PowerShell Hack: Apply Out-of-the-Box SharePoint Site Designs to Existing Sites

Introduction

SharePoint site designs are powerful tools for automating site configuration, but they’re typically applied during site creation. What if you need to apply Microsoft’s out-of-the-box site designs to existing sites using automation? The PnP PowerShell, CLI for M365 and other PowerShell module cover applying custom site designs only. We can leverage a PowerShell hack using REST API calls to achieve this functionality. Thanks to Arash Aghajani who pinpointed on feasibility and requested for it to be natively available within PnP PowerShell. However the implementation with PnP PowerShell uses CSOM and does not the option to apply out of the box site design.

Network trace

I used network trace to identify the endpoint and payload.

Network Trace

Endpoint

{webUrl}/_api/Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities.WebTemplateExtensions.SiteScriptUtility.ApplySiteDesign

Payload

"{`"siteDesignId`": `"$siteDesignId`", `"webUrl`": `"$webUrl`", `"store`": 1}"

The Challenge

Microsoft provides several useful out-of-the-box site designs like:

  • Project Management - Adds project-related lists and libraries
  • Training Portal - Sets up training-focused site structure
  • Team Collaboration - Configures collaboration features

These are available from the UI to apply to a site only. The existing PowerShell modules are lacking the functionality to replicate the behaviour.

The Solution: REST API Hack

By using SharePoint’s REST API through PnP PowerShell as a hack, we can programmatically apply these site designs to existing sites. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Get Available Site Designs

First, let’s retrieve all available out-of-the-box site designs:

$webUrl = "https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/sites/yoursite"
Connect-PnPOnline -Url $webUrl

# Get available site designs from Microsoft's store
$getSiteDesignsUrl = "$webUrl/_api/Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities.WebTemplateExtensions.SiteScriptUtility.GetSiteDesigns"
$siteDesigns = (Invoke-PnPSPRestMethod -Url $getSiteDesignsUrl -Method POST -ContentType "application/json" -content "{`"store`": 1}").value | select Id, Title

# Display available designs
$siteDesigns | ForEach-Object { Write-Host "$($_.Id) - $($_.Title)" }

Step 2: Apply the Site Design

Once you have the Site Design ID, apply it to your existing site:

# Example: Project Management site design
$siteDesignId = "b8ef3134-92a2-4c9d-bca6-2f14e79fe98e"
$webUrl = "https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/sites/yoursite"

# Validate the site design exists
if (-not ($siteDesigns | Where-Object { $_.Id -eq $siteDesignId })) {
    Write-Host "Site Design ID not found. Available IDs are:" -ForegroundColor Red
    $siteDesigns | ForEach-Object { Write-Host "$($_.Id) - $($_.Title)" }
    exit
}

# Apply the site design
$restUrl = "$webUrl/_api/Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities.WebTemplateExtensions.SiteScriptUtility.ApplySiteDesign"
$body = "{`"siteDesignId`": `"$siteDesignId`", `"webUrl`": `"$webUrl`", `"store`": 1}"
$response = Invoke-PnPSPRestMethod -Url $restUrl -Method Post -ContentType "application/json" -Content $body

Write-Host "Site design applied successfully!" -ForegroundColor Green

Complete Script

Here’s the full script with error handling and validation:

# Configuration
$siteDesignId = "b8ef3134-92a2-4c9d-bca6-2f14e79fe98e" # Project Management
$webUrl = "https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/sites/yoursite"

try {
    # Connect to SharePoint
    Connect-PnPOnline -Url $webUrl
    Write-Host "Connected to $webUrl" -ForegroundColor Green

    # Get available site designs
    $getSiteDesignsUrl = "$webUrl/_api/Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities.WebTemplateExtensions.SiteScriptUtility.GetSiteDesigns"
    $siteDesigns = (Invoke-PnPSPRestMethod -Url $getSiteDesignsUrl -Method POST -ContentType "application/json" -content "{`"store`": 1}").value | select Id, Title

    Write-Host "`nAvailable Site Designs:" -ForegroundColor Yellow
    $siteDesigns | ForEach-Object { Write-Host "  $($_.Id) - $($_.Title)" }

    # Validate site design ID
    $selectedDesign = $siteDesigns | Where-Object { $_.Id -eq $siteDesignId }
    if (-not $selectedDesign) {
        Write-Host "`nError: Site Design ID '$siteDesignId' not found!" -ForegroundColor Red
         Write-Host "`nAvailable Site Designs:" -ForegroundColor Yellow
         $siteDesigns | ForEach-Object { Write-Host "  $($_.Id) - $($_.Title)" }
        exit 1
    }

    Write-Host "`nApplying site design: $($selectedDesign.Title)" -ForegroundColor Yellow

    # Apply the site design
    $restUrl = "$webUrl/_api/Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities.WebTemplateExtensions.SiteScriptUtility.ApplySiteDesign"
    $body = "{`"siteDesignId`": `"$siteDesignId`", `"webUrl`": `"$webUrl`", `"store`": 1}"
    $response = Invoke-PnPSPRestMethod -Url $restUrl -Method Post -ContentType "application/json" -Content $body

    Write-Host "✅ Site design '$($selectedDesign.Title)' applied successfully!" -ForegroundColor Green
    
    if ($response) {
        Write-Host "Response details:" -ForegroundColor Cyan
        $response | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 3
    }
}
catch {
    Write-Host "❌ Error applying site design: $($_.Exception.Message)" -ForegroundColor Red
}

Output

Output

Common Out-of-the-Box Site Design IDs

Here are the complete list of Microsoft out-of-the-box site design IDs you can use:

Site DesignIDDescription
Department73495f08-0140-499b-8927-dd26a546f26aDepartment site structure
Event planning9522236e-6802-4972-a10d-e98dc74b3344Event planning and coordination
Leadership connectioncd4c26b2-b231-419a-8bb4-9b1d9b83aef6Leadership communication hub
Project managementf0a3abf4-afe8-4409-b7f3-484113dee93eProject tracking and collaboration
Training course695e52c9-8af7-4bd3-b7a5-46aca95e1c7eTraining course delivery
Training design team64aaa31e-7a1e-4337-b646-0b700aa9a52cTraining content development
Learning centralb8ef3134-92a2-4c9d-bca6-c2f14e79fe98Centralized learning resources
New employee onboarding2a23fa44-52b0-4814-baba-06fef1ab931eEmployee onboarding process
Blankf6cc5403-0d63-442e-96c0-285923709ffcBlank site template
Showcase6142d2a0-63a5-4ba0-aede-d9fefca2c767Product or service showcase
Retail management teame4ec393e-da09-4816-b6b2-195393656eddRetail operations management
Store collaboration811ecf9a-b33f-44e6-81bd-da77729906dcStore team collaboration
Employee onboarding teamaf9037eb-09ef-4217-80fe-465d37511b33Onboarding team coordination
Set up your home page33537eba-a7d6-4d76-96cc-ee1930bd3907Home page configuration
Crisis communication teamfb513aef-c06f-4dc3-b08c-963a2d2360c1Emergency communication
IT help desk71308406-f31d-445f-85c7-b31942d1508cIT support and ticketing
Contracts management2a7dd756-75f6-4f0f-a06a-a672939ea2a3Contract lifecycle management
Accounts payable403ffe4e-12d4-41a2-8153-208069eaf2b8Finance and accounts payable
Brand centralf2c6bb0c-9234-40c2-9ec3-ee86a70330fbBrand assets and guidelines
Standard teamc8b3137a-ca4c-48a9-b356-a8e7987dd693Standard team collaboration
Standard communication96c933ac-3698-44c7-9f4a-5fd17d71af9eCommunication site template
Crisis management951190b8-8541-4f8c-8e8a-10a17c466c94Crisis response management
Event3d5ef50b-88a0-42a7-9fb2-8036009f6f42Event management and coordination
Human resourcesc298ddc9-628d-48bf-b1e5-5939a1962fb1HR processes and resources
Organization home30eebaf6-48ea-4af9-a564-a5c50297c826Organizational hub
Volunteer center34a39504-194c-4605-87be-d48d00070c67Volunteer coordination
Copilot Campaign94e24f52-dfaf-40e4-b629-df2c85570adcMicrosoft Copilot campaign
Viva Campaignda99c5d9-baad-4e81-81f6-03a061972d49Microsoft Viva campaign

Note: These IDs are from Microsoft’s out-of-the-box site designs. You can also retrieve the current list by running the PowerShell script above to query your tenant’s available designs.

What Gets Applied?

When you apply a site design, it typically includes:

  • Lists and Libraries - Pre-configured with relevant columns
  • Site Navigation - Updated to include new areas
  • Web Parts - Added to pages where appropriate
  • Permissions - Applied according to the design template
  • Theme and Branding - Visual consistency with the design

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Error: “Access Denied”

  • Ensure you have Site Collection Administrator or Site Owner permissions
  • Check if the site has custom permission configurations

Error: “Site Design not found”

  • Verify the Site Design ID is correct
  • Ensure you’re connected to the right tenant

Partial Application

  • Some site designs may partially apply if conflicts exist
  • Check the response object for detailed results

Conclusion

This PowerShell hack provides a powerful way to retrofit existing SharePoint sites with Microsoft’s out-of-the-box site designs. While not officially documented, it leverages the same REST API calls that the SharePoint interface uses internally.

Key Benefits:

  • ✅ Apply professional site structures to existing sites
  • ✅ Automate site configuration across multiple sites
  • ✅ Leverage Microsoft’s tested and optimized designs
  • ✅ Save time compared to manual configuration

Remember:

  • Always test in a development environment first
  • Monitor the results and train users on new features

References