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- Anne-Sophie Duport
- July 24, 2025
Shutdown of Workplace by Meta at the end of August: what should you do if you haven't migrated yet?
Workplace by Meta will close its doors for good on 31 August 2025. This announcement, although anticipated several months ago, is now confronting many organizations with a real emergency: what can you do if nothing has been done?
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Due to a lack of time, resources or visibility of the alternatives, you haven’t yet started the migration. You thought you had more room for manoeuvre, but with just a few weeks to go, you find yourself up against the wall, wondering whether migration is still possible.
Yes, it’s not too late, as long as you get down to basics! Even if there are only a few weeks left, it’s still possible to secure your data, choose a good-quality alternative solution and lay the foundations for a new collaborative dynamic for your organization.
In this article, we provide you a clear and pragmatic action plan, based on our experience of supporting customers who have migrated from Workplace, such as Natagora and Agefiph, which successfully migrated to eXo Platform in just one month.
1. It’s not too late... but it’s time to take action
The end of Workplace by Meta is imminent. If your migration hasn’t started yet, don’t panic! You still have just enough time to act effectively.
Migrating in just a few weeks may seem ambitious, even unrealistic. But it can be done, as long as you focus on the essentials and have the right support! The proof with Agefiph, which successfully migrated from Workplace to eXo Platform… in just one month.
This type of fast project relies on three key levers:
- Back up critical data so that nothing is lost when Workplace is shut down
- Ensure clear and reassuring internal communication
- Choose an alternative solution that is reliable and quick to deploy.
By concentrating your efforts on these areas, you can ensure a seamless transition and lay the foundations for a new, more sustainable collaborative environment.
Emergency sometimes leads to hasty decisions… with far-reaching consequences. Here are the main mistakes to avoid if you don’t want to jeopardize your migration:
- Underestimating the time needed to back up content.
- Not involving the relevant teams from the outset
- Choose a solution without seriously evaluating it
- Think that everything can be done “after hours”.
- Ignore the importance of internal communication during the transition.
You no longer have the luxury of waiting, but you still have the ability to act. Focus your efforts on priorities, avoid the mistakes of an emergency migration… and rely on experienced partners.
2. Priority No.1: Quick assessment - where do you stand?
Before any action is taken, a quick assessment is essential. To migrate quickly and efficiently, it’s essential to know where you stand, what you need to back up and how you need to organize yourself.
There’s no need for a complex audit: in just a few hours, you can get a clear picture of the situation and prioritize what really matters.
Here’s a checklist of the first questions to ask yourself:
- Have you started exporting your data?
- Do you know where your most sensitive information is stored (private groups, internal messages, shared files)?
- Have you identified a solution to replace Workplace?
- Do you have an internal communications plan to inform your teams?
If you answered “no” to several of these questions, don’t panic: there’s still time to get back on track.
Start by doing a quick mapping to help you better target what you need to save, rebuild or transform in your future environment. In 3 easy steps, identify :
- Active groups: internal, cross-functional, projects, HR…
- Key users: internal ambassadors, frequent contributors…
- Features used: chat, videoconferencing, newsfeed, events…
Next, identify the critical data to be backed up:
- Shared documents (PDFs, presentations, reports, etc.)
- Important streams (current projects, internal directives, etc.)
- HR or regulatory content (procedures, onboarding, etc.)
- High-value community groups (innovation, CSR, internal communities)
Also consider attachments in conversations and possible integrations (Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.).
Finally, prepare a realistic schedule for a 4-week migration. Here’s an example to get you started:
| Week | Main objective | Key actions |
| S1 | Quick audit and backup | Use mapping, export of critical content |
| S2 | Choice of new solution | Comparison, demonstration, technical validation |
| S3 | Prepare for deployment configuration | Configuration, internal communication, quick training |
| S4 | Migration and post-migration support | Go-live, user support, use monitoring |
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Workplace Migration Guide : Comparaisons, Plans and Testimonials
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3. Priority No.2: secure your data by choosing an open-source solution
The imminent shutdown of Workplace by Meta reminds us of something we sometimes forget: remaining dependent on a private, closed player can represent a significant cost.
What’s more, ignoring or postponing the end of Workplace means exposing yourself to a number of critical consequences:
- Loss of data: your documents, conversations and exchanges risk being deleted with no possibility of recovery.
- Breakdown of internal communication: from one day to the next, your teams may find themselves without any tool to collaborate, exchange or share.
- Disorganization: no fallback solution, team uncertainty, loss of productivity, overloading of IT departments.
A poorly-anticipated transition can cost more than a well-prepared migration, even in quick mode.
Here are 3 actions to take immediately to limit the risks:
- Export critical files and discussions: Prioritize active groups and exchanges with operational or strategic value.
- Inform your teams of the imminent shutdown: Transparency avoids panic and facilitates the adoption of a new solution.
- Prepare a transition solution (even a temporary one): It’s better to have a working platform, even a partial one, than no solution at all.
Meta’s sudden announcement took many organizations by surprise. This type of decision, taken unilaterally by a tech giant, raises a central question: who owns your tools, and therefore your uses?
Faced with this uncertainty, opting for an open source and secure solution means choosing :
Full control over your data
- Your content is hosted wherever you choose, with security levels that meet your requirements.
- No technical lock-in: you can export, integrate or customize your data at any time.
Control over your roadmap
- You’re no longer dependent on an imposed agenda or product strategy.
- You choose the features, upgrades and priorities to suit your real needs.
Independence from cloud giants
- No dependence on a closed platform or opaque business logic.
- No more decisions to be made about whether or not service will continue.
Secure your data is your top priority. But it’s also the right time to rethink your digital model: one that’s more resilient, more transparent, and truly aligned with your values.
4. Priority No.3: choose a quick, easy-to-deploy alternative for a smooth transition
Once you’ve secured your data and mobilized your teams, the key question remains: which solution should you migrate to? The right choice is not limited to a tool that “looks like Workplace”. It has to enable a smooth transition while preparing for the future.
In a context of quick migration, here are the essential criteria for replacing Workplace:
- Speed of implementation: You need a tool that’s up and running in a few days. The solution has to provide agile deployment, with customized support and ready-to-use templates to accelerate learning.
- Continuity of user experience: Tool change should not mean a break in the user experience. Choose a platform that integrates your teams’ familiar uses (groups, sharing, notifications, etc.), offers an intuitive interface consistent with existing practices, and facilitates quick onboarding of users, without requiring many hours of training.
- Security: As we saw earlier, dependence on a closed platform entails risks. The ideal solution must guarantee: secure hosting of your data, compliance with security and confidentiality standards, and an open, scalable architecture to adapt to your future needs.
Migrating in emergency doesn’t mean choosing in a hurry. There are mature, secure alternatives that can be deployed quickly. Find out more!
5. Examples of successfull migration
While the shutdown of Workplace imposes a tight schedule, it doesn’t prevent you from successfully completing your migration project. Many organizations have turned the deadline into an opportunity for change. Here are two concrete examples.
📓Natagora: a transition to a more structured collaborative environment
The Belgian NGO Natagora, committed to the protection of nature, was using Workplace to animate its internal communities and cross-functional projects. With the announcement of the shutdown, Natagora chose to migrate to eXo Platform in order to :
- Structure its exchanges around project and business spaces
- Centralize documents and discussions
- Provide a secure, long-term foundation for internal collaboration
📈 The result: a platform better aligned with the company’s values (open source, sovereignty), and a stronger engagement to the mission on the part of its teams.
📚 Read the case study here.
📓Agefiph : quick migration from Workplace to eXo in 30 days
Agefiph, the public interest association responsible for the professional inclusion of disabled people in the private sector, deployed its new collaborative social network, RRH Connect, to replace Workplace, in just one month.
🫠The challenge: to maintain the dynamics of its Disability Referral Network, which has almost 4,000 users.
Why this success?
- A structured, agile project, co-built with the eXo teams.
- Smooth transfer of content, thanks to a migration tool developed in-house by eXo
- Change management support: webinars, training, support
- A platform hosted on a private cloud, compliant with regulatory requirements in terms of RGPD, RGAA and security.
Barely a week after the new platform went online, over 730 unique connections had already been recorded, proving the interest and involvement of network members.
The migration from Workplace to eXo Platform has enabled Agefiph to :
- Modernize the management of its national network
- Gain technological independence
- Provide a more structured and scalable collaborative space
These two examples show that :
- Quick migration is possible, even with several thousand users
- Expert support makes all the difference
- Changing tools is an opportunity to rethink collaborative practices
6. Our resources to help you
Are you still using Workplace and need to migrate quickly? Good news: you’re not alone. We’ve put together a number of practical resources to help you accelerate your transition and make the right choices now.
A complete guide to successful migration
Download our white paper “Change your Workplace for a better user experience”.
A practical and accessible document for :
- Compare key features
- Understand the benefits of choosing eXo
- Know how to migrate smoothly
A detailed comparison Workplace vs eXo Platform
Workplace vs. eXo Platform: the open-source and secure alternative
Find out more about the features, key differences and long-term benefits of our open-source and secure solution.
Talk to an eXo expert
Need an outside view of your situation, and a quick answer on the feasibility of your migration? Contact us now!
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- Tags: Digital workplace, Tips & Tricks
I am the communication manager at eXo Platform. I found myself in communications a bit by chance, but this field brings together everything that pationates me: creativity, energy, meetings, collaborative work, sharing and exchanges of good practices. I need to give meaning to what I do and put people at the center of all my actions.
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