Error while creating publishing site using site template

Question

I have migrated from SharePoint 2010 to SharePoint 2016. I took a site template of a publishing site and while creating a site using the site template I get "Sorry something went wrong" error.

Below is the error from hive logs:

Exception attempting to ApplyWebTemplate to SPWeb https://hostname/site: System.InvalidOperationException: Operation is not valid due to the current state of the object. at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPFeature.HandleProvisioningException(Exception e, Boolean force) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPElementDefinitionCollection.ProvisionListInstances(SPFeaturePropertyCollection props, SPSite site, SPWeb web, SPFeatureActivateFlags activateFlags, Boolean fForce) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPElementDefinitionCollection.ProvisionElements(SPFeaturePropertyCollection props, SPWebApplication webapp, SPSite site, SPWeb web, SPFeatureActivateFlags activateFlags, Boolean fForce) at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPFeature.Activate(SPSite siteParent, SPWeb webParent, SPFeaturePropertyCollection props, SPFeatureActivateFlags activateFlags, Boolean fForce) at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPFeatureCollection.AddInternal(SPFeatureDefinition featdef, Version version, SPFeaturePropertyCollection properties, SPFeatureActivateFlags activateFlags, Boolean force, Boolean fMarkOnly) at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPFeatureCollection.AddInternalWithName(Guid featureId, Int32 compatibilityLevel, String featureName, Version version, SPFeaturePropertyCollection properties, SPFeatureActivateFlags activateFlags, Boolean force, Boolean fMarkOnly, Boolean fIgnoreMissing, SPFeatureDefinitionScope featdefScope) at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPFeatureManager.EnsureFeaturesActivatedCore(SPSite site, SPWeb web, String sFeatures, Boolean fMarkOnly, Boolean fIgnoreMissing) at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPFeatureManager.<>c__DisplayClass7.b__6() at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPSecurity.RunAsUser(SPUserToken userToken, Boolean bResetContext, WaitCallback code, Object param) at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPFeatureManager.EnsureFeaturesActivatedAtWeb(Byte[]& userToken, Guid& tranLockerId, Int32 nZone, Guid databaseid, Guid siteid, Guid webid, String sFeatures, Boolean fIgnoreMissing) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Library.SPRequestInternalClass.ApplyWebTemplate(String bstrUrl, String bstrWebTemplateContent, Int32 fWebTemplateContentFromSubweb, Int32 fDeleteGlobalListsWithWebTemplateContent, Int32 fIgnoreMissingFeatures, String& bstrWebTemplate, Int32& plWebTemplateId) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Library.SPRequest.ApplyWebTemplate(String bstrUrl, String bstrWebTemplateContent, Int32 fWebTemplateContentFromSubweb, Int32 fDeleteGlobalListsWithWebTemplateContent, Int32 fIgnoreMissingFeatures, String& bstrWebTemplate, Int32& plWebTemplateId) at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPWeb.ProvisionWebTemplate(SPWebTemplate webTemplate, String webTemplateToUse, SPFeatureWebTemplate featureWebTemplate, Page page, SPFeatureDependencyErrorBehavior featureDependencyErrorBehavior, ICollection1& featureDependencyErrors) at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPWeb.ApplyWebTemplate(SPWebTemplate webTemplate, Page page, SPFeatureDependencyErrorBehavior featureDependencyErrorBehavior, ICollection1& featureDependencyErrors) at Microsoft.SharePoint.ApplicationPages.TemplatePickerUtil.ApplyWebTemplateAndRedirect(SPWeb Web, String strWebTemplate, Nullable1 bSharedNav, Boolean bOnTopNav, Boolean bOnQuickLaunch, Page page, Boolean bDeleteOnError, SPFeatureDependencyErrorBehavior featureDependencyErrorBehavior, ICollection1& featureDependencyErrors)

I tried taking the site template multiple times but still see the same error.

Anybody faced this issue? What is the resolution?

Answer 1

The message pointed that a feature is missed. Check in the original SharePoint 2010 if it has some customization (in farm, web scope) chack if is possible to have this feature installed in SHarePoint 2016 or if you can uninstall the missed feature in sharepoint 2010 and then export it again.

Answer 2

According to Msft, the site template feature isn't supported for sites that have ever had publishing features enabled. They claim "certain publishing features aren't supported" but don't elaborate on what or why. In general, the site template option is poorly engineered and often the error complains about features that aren't present in site settings, so can't be enabled or disabled.