Enable or Disable the Return to Classic SharePoint link in SharePoint Online
SharePoint Online provides a modernized and responsive user interface that offers improved collaboration, customization, and integration capabilities. It provides a clean and intuitive design, responsive layouts, and enhanced mobile support. Modern SharePoint sites include modern lists and libraries, modern web parts, and modern pages.
On modern SharePoint list and library pages, there’s a link in the lower left of the page below quick launch (left navigation) that says Return to classic SharePoint. This link allows users who are working in the SharePoint modern experience to switch the current list or document library to classic experience. On the classic page, there’s a corresponding link that says Exit classic experience which reverts the current list or document library back to modern experience.
You may want to hide Return to classic SharePoint link from list and library pages to promote the adoption & utilization of the modern experience and have consistent modern user experience across the SharePoint site.
Luckily, as a tenant administrator you have control to show or hide these links from SharePoint online modern experience using one of the ways shown below:
Using SharePoint Online PowerShell
Use below SharePoint Online PowerShell script to enable or disable the Return to classic SharePoint and Exit classic experience links from SharePoint list and document library pages:
# SharePoint online admin center URL
$adminCenterUrl = "https://contoso-admin.sharepoint.com/"
# Connect to SharePoint online admin center
Connect-SPOService -Url $adminCenterUrl
# Enable Return to classic SharePoint and Exit classic experience links
Set-SPOTenant -DisableBackToClassic $false
# Disable Return to classic SharePoint and Exit classic experience links
Set-SPOTenant -DisableBackToClassic $true
Using PnP PowerShell
You can use below PnP PowerShell script to show or hide the “Return to classic SharePoint” and “Exit classic experience” links from SharePoint online modern experience list and document library pages:
# SharePoint online admin center URL
$adminCenterUrl = "https://contoso-admin.sharepoint.com/"
# Connect to SharePoint online admin center
Connect-PnPOnline -Url $adminCenterUrl -Interactive
# Show Return to classic SharePoint and Exit classic experience links
Set-PnPTenant -DisableBackToClassic $false
# Hide Return to classic SharePoint and Exit classic experience links
Set-PnPTenant -DisableBackToClassic $true
Conclusion
Enabling or disabling the “Return to Classic SharePoint” and “Exit classic experience” links in SharePoint Online can be accomplished using SharePoint Online PowerShell or PnP PowerShell scripts. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can manage the user experience and tailor it to your organization’s specific requirements. Whether you embrace the modern SharePoint experience or occasionally need access to classic features, these PowerShell scripts provide the flexibility to adapt SharePoint Online to your needs.
Learn more
- SharePoint Online: Create a blank page without header & title
- Create a SharePoint online site using Power Automate flow
- Delete custom site scripts in SharePoint online using PowerShell
- Set SharePoint site home page using PnP PowerShell and CLI for Microsoft 365
- Change SharePoint Online List URL using PnP PowerShell
- Set a page template as default page template in SharePoint Online