Prepare for Project Online retirement

Introduction

Project Online retires on September 30, 2026. Before that date, organizations should identify which Project Online data, SharePoint content, reports, integrations, and business processes they still need, and decide how each item will be preserved, migrated, replaced, or retired.

 This article explains how Project Online retirement affects Project Web App (PWA) site collections and connected SharePoint project sites. It provides a planning overview to help you inventory your environment, separate Project Online service dependencies from SharePoint content, evaluate transition options, and validate that required data and processes are ready before retirement.

Important

This information is provided for planning purposes only. It may change and does not create a Microsoft commitment, guarantee, or contractual obligation.

Table of Contents

  • Understand PWA site collections.

  • Review the retirement timeline.

  • Understand what stops working.

  • Assess SharePoint content and connected project sites.

  • Prepare your environment.

  • Evaluate transition options.

  • Review the feature impact matrix.

  • Project Online retirement FAQ.

  • Learn-readiness note.

Understand PWA site collections

A PWA site collection uses SharePoint Online as its content and collaboration foundation. Project Online adds project scheduling, resource management, portfolio analysis, reporting, publishing, Project-specific security behavior, synchronization, and integrations.

The following concepts can help you identify which parts of your environment depend on Project Online.

Concept Description
Project Online A web-based project and portfolio management service that includes Project Web App. Some subscriptions also include the Project Online Desktop Client.
PWA site collection A SharePoint Online site collection that hosts Project Web App and combines SharePoint content with Project Online service-backed pages, data, reporting, APIs, permissions, synchronization, and project-site relationships.
Connected project site A SharePoint project site associated with a specific Project Online project. PWA can manage its URL, lifecycle, permissions, task information, and synchronization behavior.
Ordinary SharePoint project site A SharePoint site used for project collaboration that is not associated with a Project Online project and does not depend on PWA relationships or synchronization.
Enterprise Project Type A Project Online configuration that combines phases, stages, a workflow, Project Detail Pages, project plan templates, and project-site creation or synchronization settings.
PWA component A Project Online-dependent page, report, reporting template, API endpoint, add-in, web part, control, workflow, synchronization process, or other service-backed feature.

How PWA site collections are structured

A PWA deployment can use one or more PWA site collections. Connected project sites can be located in the same site collection as PWA or distributed across other site collections.

Common deployment patterns include:

  • One PWA instance with project sites in the same site collection.

  • One PWA instance with project sites distributed across multiple site collections.

  • Multiple PWA site collections for different subsidiaries, regions, or business units.

A PWA site can support up to 30,000 projects. Project sites for those projects must not exceed 2,000 sites in any one site collection. Enterprise Project Type settings can direct project sites to different site collections.

For more information, see Project Online software boundaries and limits and Tune Project Online performance.

Separate the SharePoint and Project Online layers

A generic SharePoint project site and a connected PWA project site can look similar, but they are not equivalent. A site becomes a connected project site when PWA associates it with a Project Online project and manages that relationship through Project Online features.

The SharePoint content layer can include:

  • Lists and libraries.

  • Pages and documents.

  • Permissions and site settings.

  • Webs and subsites.

  • Issues, risks, and deliverables.

The Project Online service layer can include:

  • PWA pages and Project Detail Pages.

  • Projects, schedules, assignments, timesheets, and resource data.

  • Publishing and reporting feeds.

  • Project Online APIs and endpoints.

  • Project workflows and synchronization.

  • Project-specific web parts and controls.

  • Managed project-site relationships.

Review these layers separately. A SharePoint asset might remain useful even when the Project Online capability associated with it no longer functions.

Consider modern SharePoint information architecture

PWA and connected project-site designs often use classic SharePoint patterns, including site collections, subsites, inherited navigation, inherited permissions, and classic site designs.

Modern SharePoint guidance favors separate sites associated with hubs for shared navigation, branding, content rollup, and search. If you move useful SharePoint content, consider a modern site and hub architecture instead of recreating a classic subsite hierarchy.

For more information, see:

Review the retirement timeline

Date Change Planning implication
April 1, 2026 Existing customers can no longer create new Project Online tenants or functional new PWA instances. Base transition work on existing environments. Do not rely on a SharePoint site template or PWA-looking URL to provision Project Online functionality.
Through September 30, 2026 Existing functional Project Online environments remain operational. Complete inventory, export, migration, replacement, and testing before retirement.
September 30, 2026 Project Online retires and is no longer available. Project Online data, pages, reporting endpoints, APIs, synchronization, and other service-backed features stop working.

Ordinary SharePoint site creation does not provision Project Online functionality. A SharePoint administration experience might appear to create a site that uses a PWA template or URL, but that site does not become a functional Project Online PWA instance.

For the retirement announcement, see Microsoft Project Online is retiring: What you need to know.

Understand what stops working

Project Online retirement removes the service-backed project management layer from PWA environments.

PWA pages and capabilities

The following Project Online-dependent experiences no longer function after retirement:

  • PWA Home.

  • Project Center.

  • Resource Center.

  • Timesheets.

  • Project Detail Pages.

  • Project scheduling and publishing.

  • Time and task management.

  • Resource management.

  • Portfolio analysis.

  • PWA settings and administration pages.

Do not treat these experiences as ordinary SharePoint pages when planning for retirement.

Project Online data

Projects and associated Project Online service data are no longer accessible through Project Online after retirement. This data can include:

  • Projects and schedules.

  • Tasks and assignments.

  • Timesheets.

  • Enterprise resources and engagements.

  • Enterprise calendars.

  • Custom fields and lookup tables.

  • Portfolio analyses.

  • Enterprise Project Types.

  • Workflow and security configuration.

Export or migrate required Project Online data before September 30, 2026.

Reporting and cloud APIs

Project Online cloud endpoints become unavailable after retirement. Inventory reports, applications, scripts, and automations that use:

  • Project Online REST.

  • CSOM.

  • JSOM.

  • ProjectData.

  • OData reporting feeds.

  • Project Online connection strings and refresh credentials.

PSI, WCF, and ASMX belong to the on-premises Project Server programmability model. Do not classify them as supported Project Online cloud APIs that become unavailable because of Project Online retirement. Inventory these technologies only if your broader environment includes Project Server or related on-premises solutions.

For more information, see Project Server programmability.

Automation, workflows, and customizations

The following items require review and remediation when they depend on Project Online:

  • Power Automate flows that use Project Online triggers or actions.

  • Project Online workflows.

  • PWA add-ins.

  • Project-specific web parts and controls.

  • Custom pages and applications.

  • Scheduled jobs and scripts.

  • Project-to-SharePoint task, data, and permission synchronization.

  • Project-site creation and relationship management.

Replace, migrate, or retire these dependencies before Project Online retirement.

Project desktop connectivity

Project desktop does not retire with Project Online and can continue to be used as a standalone product.

However, after Project Online retires, Project desktop cannot connect to Project Online to retrieve, publish, or work with Project Online service data. Include the following items in your inventory:

  • Local .mpp files.

  • Project Online connection profiles.

  • Publishing processes.

  • Templates and macros.

  • Reports that depend on connected data.

  • Process owners and users.

For more information, see the Microsoft Project Online desktop client service description.

Assess SharePoint content and connected project sites

Supported SharePoint content that does not depend on Project Online can have a different lifecycle from the Project Online service.

Examples can include:

  • User-created and non-PWA lists.

  • Document libraries and files.

  • Non-PWA pages.

  • Supported SharePoint webs and subsites.

  • Project-site collaboration content that does not depend on Project Online components.

Normal SharePoint permissions, retention, lifecycle, and tenant policies continue to apply.

Understand the effect on connected project sites

Connected project sites can contain SharePoint content such as:

  • Documents.

  • Issues.

  • Risks.

  • Deliverables.

  • Lists.

  • Permissions and settings.

Assess this content separately from the PWA association, Project metadata, synchronization, Project-specific permissions, and other behavior that depends on Project Online.

A connected project site might remain reachable, but the following behavior does not continue after Project Online retirement:

  • Project-to-site synchronization.

  • Project task synchronization.

  • Permission synchronization.

  • PWA relationship management.

  • Project metadata updates.

  • Project-specific workflows, web parts, and controls.

Validate direct access to any SharePoint content that your organization plans to retain. Confirm its ownership, permissions, retention requirements, dependencies, and ongoing business value.

Do not treat a PWA site collection as converted

There is no supported process to uninstall Project Online from a PWA site collection or convert the collection into a fully independent standard SharePoint site.

This does not mean that all SharePoint content disappears. It means that the site collection does not become an ordinary SharePoint site with the Project Online service cleanly removed.

Review adjacent technology retirements

Project Online environments can contain customizations that depend on other retiring technologies.

Technology Planning impact
SharePoint Add-ins Retired in Microsoft 365 on April 2, 2026. Replace affected Project Online and SharePoint customizations.
Azure Access Control Services (ACS) Retired in Microsoft 365 on April 2, 2026. Replace ACS-backed custom development.
SharePoint 2013 workflows Retired in Microsoft 365 on April 2, 2026. Review demand management and legacy workflow scenarios.
SharePoint Framework Can remain supported when a solution does not depend on Project Online APIs or another retired technology.

For more information, see:

Prepare your environment

Every Project Online environment can have different data, integrations, customizations, security models, and business processes. Build your transition plan from an inventory of your actual environment.

Follow a preparation sequence

Phase Goal Output
Inventory Find PWA instances, connected project sites, data, reports, workflows, integrations, and customizations. Source inventory with owners, URLs, dependencies, and risks.
Classify Separate Project Online service data, SharePoint content, and customization dependencies. A disposition for each asset: retain, validate, export, migrate, replace, or retire.
Preserve Export required Project Online data and high-value SharePoint content. Export packages, content inventory, and retention notes.
Remediate Replace Project Online dependencies in reports, flows, add-ins, workflows, APIs, and project-site processes. Migration backlog and replacement designs.
Validate Confirm access, ownership, permissions, reports, integrations, and business process continuity. Test evidence and stakeholder approval.

Inventory Project Online data and configuration

For each PWA instance, inventory:

  • Projects, schedules, tasks, assignments, and timesheets.

  • Enterprise resources and resource engagements.

  • Enterprise calendars.

  • Custom fields and lookup tables.

  • Portfolio analyses.

  • Enterprise Project Types.

  • Workflows.

  • PWA pages, views, and Project Detail Pages.

  • Groups, categories, permissions, and external users.

  • Connected project sites.

  • Documents, issues, risks, and deliverables.

  • Security and administration configuration.

Record an owner, business purpose, dependency, required retention period, proposed destination, and disposition for each item.

Inventory integrations, reporting, and customizations

Identify:

  • Project Online REST, CSOM, JSOM, ProjectData, and OData usage.

  • Reports, datasets, workbooks, and dashboards.

  • Scripts, connection strings, refresh credentials, and scheduled jobs.

  • Power Automate flows.

  • Project Online and SharePoint workflows.

  • SharePoint Add-ins.

  • Azure ACS dependencies.

  • SharePoint Framework solutions.

  • Custom web parts, controls, and pages.

  • Project desktop files and connections.

  • Publishing and reporting processes.

  • Enterprise Project Type project-site settings.

  • Permission and task synchronization.

  • Integration owners and support contacts.

Test whether each dependency continues to work without Project Online. If it does not, assign a replacement, migration, or retirement action.

Assess SharePoint content

For each PWA site collection and connected project site, record:

  • URL.

  • Owner.

  • Business purpose.

  • Lists and libraries.

  • Pages and files.

  • Permissions and external users.

  • Workflows and add-ins.

  • SharePoint Framework solutions.

  • Retention requirements.

  • Project Online dependencies.

Classify the content separately from Project Online data and service-backed behavior. Decide whether the content should:

  • Remain in place.

  • Be archived.

  • Move to another SharePoint site.

  • Move to a modern site and hub architecture.

  • Be deleted under your organization's approved lifecycle and retention processes.

Validate the transition

Before completing the transition, verify:

  • Required Project Online data was exported or migrated.

  • Retained SharePoint content can be accessed directly.

  • Ownership and permissions are current.

  • Reports use supported data sources.

  • Integrations and automations use supported endpoints.

  • Required business processes work in the selected destination.

  • Project desktop users can access required standalone files.

  • Retention, compliance, security, and governance requirements are met.

  • Users and support teams are prepared for the new process.

Evaluate transition options

Select a destination by matching the work you need to manage, the capabilities you need to preserve, and the operating model your organization intends to support.

A destination is not necessarily a one-to-one replacement for every Project Online capability. Some organizations might use more than one destination for different workloads.

Planner

Evaluate Planner for modern Microsoft 365 work management scenarios, including:

  • Collaborative planning.

  • Task management.

  • Portfolio visibility.

  • Microsoft Teams integration.

  • AI-assisted planning scenarios.

Project desktop

Evaluate Project desktop when project managers require standalone capabilities such as:

  • Schedule authoring.

  • Gantt and timeline views.

  • Baselines and dependencies.

  • Resource and cost planning.

  • Built-in reporting.

  • .mpp file management.

Standalone Project desktop use does not require Project Online. Project Online connectivity does not continue after the service retires.

Project Server Subscription Edition

Evaluate Project Server Subscription Edition when requirements include:

  • An on-premises Project Server deployment.

  • Advanced portfolio management.

  • Resource capacity management.

  • Project Server-style administration.

  • Requirements that do not map to a Microsoft 365 work management service.

Dynamics 365 Project Operations

Evaluate Dynamics 365 Project Operations when project delivery is connected to:

  • Sales.

  • Resourcing.

  • Project management.

  • Finance.

  • Project accounting.

  • Billing.

  • Profitability management.

For more information, see Dynamics 365 Project Operations.

Compare requirements before selecting a destination

Compare potential destinations against your requirements for:

  • Scheduling.

  • Resource management.

  • Portfolio analysis.

  • Time and task management.

  • Reporting.

  • Integrations and extensibility.

  • Security and governance.

  • Data handling and retention.

  • Licensing.

  • Administration.

  • Sales and resourcing.

  • Finance and project accounting.

Review the feature impact matrix

Use the following matrix to assign every asset a disposition before September 30, 2026.

Capability or asset Retirement impact Customer action
PWA Home, Project Center, Resource Center, Timesheets, and Project Detail Pages Unavailable after retirement. Transition users and preserve required data before retirement.
Project Online projects and service data No longer accessible through Project Online after retirement. Export or migrate projects, schedules, tasks, assignments, timesheets, resources, and required metadata.
Enterprise custom fields, lookup tables, calendars, and resources Require preservation or replacement. Export definitions, values, ownership information, and dependent metadata.
Enterprise Project Types and workflows Project Online-dependent behavior becomes unavailable. Document configuration and replace or retire dependent processes.
ProjectData, OData, REST, CSOM, and JSOM Project Online endpoints become unavailable. Inventory and replace applications, scripts, reports, datasets, and automations.
PSI, WCF, and ASMX On-premises Project Server technologies, not Project Online cloud APIs. Inventory only when the broader environment includes Project Server or related on-premises solutions.
Project desktop standalone use Not retired by Project Online retirement. Preserve required .mpp files and validate standalone processes.
Project desktop connectivity to Project Online Project Online connections no longer function after retirement. Replace connected publishing, retrieval, and reporting processes.
Connected SharePoint project sites SharePoint content must be assessed separately; PWA relationships and synchronization stop. Preserve required SharePoint content and replace Project Online-dependent behavior.
Non-PWA SharePoint content Can have a separate SharePoint lifecycle when it has no Project Online dependency. Validate direct access, ownership, permissions, retention, dependencies, and business value.
Project-specific web parts and controls Do not function without their Project Online dependencies. Replace, remove, or retire affected components.
Power Automate flows that use Project Online Project Online triggers, actions, or endpoints stop working. Redesign affected flows using supported services or retire them.
Project Online and SharePoint workflows Project Online-dependent workflows stop; SharePoint 2013 workflows have a separate retirement. Inventory workflow dependencies and replace or retire affected workflows.
SharePoint Add-ins and Azure ACS customizations Subject to their separate Microsoft 365 retirements. Replace or retire affected customizations.
SharePoint Framework solutions Can continue only when they do not depend on Project Online or another retired technology. Test each solution and remove unsupported dependencies.
Project-to-SharePoint permission, task, and data synchronization Synchronization stops after Project Online retirement. Establish replacement ownership, permissions, and data maintenance processes.
Reports and scheduled refreshes Fail when they depend on Project Online endpoints or credentials. Move required reporting to supported data sources and validate refresh behavior.
Scripts and scheduled jobs Fail when they call Project Online services. Replace, rewrite, or retire affected scripts and jobs.

A reachable SharePoint site does not mean that its Project Online-dependent behavior remains available.

Project Online retirement FAQ

When does Project Online retire?

Project Online retires on September 30, 2026.

Can existing customers continue to use Project Online until retirement?

Existing functional environments remain operational through September 30, 2026. Complete migration and validation before the retirement date.

Can I create a new Project Online tenant or PWA site after April 1, 2026?

No. Starting April 1, 2026, existing customers can no longer create new Project Online tenants or functional new PWA instances.

Creating an ordinary SharePoint site, using a PWA-related template, or using a PWA-looking URL does not provision Project Online functionality.

What happens to Project Online projects and data?

After retirement, projects and associated Project Online service data are no longer accessible through Project Online. Export or migrate required data before September 30, 2026.

Will SharePoint content remain accessible?

SharePoint content that does not depend on Project Online can have a separate lifecycle, subject to normal SharePoint permissions, retention, lifecycle, and tenant policies.

Inventory and test the content your organization intends to retain. Do not assume that continued access to a SharePoint site means its PWA pages, synchronization, workflows, web parts, or Project-specific behavior continue to work.

Can a PWA site collection be converted to a standard SharePoint site?

No supported process uninstalls Project Online from a PWA site collection or converts the collection into a fully independent standard SharePoint site.

Assess useful SharePoint content separately and move it when required.

What happens to connected SharePoint project sites?

The SharePoint content within a connected project site must be assessed separately from its Project Online relationship.

The PWA association, synchronization, Project metadata, Project-specific permissions, and other service-backed behavior depend on Project Online and do not continue after retirement.

What happens to REST, CSOM, JSOM, OData, and ProjectData integrations?

These technologies depend on Project Online endpoints and become unavailable for Project Online scenarios after retirement. Inventory and replace applications, reports, scripts, and automations that use them.

Should PSI, WCF, or ASMX be listed as Project Online cloud retirement impacts?

No. PSI, WCF, and ASMX are part of the on-premises Project Server programmability model, not supported Project Online cloud APIs.

Inventory them only when your broader environment includes Project Server or related on-premises solutions.

Does Project desktop retire with Project Online?

No. Project desktop remains available as a standalone product.

Project desktop connections to Project Online do not continue after Project Online retires. Inventory local files, connection profiles, publishing processes, reports, and owners.

What should I inventory first?

Start with:

  • PWA instances and connected sites.

  • Project data, schedules, resources, custom fields, calendars, and timesheets.

  • PWA pages, views, and Project Detail Pages.

  • OData, ProjectData, REST, CSOM, and JSOM reports and integrations.

  • Documents, issues, risks, deliverables, permissions, and retention needs.

  • Workflows, add-ins, ACS-backed customizations, SharePoint Framework solutions, and Power Automate flows.

  • Project desktop files, connection points, publishing processes, and owners.

What actions should I complete before retirement?

Before September 30, 2026:

  1. Inventory each PWA environment and dependency.

  2. Export or migrate required Project Online data.

  3. Assess SharePoint content independently.

  4. Replace reports and integrations that use Project Online endpoints.

  5. Remediate flows, workflows, add-ins, web parts, and customizations.

  6. Select destinations for ongoing work.

  7. Test access, permissions, integrations, reporting, and business processes.

  8. Prepare users, administrators, and support teams.

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