SharePoint Online – BLANKINTERNET#0 Publishing Portal and Modern Pages

Rosamartina Milazzo 15 Reputation points
2026-09-18T09:07:21.1266667+00:00

Hi everyone,

 

I’m trying to understand the recommended approach for an existing SharePoint Online site based on the BLANKINTERNET#0 template (Publishing Site / Publishing Portal).

The site is still based on the classic SharePoint architecture and currently uses:

  • a custom Master Page;
  • Publishing Pages;
  • custom Web Parts developed with SharePoint Framework (SPFx);
  • the SPFx Web Parts also communicate with a backend/API developed using .NET Framework 4.8.

I’ve read Microsoft’s recent announcement regarding the deprecation of classic publishing sites and classic user-created pages.

As I understand it:

  • starting March 1, 2027, the creation of new classic publishing sites and activation of the classic publishing features will be disabled;
  • starting October 1, 2028, existing classic user-created pages, including Publishing Pages, will become read-only;
  • existing pages will not be deleted, but users will no longer be able to create or edit them;
  • Microsoft recommends assessing and gradually modernizing classic content to modern SharePoint experiences.

However, I’m confused about the recommended modernization path for an existing Publishing Portal.

The deprecation announcement made me think that one possible approach would be to progressively replace the existing classic pages with Modern Pages.

However, in Microsoft’s documentation about modernizing classic publishing portals, I found the following statement:

"For publishing portals (sites based upon BLANKINTERNET#0, ENTERWIKI#0, SRCHCEN#0, SRCHCENTERLITE#0, BICENTERSITE#0, POINTPUBLISHINGHUB#0, POINTPUBLISHINGTOPIC#0 or sites using the “Pages” library) it's not currently supported to connect these to a Microsoft 365 group or to use modern pages. If you want to modernize your publishing portal it's recommended to start from a new communication site and configure that one accordingly."

 

This raises an important question for my scenario.

My question

For an existing BLANKINTERNET#0 Publishing Portal, is it currently supported to:

A) Keep the existing Publishing Portal and progressively create/use Modern Pages within the same site, migrating the content from the existing classic Publishing Pages to Modern Pages so that the content remains editable after 2028?

Or:

B) Are Modern Pages actually not supported in an existing BLANKINTERNET#0 Publishing Portal, meaning that the supported modernization path is to create a new Communication Site and migrate/configure the content there?

 

I would particularly like to understand what Microsoft currently considers the officially supported approach.

In other words:

For an existing BLANKINTERNET#0 Publishing Portal, can I progressively replace the classic Publishing Pages with Modern Pages within the same site, or do I need to create a new Communication Site and migrate the content there in order to move away from the classic Publishing architecture?

I would like to avoid a full migration to a new Communication Site if it is not necessary, but at the same time I want to make sure that I’m not implementing an approach that Microsoft considers unsupported.

Thanks in advance for any clarification!

Microsoft 365 and Office | SharePoint | Development
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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-18T09:08:01.01+00:00

    For an existing BLANKINTERNET#0 publishing portal, the supported approach is B: create a new Communication Site and migrate/configure the content there.

    Microsoft’s guidance is explicit that for publishing portals based on BLANKINTERNET#0 and similar templates, it is not currently supported to:

    • connect them to a Microsoft 365 group, or
    • use modern pages in those portals.

    That means the supported modernization path is not to progressively replace classic publishing pages with modern pages inside the same publishing portal.

    Supported interpretation for the scenario:

    • Keeping the existing publishing portal and introducing modern pages in that same site is not the supported model.
    • Starting from a new communication site is the recommended modernization path for a publishing portal.
    • Existing classic sites remain available, and existing classic page content is not deleted.
    • But classic user-created pages that are not modernized become read-only on the published timeline:
      • March 1, 2027 for tenants created on or after that date
      • October 1, 2028 for remaining existing tenants

    For the current architecture described:

    • Custom master pages and page layouts are part of the classic publishing model and do not carry forward to modern communication sites, because modern communication sites do not use master pages or page layouts.
    • Classic web parts cannot be used on modern pages, and modern out-of-box web parts cannot be used on classic pages.
    • For customizations, Microsoft recommends supported modern options such as SharePoint Framework (SPFx) and modern pages.

    A practical supported path is:

    1. Keep the existing BLANKINTERNET#0 portal running for current access.
    2. Create a new Communication Site for the modernized experience.
    3. Assess publishing pages and portal features before migration. Microsoft notes the Microsoft 365 Assessment tool can provide classic publishing page discovery and portal-level summaries, and the legacy SharePoint Modernization Scanner can be used for fuller publishing inventory.
    4. Rebuild page experiences as modern pages in the communication site.
    5. Move or adapt SPFx components for use in modern pages as needed.
    6. Review classic dependencies such as master pages, page layouts, and any markup/DOM-dependent customizations, because those are not the modern model.
    7. Prioritize frequently used pages first, since page transformation does not have a 1:1 mapping between classic and modern functionality.

    For the direct question: an existing BLANKINTERNET#0 Publishing Portal cannot be progressively modernized by replacing classic publishing pages with modern pages within the same site as a supported approach. The supported modernization path is to build a new Communication Site and migrate/configure content there.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. JeseminQH 600 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-18T09:54:17.3+00:00

    Hi @Rosamartina Milazzo

    Your existing site will not become entirely read-only in March 2027 as a result of this change. For your specific situation, the key dates are: 

    • Starting March 1, 2027, it will no longer be possible to create new classic publishing sites, including sites based on the BLANKINTERNET#0 template, or activate the classic publishing features. 
    • Starting October 1, 2028, user-created classic pages in existing tenants, including publishing pages, will remain available for viewing but can no longer be edited. Users will also no longer be able to create new classic pages. 

    For tenants created on or after March 1, 2027, the restrictions on creating and editing classic pages will apply from that date. 

    This change does not make the entire site or all its content read-only. List and library views, as well as list forms, are not included in the current scope of this change. 

    Regarding the statement you quoted, it means that using modern pages within an existing publishing portal based on the BLANKINTERNET#0 template is not a supported modernization approach. Therefore, removing the custom master page and recreating the content as modern pages within the same site should not be considered a supported way to modernize the portal. The Microsoft guidance you referenced recommends creating a new Communication Site for this scenario. 

    To keep the required content editable after October 1, 2028, I recommend planning a gradual transition to modern pages in a new Communication Site. You can begin with a few representative pages and verify that the content, links, permissions, and custom functionality work correctly before migrating the remaining pages. 

    Customizations should be evaluated separately because not everything can be converted automatically. 

    For more information, refer to the: Modernize classic publishing portals guidance,  

    Hopefully, this helps clear things up and clarifies which modernization path is suitable for you. 

     

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