Support for SharePoint 2013 workflows and add-ins ends: What to do now

Microsoft has officially announced the end of SharePoint 2013 workflows and SharePoint add-ins. These announcements have significant implications for organizations that continue to rely on these technologies. In this article, you will learn what is changing and what actions are required now.

SharePoint 2013 workflows

What are workflows in SharePoint?

Workflows in SharePoint are automated processes that control tasks and actions within SharePoint. They help to manage documents and tasks, obtain approvals or send notifications. With the end of support for SharePoint 2013 workflows, organizations now need to consider alternative solutions.

Shutdown of workflows in SharePoint 2013 is approaching

As of April 2, 2024, SharePoint 2013 workflows will no longer be available in new tenants. Support for existing clients will finally end on April 2, 2026. This means that all workflows still in use will no longer work from this date. Timely migration or conversion is therefore essential.

What does this mean in concrete terms?

• Companies that use SharePoint 2013 workflows must evaluate alternatives.
• The SharePoint Subscription Edition continues to support SharePoint 2013 workflows, without a fixed end date.
• Microsoft recommends migration to Power Automate to ensure long-term compatibility.

Special feature in the M365 cloud

SharePoint 2013 workflows have also worked in M365 up to now, even if no such workflow was ever created. With the end of support, however, they will no longer be executable. An analysis and clean-up are therefore necessary. Critical workflows should be rebuilt in Power Automate to ensure operation.

SharePoint add-ins

When will the extension model end?

SharePoint add-ins will no longer be available for new clients from November 1, 2024. The complete shutdown for existing clients will take place on April 2, 2026. In addition, from July 2024 add-ins that are not based on the SharePoint Framework (SPFx) can no longer be downloaded from the SharePoint Store.

Why is this relevant?

• Companies that use SharePoint add-ins must switch to SPFx-based solutions.
• Add-ins based on SharePoint 2013 will no longer work in the cloud.
• As long as a company uses an on-premises version of SharePoint, existing add-ins will continue to work.

Will SPFx disappear?

No, the SharePoint Framework (SPFx) will remain and will be actively developed further by Microsoft. In contrast to the classic SharePoint add-ins, SPFx represents a modern, future-proof solution for the development of extensions in SharePoint.

Our use case

In our own operations at SPIRIT/21, we identified and migrated five workflows and more than 50 web parts in the tenant.

Conclusion: Act now!

The end of support for SharePoint 2013 workflows and SharePoint add-ins requires forward planning and timely implementation. Organizations should:

1. perform inventory analysis to identify affected workflows and add-ins.
2. clean up elements that are no longer needed to reduce complexity.
3. rebuild and test business-critical workflows in Power Automate** and implement SPFx-based solutions to ensure future-proof enhancements.

The SPIRIT/21 team supports the analysis and conversion and helps to make workflows and extensions fit for the future.