🚀 M365 Migration Planner¶

Live at: aguidetocloud.com/migration-planner/ Built: April 2026 | V3 shipped: April 2026 Cost: $0 — 100% client-side JavaScript, zero API calls Accent colour: Indigo #6366F1 CSS namespace: .migplan-* Body class: page-migration-planner

What It Does¶

An interactive M365 Migration Planning tool that helps IT admins, consultants, and project managers plan Microsoft 365 migrations. Answer a few questions about your scenario, get a personalised migration plan with workload assessments, timeline, risk analysis, tool recommendations, and an executive summary — all in the browser, no sign-up required.

Think of it like a migration architect in your pocket — it asks the right questions, identifies the risks you'd miss, and generates the plan document that usually costs $10k+ from a consulting firm.

Why This Tool Exists¶

The Problem¶

Every IT admin facing a Microsoft 365 migration deals with the same pain points:

No single source of truth — migration guidance is scattered across 50+ Microsoft Learn articles, vendor blogs, and community posts
Existing tools require tenant access — BridgeTenant, PnP Assessment Tool all need read permissions to your tenant before they'll help
Consulting firms gate everything — "Download our checklist" = give us your email for a sales call
One-size-fits-all checklists — a 10-user cutover migration doesn't need the same plan as a 50,000-user M&A tenant merge
No interactive planning — existing tools are static PDFs/docs, not dynamic tools that adapt to YOUR scenario
Tool selection is confusing — native tools vs Quest vs BitTitan vs Cloudiway? Nobody compares them objectively
Timeline estimation is guesswork — "it depends" is the standard answer, but admins need something better for stakeholder buy-in
Risk blind spots — admins don't know what they don't know (legal holds, custom connectors, Power Apps dependencies)

Our Differentiator¶

Feature	Existing Tools	Ours
Access required	✅ Tenant access / sign-up	❌ Zero access — works instantly
Migration scenarios	📝 Usually one type only	✅ ALL 5 scenarios in one tool
Personalisation	❌ Same checklist for everyone	✅ Adapts to your answers
Workload granularity	📝 Generic "email + files"	✅ 8 workloads scored individually
Timeline estimation	❌ "It depends"	✅ Data volume-based realistic timeline
Risk identification	📝 Generic risk lists	✅ Scenario-specific risks with mitigations
Tool recommendations	❌ Vendor-biased	✅ Objective native vs 3rd-party comparison
Cost estimation	❌ Hidden behind sales	✅ Transparent licensing + tooling + labour
Compliance checks	❌ Separate process	✅ Built-in data residency + retention checks
Output quality	📝 Checklist PDF	✅ Executive-ready summary with visuals
Cross-tool links	❌ Standalone	✅ Links to our Licensing, Readiness, Deprecation tools
Cost to user	💰 $0-$5000+	✅ Free forever

Competitive Landscape Research¶

What Exists Today¶

Tool	Type	Pros	Cons
Microsoft FastTrack	Guided service	Official, free for 150+ licences	Gated behind licence count, slow, no self-service planning
BridgeTenant	SaaS assessment	Interactive, CIS benchmarks	Requires tenant read access, 7-day trial only
PnP Assessment Tool	CLI tool	Deep SharePoint analysis	CLI-only, requires installation + permissions
CoreView Checklists	Downloadable docs	Comprehensive lists	Static PDFs, email-gated
Quest On Demand	Migration suite	Full E2E migration tool	Enterprise pricing ($$$), overkill for planning
BitTitan MigrationWiz	Migration tool	Well-known, reliable	Paid per-mailbox, tool not planner
ShareGate	Migration tool	Good SharePoint coverage	Paid, focus on execution not planning
Consulting firms	Custom plans	Tailored to your org	$5k-$50k+ for a migration plan

What NOBODY is Doing¶

⭐ Free interactive scenario-based wizard — no existing tool asks "what are you migrating?" and adapts
⭐ Multi-scenario in one tool — every tool focuses on one migration type
⭐ Workload-by-workload complexity scoring — quantified, not qualitative
⭐ Objective tool recommendations — comparing native + 3rd party without vendor bias
⭐ Data volume → timeline estimation — nobody gives realistic timelines based on actual data sizes
⭐ Built-in coexistence planning — what needs to work side-by-side during phased migrations
⭐ Change management integration — comms templates + training timeline in the migration plan
⭐ Compliance-aware planning — data residency, retention, eDiscovery woven into the plan
⭐ Cross-linking to licensing + readiness tools — ecosystem advantage only we have

Migration Scenarios Covered¶

5 Primary Scenarios¶

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                  M365 MIGRATION PLANNER                  │
├─────────────┬───────────────┬───────────────────────────┤
│  SCENARIO   │   SOURCE      │  TARGET                   │
├─────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────────────────┤
│ 1. On-Prem  │ Exchange/SP   │ → M365 Cloud              │
│    → Cloud  │ File Servers  │   Exchange Online          │
│             │ AD DS         │   SharePoint Online        │
│             │               │   OneDrive / Teams         │
├─────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────────────────┤
│ 2. Tenant   │ M365 Tenant A │ → M365 Tenant B           │
│    → Tenant │ (M&A / Split) │   (All workloads)         │
├─────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────────────────┤
│ 3. Google   │ Google W'space│ → M365 Cloud              │
│    → M365   │ Gmail / Drive │   Exchange / OneDrive     │
│             │ G Groups      │   M365 Groups             │
├─────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────────────────┤
│ 4. Hybrid   │ On-Premises + │ → Coexistence             │
│    Setup    │ Some Cloud    │   Phased migration        │
├─────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────────────────┤
│ 5. Other    │ Lotus Notes   │ → M365 Cloud              │
│    Sources  │ Zimbra, etc.  │   (Email + Files)         │
└─────────────┴───────────────┴───────────────────────────┘

8 Workloads Assessed¶

#	Workload	What's Assessed
1	Exchange / Email	Mailboxes, calendars, contacts, public folders, shared mailboxes, mail-enabled groups, rules, archives
2	SharePoint	Sites, document libraries, lists, custom pages, workflows, InfoPath, web parts, permissions
3	OneDrive	Personal files, sync clients, sharing links, storage quotas
4	Teams	Teams/channels, chat history, tabs, apps, bots, policies, meetings data
5	Identity (Entra ID)	Users, groups, licences, MFA, conditional access, B2B/B2C, custom roles
6	Power Platform	Power Apps, Power Automate flows, Power BI reports, custom connectors, environments
7	Security & Compliance	DLP policies, retention labels, eDiscovery cases, sensitivity labels, legal holds, audit logs
8	Other Services	Yammer/Viva Engage, Planner, Bookings, Forms, Stream, Project

Tool Architecture¶

Tabs (8 tabs)¶

┌──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┐
│ Migration│ Workload │ Timeline │   Risk   │   Tool   │   Cost   │Compliance│ Executive│
│  Wizard  │Assessment│ Planner  │  Matrix  │Recommender│Estimator │  Check   │ Summary  │
└──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┘

Tab 1: Migration Wizard 🧙‍♂️¶

"Tell us about your migration — we'll build your plan"

A guided questionnaire (12-15 questions) that determines: - Migration scenario (which of the 5 types) - Organisation size (users, data volume) - Which workloads are in scope - Timeline constraints (deadline? regulatory?) - Complexity factors (custom apps, compliance needs, multi-geo) - Current environment details

Output: A personalised migration plan card showing scenario, recommended approach (cutover/staged/hybrid/phased), estimated complexity score (0-100), and key considerations.

Question flow (adaptive — questions change based on previous answers):

#	Question	Options	Affects
1	What's your migration scenario?	On-prem→Cloud / Tenant→Tenant / Google→M365 / Hybrid / Other	All downstream
2	Why are you migrating?	M&A / Divestiture / Modernisation / Compliance / Cost / Consolidation	Risk + compliance tabs
3	How many users?	<50 / 50-500 / 500-5000 / 5000-50000 / 50000+	Timeline + approach
4	Which workloads?	Multi-select: Exchange, SPO, OD, Teams, Power, Identity, Security, Other	Workload tab
5	Total data volume estimate?	<100GB / 100GB-1TB / 1-10TB / 10-50TB / 50TB+	Timeline
6	Largest mailbox size?	<2GB / 2-10GB / 10-50GB / 50-100GB / 100GB+	Approach + risk
7	Do you have custom apps/integrations?	None / Few (<10) / Many (10-50) / Complex (50+)	Risk + timeline
8	Compliance requirements?	None / Basic (DLP) / Advanced (legal hold, eDiscovery) / Regulated industry	Compliance tab
9	Deadline?	No deadline / 1 month / 3 months / 6 months / 12 months	Timeline feasibility
10	Multi-geo?	Single region / Multiple regions / Data residency requirements	Compliance + risk
11	Current directory?	On-prem AD only / Hybrid AD + Entra / Cloud-only Entra / Google directory	Identity workload
12	Migration experience?	First time / Done one before / Experienced	Change mgmt recommendations

Complexity Score Formula:

Base Score = Scenario Complexity (0-20)
           + User Scale Factor (0-20)
           + Data Volume Factor (0-15)
           + Workload Count Factor (0-15)
           + Custom Apps Factor (0-10)
           + Compliance Factor (0-10)
           + Multi-Geo Factor (0-5)
           + Deadline Pressure (0-5)

Score Tiers:
  🟢 Simple (0-25)   → "Straightforward migration, minimal risk"
  🟡 Moderate (26-50) → "Standard project, needs solid planning"
  🟠 Complex (51-75)  → "Significant complexity, consider specialist help"
  🔴 Critical (76-100) → "High-risk migration, engage experienced partner"

Tab 2: Workload Assessment 📊¶

"How ready is each workload for migration?"

Per-workload readiness cards showing: - Readiness score (0-100) based on wizard answers - Key items to assess (with expandable detail) - Common blockers specific to that workload - "What migrates" vs "What doesn't migrate" comparison - Pre-migration actions needed

Example card — Exchange:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 📧 Exchange / Email           Score: 72 │
│ ████████████████████░░░░░     Ready     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ✅ Standard mailboxes                   │
│ ✅ Calendars & contacts                 │
│ ⚠️ Shared mailboxes (need remapping)   │
│ ⚠️ Public folders (assess volume)      │
│ ❌ Mail-enabled security groups         │
│ ❌ Transport rules (manual recreate)    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ PRE-MIGRATION ACTIONS:                  │
│ • Audit mailbox sizes (>50GB need plan) │
│ • Document mail flow rules              │
│ • Test autodiscover for hybrid coex     │
│ • Plan shared mailbox delegation        │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Tab 3: Timeline Planner 📅¶

"How long will your migration take?"

A visual phase-based timeline showing:

5 phases with estimated durations:

Phase	Activities	Duration Factors
1. Discovery & Assessment	Inventory, audits, stakeholder alignment	Org size + workload count
2. Planning & Preparation	Tenant config, tool setup, pilot plan	Complexity score
3. Pilot Migration	5-10% of users, validate approach	2-4 weeks fixed
4. Production Migration	Waves of users + data	Data volume + user count
5. Post-Migration	Validation, decommission, training	2-4 weeks fixed

Timeline display: - Horizontal bar chart showing phases - Each phase expandable with key milestones - Total estimated duration prominently displayed - "Deadline feasibility" indicator (green/yellow/red) - Adjustable: drag phase durations to create your own timeline

Duration estimation formula (based on Microsoft's published data):

Exchange migration throughput:  ~10-15 GB/hour (MRS)
SharePoint migration:           ~1-10 GB/hour (SPMT, depends on file count)
OneDrive:                       ~5-15 GB/hour (Migration Manager)

Total data time = Σ(workload_data / throughput_rate)
Buffer = Total data time × 1.5 (for errors, retries, throttling)
Discovery = 2-6 weeks (scaled by org size)
Planning = 2-8 weeks (scaled by complexity)
Pilot = 2-4 weeks (fixed)
Post = 2-4 weeks (fixed)

Tab 4: Risk Matrix ⚠️¶

"What could go wrong — and how to prevent it"

Risk cards categorised by severity:

Severity	Colour	Description
🔴 Critical	Red	Will cause migration failure if not addressed
🟠 High	Orange	Significant impact on timeline or quality
🟡 Medium	Yellow	Manageable but needs attention
🟢 Low	Green	Minor, easily handled

Risk categories (dynamically populated based on wizard answers):

Data Risks: Data loss, corruption, incomplete migration, version history loss
Identity Risks: Authentication failures, SSO breaks, MFA disruption, B2B access loss
Application Risks: Custom app breaks, connector failures, workflow disruptions
Compliance Risks: Legal hold gaps, retention policy conflicts, data residency violations
User Experience Risks: Disrupted workflows, lost bookmarks/settings, retraining needs
Timeline Risks: Throttling, unexpected data volumes, dependency delays
Security Risks: Permission escalation, open sharing links, external access changes

Each risk card shows: - Risk description - Likelihood (based on scenario) - Impact level - Mitigation strategy - Link to relevant Microsoft Learn doc

Tab 5: Tool Recommender 🔧¶

"Which tools should you use?"

Objective comparison of migration tools per workload:

Workload	Native Tool(s)	3rd Party Options	Recommendation Logic
Exchange	Cross-tenant MRS, Migration endpoint	BitTitan, Quest, Cloudiway	Native if simple, 3rd party if coexistence needed
SharePoint	SPMT, Migration Manager	ShareGate, Quest, Cloudiway	Native for modern sites, 3rd party for complex permissions
OneDrive	Migration Manager	BitTitan, Quest	Native for most scenarios
Teams	Cross-tenant Teams migration	BitTitan, Quest	Native if available, 3rd party for chat history
Identity	Entra Cross-tenant Sync, B2B	Quest, ADMT	Native for cloud, ADMT for on-prem
Power Platform	Manual export/import	None mature yet	Manual process with documentation
Security/Compliance	Manual policy recreation	CoreView audit	Semi-manual with audit tools

For each recommended tool: - Pros / Cons - Cost model (free / per-user / per-GB) - Best for scenario (small/medium/large/enterprise) - Link to vendor page - Link to Microsoft Learn setup guide

Tab 6: Cost Estimator 💰¶

"What will this migration cost?"

3 cost categories:

Licensing Costs
Source tenant licences (retention period)
Target tenant licences (new purchases)
Coexistence period overlap costs
Cross-link to our Licensing Simplifier
Tooling Costs
Native tools (free)
3rd party tools (per-user/per-GB pricing)
Estimated cost based on user count + data volume
Labour / Professional Services
Internal IT hours (configurable hourly rate)
External consultant estimates
Change management effort
Training costs

Output: Total estimated migration cost with per-user breakdown

Tab 7: Compliance Check ✅¶

"Will your migration stay compliant?"

Interactive checklist for compliance areas:

Area	Check Items
Data Residency	Where is data stored? Multi-geo needed? GDPR/sovereignty requirements?
Retention	Active retention policies? Labels applied? Archive mailboxes?
eDiscovery	Active cases? Legal holds? Content search scope changes?
DLP	DLP policies to recreate? Sensitive info types? Custom rules?
Audit	Audit log continuity? Unified audit log enabled?
Encryption	Customer keys? Service encryption? Certificate migration?
External Sharing	SharePoint external sharing settings? Guest access policies?

Scored as: ✅ Ready / ⚠️ Needs Action / ❌ Blocker

Tab 8: Executive Summary 📄¶

"Print this. Hand it to your CIO."

A clean, printable summary page containing: - Migration scenario overview - Complexity score with visual gauge - Workload readiness snapshot (8 mini bars) - Recommended approach + timeline - Top 5 risks with mitigations - Estimated cost breakdown - Tool recommendations - Compliance status - Next steps checklist - Assumptions + disclaimers

Features: - Copy to clipboard (Markdown format) - Print-optimised CSS - Shareable URL with all parameters encoded

Technical Architecture¶

Stack¶

Component	Technology
Runtime	100% client-side JavaScript (zero API calls)
Data	TOML data files loaded via Hugo templates
Layout	Hugo template: `layouts/migration-planner/list.html`
Styling	`static/css/migration-planner.css` (indigo `#6366F1`)
Logic	`static/js/migration-planner.js`
Content	`content/migration-planner/_index.md`
Schema	JSON-LD: WebApplication + FAQPage

Data Files (`data/migration-planner/`)¶

File	Contents
`scenarios.toml`	5 migration scenarios with complexity bases, descriptions, approaches
`workloads.toml`	8 workloads with assessment items, blockers, what-migrates/what-doesn't
`risks.toml`	50+ risks categorised by scenario, workload, severity, with mitigations
`tools.toml`	Migration tools (native + 3rd party) with pros/cons/pricing/links
`timeline.toml`	Phase templates with duration formulas, milestones
`compliance.toml`	Compliance check items by category with guidance links
`faq.toml`	6-8 SEO-targeted FAQ questions + answers

State Management¶

// Shared state object (same pattern as ROI Calculator)
const S = {
  // Wizard answers
  scenario: null,         // 'onprem-cloud' | 'tenant-tenant' | 'google-m365' | 'hybrid' | 'other'
  reason: null,           // 'merger' | 'divestiture' | 'modernise' | 'compliance' | 'cost' | 'consolidate'
  userCount: null,        // number or range key
  workloads: [],          // ['exchange', 'sharepoint', 'onedrive', 'teams', 'power', 'identity', 'security', 'other']
  dataVolume: null,       // range key
  largestMailbox: null,   // range key
  customApps: null,       // 'none' | 'few' | 'many' | 'complex'
  compliance: null,       // 'none' | 'basic' | 'advanced' | 'regulated'
  deadline: null,         // 'none' | '1m' | '3m' | '6m' | '12m'
  multiGeo: null,         // 'single' | 'multi' | 'residency'
  directory: null,        // 'onprem-ad' | 'hybrid' | 'cloud-entra' | 'google'
  experience: null,       // 'first' | 'done-one' | 'experienced'

  // Computed
  complexityScore: 0,
  complexityTier: '',
  approach: '',           // 'cutover' | 'staged' | 'hybrid' | 'phased'
  workloadScores: {},
  risks: [],
  timeline: {},
  costEstimate: {},

  // UI state
  currentTab: 'wizard',
  wizardStep: 0,
};

URL State (shareable)¶

/migration-planner/?scenario=tenant-tenant&users=5000&workloads=exchange,sharepoint,teams&complexity=67&tab=summary

localStorage¶

Save last 5 migration plans
Resume where you left off
Compare historical plans

SEO Strategy¶

Target Keywords¶

Priority	Keyword	Monthly Volume (Est.)	Competition
🔴 Primary	M365 migration planner	Medium	Low (no free interactive tool!)
🔴 Primary	Microsoft 365 migration checklist	High	Medium
🔴 Primary	tenant-to-tenant migration tool	Medium	Low
🟠 Secondary	M365 migration readiness assessment	Medium	Low
🟠 Secondary	Exchange to Microsoft 365 migration plan	Medium	Medium
🟠 Secondary	Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration	High	Medium
🟠 Secondary	SharePoint migration planning tool	Medium	Low
🟡 Long-tail	how long does M365 migration take	Low	Very Low
🟡 Long-tail	M365 migration risk assessment	Low	Very Low
🟡 Long-tail	migration tool comparison native vs third party	Low	Very Low
🟡 Long-tail	M365 migration cost estimator free	Low	Very Low

SEO Implementation¶

Page title: "Free M365 Migration Planner | Interactive Microsoft 365 Migration Tool"
Meta description: "Plan your Microsoft 365 migration for free. Interactive wizard covers on-premises, tenant-to-tenant, and Google Workspace scenarios. Get personalised timelines, risk assessments, and tool recommendations — no sign-up required."
H1: "M365 Migration Planner"
JSON-LD: WebApplication schema + FAQPage schema (6-8 questions)
FAQ questions (target featured snippets):
"How long does a Microsoft 365 migration take?"
"What tools do I need for tenant-to-tenant migration?"
"How much does M365 migration cost?"
"What are the risks of Microsoft 365 migration?"
"Can I migrate from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365?"
"What is the best approach for M365 migration?"
Internal linking: From Licensing Simplifier, Copilot Readiness, Deprecation Timeline, blog posts
Blog post: "The Complete M365 Migration Planning Guide (2026)" — drives organic traffic to the tool

Content Marketing Loop¶

Blog Post → Tool → Executive Summary → Share → Backlinks
  ↑                                              |
  └──────────────── Social posts ←───────────────┘

V1 vs V2 Scope¶

V1 (Initial Launch)¶

Tab	Status
✅ Migration Wizard	Full 12-question adaptive wizard
✅ Workload Assessment	8 workload readiness cards
✅ Timeline Planner	Phase-based visual timeline
✅ Risk Matrix	Scenario-specific risk cards
✅ Tool Recommender	Native + 3rd party comparison
✅ Executive Summary	Printable, shareable, copyable
🔮 Cost Estimator	V2
🔮 Compliance Check	V2

V2 (Enhancement)¶

Cost Estimator tab (licensing + tools + labour)
Compliance Check tab (interactive checklist)
Save/compare multiple migration plans
PDF export
Email the plan (client-side mailto link)
Migration wave planner (drag users into waves)
Coexistence matrix (what works side-by-side during migration)
Industry-specific templates (healthcare, education, government, finance)
PowerShell script generator (pre-migration audit commands)
Blog + YouTube content integration

Design Mockup¶

Colour System¶

Accent:     #6366F1 (Indigo)
Accent Dim: rgba(99, 102, 241, 0.15)
Accent Glow: rgba(99, 102, 241, 0.08)
Background: #141425 (site dark bg)

Complexity tiers:
  🟢 Simple:   #10B981
  🟡 Moderate: #EAB308
  🟠 Complex:  #F97316
  🔴 Critical: #EF4444

Workload colours:
  Exchange:   #0078D4 (Microsoft blue)
  SharePoint: #038387 (teal)
  OneDrive:   #0078D4
  Teams:      #6264A7 (purple)
  Identity:   #00BCF2 (light blue)
  Power:      #742774 (purple)
  Security:   #D13438 (red)
  Other:      #7A7574 (grey)

Wizard UX Flow¶

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                M365 MIGRATION PLANNER             │
│        🚀 Plan your migration in minutes         │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                  │
│   Question 3 of 12                    ███░░ 25%  │
│                                                  │
│   How many users are you migrating?              │
│                                                  │
│   ┌─────────────┐  ┌──────────────┐              │
│   │  < 50 users │  │  50 - 500    │              │
│   └─────────────┘  └──────────────┘              │
│   ┌─────────────┐  ┌──────────────┐              │
│   │  500 - 5000 │  │  5000 - 50k  │              │
│   └─────────────┘  └──────────────┘              │
│   ┌─────────────┐                                │
│   │   50,000+   │                                │
│   └─────────────┘                                │
│                                                  │
│   💡 Tip: Include service accounts and shared    │
│      mailboxes in your count                     │
│                                                  │
│   ← Back                           Next →        │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Complexity Score Display¶

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│         YOUR MIGRATION COMPLEXITY                 │
│                                                  │
│              ┌─────────┐                         │
│              │   67    │                         │
│              │ /100    │                         │
│              └─────────┘                         │
│         🟠 Complex Migration                     │
│                                                  │
│  Scenario: Tenant-to-Tenant (M&A)               │
│  Approach: Phased Migration (4 waves)            │
│  Users: 5,000 │ Data: ~5 TB │ Workloads: 5      │
│                                                  │
│  "Your migration has significant complexity due   │
│   to the large data volume and custom Power Apps │
│   that need remediation. Consider engaging a     │
│   specialist partner for the Exchange migration."│
│                                                  │
│  [View Workloads] [View Timeline] [View Risks]   │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Files to Create¶

aguidetocloud-revamp/
├── content/
│   └── migration-planner/
│       └── _index.md                    # Front matter + SEO
├── data/
│   └── migration-planner/
│       ├── scenarios.toml               # 5 migration scenarios
│       ├── workloads.toml               # 8 workloads with assessment data
│       ├── risks.toml                   # 50+ risks with mitigations
│       ├── tools.toml                   # Migration tools comparison
│       ├── timeline.toml                # Phase templates + formulas
│       └── faq.toml                     # SEO FAQ questions
├── layouts/
│   └── migration-planner/
│       └── list.html                    # Main template (8 tabs)
├── static/
│   ├── css/
│   │   └── migration-planner.css        # Indigo accent, .migplan-* namespace
│   └── js/
│       └── migration-planner.js         # All client-side logic
└── hugo.toml                            # Bump cache_version

Integration Points (site-wide changes)¶

File	Change
`layouts/_default/baseof.html`	Add body class `page-migration-planner`
`static/css/style.css`	Add nav accent for `.page-migration-planner`
`layouts/partials/nav.html`	Add to Free Tools dropdown
`layouts/index.html`	Add card to homepage tools grid
`content/free-tools/_index.md` or layout	Add card to Free Tools page
`static/staticwebapp.config.json`	Add cache rules if data files served

Implementation Checklist¶

Following the Free Tools Design Framework (17-step checklist from reference file)

[ ] 1. Create content: content/migration-planner/_index.md
[ ] 2. Create layout: layouts/migration-planner/list.html
[ ] 3. Create CSS: static/css/migration-planner.css (with --tool-accent: #6366F1)
[ ] 4. Use {{ partial "tool-hero.html" ... }} for hero
[ ] 5. Add <link rel="stylesheet"> in template with cache-busting
[ ] 6. Add body class page-migration-planner in baseof.html
[ ] 7. Add nav accent in style.css
[ ] 8. Add to nav dropdown in nav.html
[ ] 9. Add card to homepage layouts/index.html
[ ] 10. Add card to /free-tools/ landing page
[ ] 11. Add JSON-LD schema (WebApplication + FAQPage)
[ ] 12. Add route + cache rules to staticwebapp.config.json
[ ] 13. Implement: search, filters, clear, count, URL state, ARIA, Clarity tracking
[ ] 14. Add {{ partial "feedback-cta.html" ... }} before back-nav
[ ] 15. Add {{ partial "back-nav" ... }} at bottom
[ ] 16. Bump cache_version in hugo.toml
[ ] 17. Build, smoke test, deploy
[ ] 18. Document in copilot-instructions.md and reference file

Data Sources & References¶

Source	URL	Used For
Microsoft Learn — Tenant-to-tenant migrations	learn.microsoft.com	Scenario architecture, native tool capabilities
Microsoft Learn — Migration best practices	learn.microsoft.com	Throughput data, duration estimates
Microsoft Learn — SPMT guide	learn.microsoft.com	SharePoint migration details
Microsoft Learn — FastTrack data migration	learn.microsoft.com	What migrates vs what doesn't
Microsoft Learn — Cross-tenant mailbox migration	learn.microsoft.com	MRS setup, prerequisites
Apps4.Pro migration checklist	blog.apps4.pro	Comprehensive checklist items
CoreView migration guide	coreview.com	Best practices, risk factors
MSAdvance migration guide	msadvance.com	Tool comparisons, timeline guidance
ShareGate planning guide	sharegate.com	Pre-migration best practices

Cross-Tool Ecosystem¶

                    ┌─────────────────────┐
                    │  MIGRATION PLANNER  │
                    │   (This Tool)       │
                    └────────┬────────────┘
                             │
         ┌───────────────────┼───────────────────┐
         │                   │                   │
         ▼                   ▼                   ▼
┌─────────────────┐ ┌───────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐
│   Licensing     │ │   Copilot     │ │  Deprecation     │
│   Simplifier    │ │   Readiness   │ │  Timeline        │
│ (licence costs) │ │ (post-migrate)│ │ (what's retiring)│
└─────────────────┘ └───────────────┘ └──────────────────┘
         │                   │                   │
         ▼                   ▼                   ▼
┌─────────────────┐ ┌───────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐
│   ROI           │ │   Service     │ │  Copilot Feature │
│   Calculator    │ │   Health      │ │  Matrix          │
│ (Copilot ROI)   │ │ (status check)│ │ (what you get)   │
└─────────────────┘ └───────────────┘ └──────────────────┘

Natural cross-links: - "What licences do you need?" → Licensing Simplifier - "Ready for Copilot post-migration?" → Copilot Readiness - "What's being deprecated?" → Deprecation Timeline - "What's the ROI of adding Copilot?" → ROI Calculator - "Check service status" → Service Health Dashboard - "What Copilot features will you get?" → Copilot Feature Matrix

Success Metrics¶

Metric	Target	How to Measure
Monthly visits	500+ within 3 months	Clarity analytics
Wizard completion rate	>60%	Clarity event tracking
Executive summary generated	>30% of visitors	Clarity event
Time on page	>3 minutes	Clarity
Shared URLs	Track via URL param presence	Server logs
Blog referrals	20% of traffic from blog posts	Clarity
SEO ranking	Top 10 for "M365 migration planner"	Google Search Console
Cross-tool navigation	15% click through to other tools	Clarity

Open Questions¶

Should we include a "Migration Calendar" feature? — where users can pick blackout dates and the tool works around them
PowerShell script generator — generate pre-migration audit scripts? (big differentiator but adds complexity)
Should the tool save plans server-side? — with a simple link/code system (no auth) for sharing between team members
Industry templates — pre-filled answers for Healthcare, Education, Government, Finance scenarios?
Integration with Microsoft Graph? — optional "connect your tenant" for real data? (kills the "no sign-up" USP)

Last updated: April 2026