Migrate Sharepoint

This guide describes how to export content from a SharePoint document library into a local folder structure suitable for import into Phonemos using the Migrate Word Documents importer.

Target Folder Structure

The importer expects a local folder tree where each subfolder becomes a page and each .docx file becomes page content. The folder structure from SharePoint should map directly to the page hierarchy you want in Phonemos. Preserve the original folder hierarchy when exporting.

Option 1: OneDrive Sync (Recommended for most users)

This is the simplest method and preserves the full folder structure without additional tools.

Open the SharePoint document library in your browser.
Click Sync in the command bar. This opens OneDrive and starts syncing the library to your local machine.
Wait for the sync to complete. The library appears as a local folder under your OneDrive location (e.g. C:\Users\<you>\<Organization>\<LibraryName>).
Use this synced folder path as the --path argument for the importer.

OneDrive only syncs the latest version of each file. Version history is not preserved.

Option 2: PnP PowerShell (Scriptable, preserves folder structure)

PnP PowerShell downloads files from SharePoint Online while recreating the folder hierarchy locally. Requires PowerShell 7.2+ and the PnP.PowerShell module.

Install the module if not already present:

Install-Module -Name PnP.PowerShell -Scope CurrentUser -Force

Download the library with folder structure:

$SiteUrl       = "https://<tenant>.sharepoint.com/sites/<site>"
$LibraryName   = "Documents"
$LocalPath     = "C:\SharePointExport"

Connect-PnPOnline -Url $SiteUrl -UseWebLogin

$Files = Get-PnPListItem -List $LibraryName -PageSize 500

foreach ($File in $Files) {
    $FileUrl  = $File["FileRef"]
    $FileName = $File["FileLeafRef"]

    # Skip folders
    if ($File.FileSystemObjectType -eq "Folder") { continue }

    # Reconstruct relative path
    $RelFolder = ($FileUrl -replace "/sites/[^/]+/$LibraryName/", "") -replace "/$FileName", ""
    $LocalFolder = Join-Path $LocalPath $RelFolder

    if (!(Test-Path $LocalFolder)) {
        New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $LocalFolder | Out-Null
    }

    Get-PnPFile -ServerRelativeUrl $FileUrl -Path $LocalFolder -AsFile -Force
}

Adjust $SiteUrl, $LibraryName, and $LocalPath to match your environment. The -replace pattern may need adjustment if your site path differs from /sites/<name>.

Option 3: Open with Explorer (Windows only, small libraries)

For small libraries, SharePoint can be opened directly in Windows Explorer:

Navigate to the document library in SharePoint.
Click View > View in File Explorer (requires Internet Explorer or Edge in IE mode on older tenants, or use the OneDrive sync approach instead).
Select all files and folders and copy them to a local destination.

The "View in File Explorer" option is being deprecated in SharePoint Online. Use Option 1 or 2 instead.

Import into Phonemos

Once you have a local folder with .docx files arranged in the desired hierarchy, follow the Migrate Word Documents guide to run the import.

Phonemos User Guide

Migrate Sharepoint