Why am I getting error when trying to change a site name, even though it says the new name is available?

Question

I am in the SharePoint admin center and need to change a site name. When I go to Active Sites, General, Edit site name, I get an error message "Site title update has failed."

Answer 1

Hi @Connie Higgs 

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

To help narrow down the issue, could you please confirm the following steps: 

1.Rename from Site Information 

-Navigate to the site itself. 

-Go to Settings > Site information. 

-Change the Site name and click Save. 

-Let us know whether the rename succeeds or not.

2.Test with a brand-new site 

-Create a new site. 

-Attempt to rename it and check if the issue persists. 

3.Test with PowerShell (if you are familiar with it) 

Run the following commands: 

Install-Module PnP.PowerShell 
Import-Module PnP.PowerShell 
Connect-PnPOnline -Url "https://<yourtenant>.sharepoint.com/sites/<sitename>" -Interactive -ClientID <yourappID> 
Set-PnPWeb -Title "New Site Title" 
Get-PnPWeb | Select Title 

Please follow the instructions in this GitHub article to register your application and connect PnP PowerShell in your environment: powershell/pages/articles/registerapplication.md at dev · pnp/powershell · GitHub. You should use PowerShell 7.5 for a more effective configuration. 

Please know that while our initial response might not resolve the issue right away, your input is incredibly valuable. With a bit more detail, we’ll work together to find the best solution for you.  

---

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.    

Answer 2

The error message "Site title update has failed" when trying to change a site name in SharePoint can occur for several reasons. Here are some common issues that might lead to this error:

1. Site Lock Status: If the site is locked, you will not be able to change the site name. You must unlock the site before attempting to rename it.
2. Invalid Site URL: If the site URL is invalid or has an incorrect format, this can also cause the update to fail. Ensure that the URL is correctly formatted and that the site exists.
3. Existing Errors: There may be other underlying issues or errors related to the site that need to be resolved before you can successfully change the site name.
4. Permissions: Ensure that you have the necessary permissions to make changes to the site name. Lack of appropriate permissions can prevent updates from being applied.

If you continue to experience issues, you may want to check the SharePoint admin center for any additional error messages or logs that could provide more insight into the problem.

---

References:

• Errors when you rename a SharePoint domain
• Frequently asked questions about SharePoint Domain renames