Listing All Site Collections in a Tenant using PnP PowerShell

PowerShell is a powerful scripting language widely used for managing Microsoft 365 environments, including SharePoint Online. The PnP PowerShell (Patterns and Practices PowerShell) module is a community-driven set of cmdlets that simplifies SharePoint Online management.

In this guide, we will cover how to list all site collections in a SharePoint Online tenant using PnP PowerShell. This step-by-step process is useful for administrators who need to manage and audit SharePoint Online environments efficiently.

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Prerequisites

Before running the script, ensure you meet the following requirements:

1. Microsoft 365 Subscription – You must have a Microsoft 365 tenant with SharePoint Online.
2. Global Administrator or SharePoint Admin Role – You need administrative rights to access all site collections.
3. PnP PowerShell Module Installed – If not installed, you can install it using PowerShell.
4. PowerShell Execution Policy – Ensure that scripts are allowed to run on your system.

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Step 1: Install and Import PnP PowerShell Module

First, we need to install the PnP PowerShell module if it is not already installed. Open PowerShell as Administrator and run the following command:

Install-Module -Name PnP.PowerShell -Scope CurrentUser -AllowClobber -Force

• -Name PnP.PowerShell: Specifies the module name.
• -Scope CurrentUser: Installs it for the current user only.
• -AllowClobber: Allows overwriting if an older version exists.
• -Force: Forces installation without prompts.

Once installed, import the module using:

Import-Module PnP.PowerShell

This ensures that the cmdlets are available in your PowerShell session.

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Step 2: Connect to SharePoint Online

To list all site collections, you need to authenticate and establish a connection with SharePoint Online. Run the following command:

Connect-PnPOnline -Url "https://yourtenant-admin.sharepoint.com" -Interactive

• Replace yourtenant with your actual tenant name.
• -Interactive allows you to log in via the Microsoft authentication window.

Alternatively, for unattended scripts, use app-based authentication:

Connect-PnPOnline -Url "https://yourtenant-admin.sharepoint.com" -ClientId "Your-App-Client-ID" -Tenant "yourtenant.onmicrosoft.com" -CertificatePath "Path\To\Certificate.pfx"

This method requires Azure AD App Registration.

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Step 3: Retrieve All Site Collections

Now that we are connected, use the following command to fetch all site collections:

$sites = Get-PnPTenantSite

This command retrieves all SharePoint Online site collections, including:
✔ Team sites
✔ Communication sites
✔ Hub sites
✔ Classic sites

To display the list of site collections in a table format:

$sites | Format-Table Url, Title, Template, StorageUsageCurrent -AutoSize

• Url: Displays the site collection’s URL.
• Title: Name of the site.
• Template: Site type (e.g., STS#3 for team site).
• StorageUsageCurrent: Current storage usage in MB.

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Step 4: Export Site Collections to a CSV File

If you need to store this information for future reference, export the list to a CSV file using:

$sites | Select-Object Url, Title, Template, StorageUsageCurrent | Export-Csv -Path "C:\SharePointSites.csv" -NoTypeInformation

• Select-Object: Extracts specific properties.
• Export-Csv: Saves the data as a CSV file.
• -Path: Defines where the file is stored.
• -NoTypeInformation: Prevents unnecessary metadata from being added.

To open the file, navigate to the directory and open SharePointSites.csv in Excel.

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Step 5: Filtering Site Collections

You might want to filter the results to get specific sites.

1. Get Only Communication Sites

$communicationSites = $sites | Where-Object { $_.Template -eq "SITEPAGEPUBLISHING#0" }
$communicationSites | Format-Table Url, Title

2. Get Sites Created After a Specific Date

$recentSites = $sites | Where-Object { $_.Created -gt (Get-Date).AddDays(-30) }
$recentSites | Format-Table Url, Title, Created

3. Get Sites Exceeding a Storage Limit (e.g., 5000 MB)

$largeSites = $sites | Where-Object { $_.StorageUsageCurrent -gt 5000 }
$largeSites | Format-Table Url, Title, StorageUsageCurrent

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Step 6: Disconnect from SharePoint Online

After retrieving the site collections, always disconnect your session to avoid security risks.

Disconnect-PnPOnline

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Common Issues & Troubleshooting

1. Module Not Found
   • Ensure that PnP PowerShell is installed using Install-Module -Name PnP.PowerShell.
2. Authentication Fails
   • Try using -Interactive mode instead of credentials.
   • Check if your account has the required permissions.
3. No Sites Found
   • Ensure you are connected to the Admin Center URL (-admin.sharepoint.com).
   • Check if your account has access to all sites.
4. Access Denied
   • Run PowerShell as Administrator.
   • Ensure your account has SharePoint Admin or Global Admin role.