Delete.
Rename a template: Select a template and click Rename.
Export/Import: The Sharepoint_Templates.json file can be copied between machines to share templates across team members.