Legacy SharePoint technologies are rapidly approaching end of life, and for many organisations, the risk is bigger than it appears. 

Over the next 12–18 months, Microsoft will retire or end support for several long-standing SharePoint and Microsoft 365 technologies, including InfoPath Forms Services, SharePoint Add-ins, SharePoint 2013 workflows, and SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019. 

For organisations still relying on legacy SharePoint environments, custom workflows, browser forms, or unsupported on-premise infrastructure, these deadlines could lead to operational disruption, security exposure, compliance concerns, and unsupported business-critical processes. At Bridgeall, we’re already helping organisations across the UK assess their environments, identify risks, and modernise legacy SharePoint solutions ahead of these upcoming deadlines.

Why These SharePoint Deadlines Matter 

These retirements are not isolated changes. Many organisations are running environments where InfoPath, SharePoint workflows, Add-ins, and legacy SharePoint infrastructure are tightly connected. This means a single unsupported component can trigger wider operational issues across: 

  • Forms  
  • Workflow automation  
  • Integrations  
  • Document management  
  • Approval systems  
  • Custom SharePoint applications  

The longer organisations wait to assess these environments, the greater the risk of: 

  • Business disruption  
  • Security vulnerabilities  
  • Technical debt  
  • Expensive reactive migration projects  

Recent cybersecurity incidents involving unsupported SharePoint environments have also highlighted the growing risk of running legacy infrastructure beyond Microsoft support timelines. 

All the Deadlines You Need to Know – SharePoint Add-ins Retirement – April 2, 2026

Microsoft has officially retired SharePoint Add-ins in Microsoft 365, with full retirement taking effect on April 2, 2026. After this date, SharePoint Add-ins no longer function within SharePoint Online environments.  

This impacts: 

  • SharePoint-hosted Add-ins  
  • Provider-hosted Add-ins  
  • Third-party Add-in solutions  
  • Custom integrations and web parts  

Organisations still relying on Add-ins may experience broken functionality, failed integrations, and business disruption once the retirement date is reached.  Microsoft’s strategic replacement for SharePoint Add-ins is now the SharePoint Framework (SPFx) alongside Power Platform and Azure-based development models.

SharePoint 2013 Workflow Retirement – April 2, 2026 

SharePoint 2013 workflows are also fully retired as of April 2, 2026. Microsoft has confirmed there will be no extension beyond this date.  

After retirement: 

  • Existing SharePoint 2013 workflows will stop functioning  
  • Workflow automation will fail  
  • SharePoint Designer workflow functionality will disappear  
  • Approval and business process automation may break entirely  

Many organisations still depend heavily on legacy workflows for approvals, document management, onboarding, HR requests, and operational processes. This retirement is particularly important because many older InfoPath forms and SharePoint customisations also depend on SharePoint 2013 workflow infrastructure behind the scenes.

InfoPath Forms Services Retirement – July 14, 2026 

Microsoft has confirmed that InfoPath Forms Services and InfoPath 2013 Client will reach end of life on July 14, 2026. 

For organisations still using InfoPath forms in SharePoint Online or hybrid environments, this represents a significant business risk. 

After July 2026: 

  • InfoPath browser forms will stop working  
  • Users will no longer be able to submit forms  
  • Existing forms can no longer be updated or published  
  • Legacy SharePoint forms processes may fail completely  

InfoPath remains deeply embedded in many organisations through: 

  • HR forms  
  • Approval processes  
  • Compliance workflows  
  • Project requests  
  • Service desk forms  
  • Operational business processes  

Many organisations underestimate how many SharePoint solutions still rely on InfoPath until issues begin to appear.

SharePoint Server 2016 End of Support – July 14, 2026 

SharePoint Server 2016 reaches end of extended support on July 14, 2026. After this date, Microsoft will no longer provide: 

  • Security updates  
  • Bug fixes  
  • Technical support  
  • Product patches  

While organisations can technically continue using SharePoint Server 2016 after this deadline, doing so introduces growing: 

  • Security risks  
  • Compliance exposure  
  • Operational instability  
  • Cybersecurity concerns  

This is particularly important for organisations operating internet-facing or heavily customised SharePoint environments.

SharePoint Server 2019 End of Support – July 14, 2026 

SharePoint Server 2019 will also reach end of support on July 14, 2026.  

Once support ends: 

  • Security patches will stop  
  • Microsoft support will no longer be available  
  • Unsupported infrastructure risks increase significantly  

Many organisations adopted SharePoint 2019 as a “bridge” platform while delaying wider cloud migration strategies. However, with the 2026 deadline approaching, businesses now need to decide whether to: 

  • Move to SharePoint Online  
  • Upgrade to SharePoint Subscription Edition  
  • Modernise legacy SharePoint environments  

What Organisations Should Do Now 

A proactive assessment is the best starting point. Organisations should: 

  • Identify legacy SharePoint components currently in use  
  • Audit InfoPath forms and SharePoint workflows  
  • Review custom Add-ins and integrations  
  • Assess SharePoint Server lifecycle risks  
  • Create a phased modernisation roadmap  

Starting early allows organisations to reduce risk, prioritise critical business processes, and avoid rushed migration projects as deadlines approach. 

Need Help Assessing Legacy SharePoint Risks? 

As a SharePoint Consultancy Partner, at Bridgeall, we help organisations assess legacy SharePoint environments, identify unsupported technologies, and plan modernisation strategies ahead of upcoming Microsoft retirement deadlines. 

Whether you’re dealing with InfoPath forms, SharePoint workflows, Add-ins, or ageing on-premise SharePoint infrastructure, our SharePoint specialists can help you prepare well before the 2026 deadlines arrive. Contact our team who can help.