The SharePoint Content Deployment Wizard is a classic, community-developed tool created by Chris O’Brien. It is designed to move granular content between on-premises SharePoint environments (such as SharePoint 2007, 2010, and 2013).
Unlike built-in legacy tools that force you to move entire databases, the Wizard uses the Content Migration API to let you “cherry-pick” specific sites, lists, or files. 🛠️ Prerequisites Before You Start
Target Structure: The destination site collection must already be created before you can import your content.
Permissions: You must have administrative access on both the source and destination SharePoint servers.
Matching Schemas: Ensure both environments have identical features, content types, and web parts activated to avoid import failures. 📦 Step 1: Exporting Content from the Source
Launch the Tool: Open the SharePoint Content Deployment Wizard on your source server.
Select Action: Choose Export from the welcome screen and input the URL of your source site.
Cherry-Pick Content: Use the interactive treeview to select the specific site, sub-site, list, or library you want to move. Configure Settings:
Check Include all descendants to ensure sub-folders and items transfer cleanly.
Choose an Include Security option if you need to preserve object permissions and user assignments.
Run the Export: The tool will generate a .cmp (Content Migration Package) file on your local drive. Copy this file to your destination server. 📥 Step 2: Importing Content to the Destination
Launch the Tool: Open the Wizard on your destination server.
Select Action: Choose Import and enter the destination site URL.
Load the Package: Select the .cmp file you transferred from the source server. Configure Critical Settings:
Retain Object IDs (GUIDs): Check this box if you want a perfect mirror image (essential for staging/production environments). Leave it unchecked if you are merging content into an existing structure to avoid ID conflicts.
Execute: Complete the wizard to unpack and deploy the content into the new location. ⚠️ Modern Migration Alternatives
Because the Content Deployment Wizard relies on legacy APIs, it cannot be used for SharePoint Online (Microsoft 365). If you are moving to the cloud, you should use modern tools:
SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT): A free utility from Microsoft to move on-premises sites and file shares directly to Microsoft 365.
Cross-Tenant Migration: Built-in PowerShell commands designed to move sites directly between different Microsoft 365 environments.
Third-Party Migrators: Platforms like ShareGate or BitTitan MigrationWiz handle large-scale, complex cloud-to-cloud transfers smoothly.
To give you the most accurate advice or step-by-step guidance, which versions of SharePoint are you currently using for your source and destination? When to use the SharePoint Content Deployment Wizard
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