How to Restore All Archived Files in a SharePoint Online Site
2 min read
Restoring an entire SharePoint Online site from Squirrel is a streamlined and reliable process. This guide walks you through the steps required to fully restore all previously archived files within a selected site.
Important Note: Only files that were archived by Squirrel will be restored. Any files that were not archived will remain unaffected.
In this example, we’ll restore files from a previously archived SharePoint site named "Engineer."
Steps to Restore an Archived SharePoint Site
| Step | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1: Access the Squirrel Dashboard | Log into the Squirrel web portal and navigate to the Restore section from the main menu. |  |
| Step 2: Select the SharePoint Site for Restoration | Locate the archived site (e.g., “Engineer”) in the list of sites. Click Restore Site to begin. |  |
| Step 3: Confirm the Restoration Process | A confirmation prompt will appear, notifying that the restore may take time and affect users. Click OK to continue. |  |
| Step 4: Monitor the Restore Progress | The site will be added to the Restore Queue. Navigate to the queue section to monitor progress in real-time. |  |
| Step 5: Verify the Restored Files | Once restoration is complete, return to SharePoint Online. Go to the “Engineer” site and confirm the presence of restored files. |  |
| Step 6: Validate Access and Integrity | Open several restored files to verify access, metadata, and version history. Check permissions if needed. |  |
Conclusion
Restoring archived files from Squirrel is fast, reliable, and minimally disruptive to your SharePoint environment. This full-site restore feature:
- Brings back only archived files (non-archived files remain untouched)
- Maintains folder structures and original metadata
- Restores content exactly where it was archived from
By leveraging Squirrel’s smart restoration tools, administrators can ensure a seamless balance between storage efficiency and data availability — while maintaining control and visibility over file lifecycle management.