SharePoint Designer
SharePoint Designer was the tool many teams used to build workflows and no-code customisations directly against SharePoint. SharePoint Designer 2013, the last version, reached end of support on 14 July 2026. There is no newer version: the modern way to do this work lies elsewhere.
What it was used for
- approval and review workflows;
- list and library automation;
- data-driven business processes;
- small declarative customisations of sites.
If you move to SharePoint Online
| The customisation | Typical direction |
|---|---|
| SharePoint Designer workflows | Power Automate |
| 2010 and 2013 workflow engines | Power Automate, or a custom workflow service |
| Declarative site tweaks | Site scripts, site designs, PnP provisioning |
| Anything with real logic | Power Automate, or an SPFx solution calling Microsoft Graph |
Here there is nothing to decide. SharePoint 2010 workflows were removed from existing tenants on 1 November 2020, and SharePoint 2013 workflows were fully retired on 2 April 2026. Rebuilding on Power Automate is not modernisation for its own sake: the thing underneath was switched off.
If you stay on SharePoint Server
Most of this keeps running, and the question changes. It is no longer "what replaces it", it is whether keeping it is the right decision for the next five years.
- SharePoint 2013 workflows are supported on Subscription Edition, powered by SharePoint Workflow Manager, which replaced Microsoft Workflow Manager and carries support beyond 2026. Classic Workflow Manager can no longer be installed.
- SharePoint 2010 workflows are deprecated, and Microsoft supported them on Subscription Edition only until 14 July 2026, the same day SharePoint Designer itself ended.
- Visual Studio still creates and edits SharePoint 2013 workflows after the end of SharePoint Designer support, so losing the tool is not the same as losing the platform.
- Power Automate works on-premises through the on-premises data gateway, with two conditions worth knowing before you plan around it: each user needs a Power Apps Plan 1 licence, which is not part of the SharePoint Server licence, and Microsoft states it is optimised for non-interactive workflows. For interactive ones, Microsoft recommends the SharePoint 2013 workflow platform.
So an administrator moving from 2019 to Subscription Edition does not have to rewrite every workflow in Power Automate. They have to decide whether to, which is a different question with a different answer per organisation.
Checked against Microsoft's documentation on 2 August 2026.
Where this fits
The full map of what ended and what replaced it is in our guide to the state of SharePoint in 2026.