Introducing Preview mode in SharePoint Pages and News

We are excited to share that we are releasing Preview mode in SharePoint Pages and News. Preview mode can be used to understand how a page will look across different device types when it is viewed by an audience. 

Entering Preview mode

As an author, you will see a Preview button in the command bar on Pages and News when in edit or view mode. After clicking the button, you will enter Preview mode. In Preview mode, no changes to the page or news post can be made.

Differences on Preview mode in Pages and News

In Preview mode for Pages, authors can switch between Desktop and Mobile views of the page.

 

In Preview mode for News, authors also have the option to look at the Email view of the news post if their news post can be sent as an email.

Changing mobile view for flexible sections

To adjust the mobile view of flexible sections, authors can change the order in which the web parts reflow within a section by using the control in the section properties pane.

Grouping web parts within flexible sections also impacts the order in which web parts reflow on mobile devices. Grouping web parts ensures that the web parts stay together, reflowed one after another. The same ordering applied to the section (top to bottom or left to right) is also applied to groups within that section when reflowed to mobile devices.

Previewing animation

We are also introducing animation effects for various web parts: People, Quick Links, and Editorial Cards. When these web parts enter the viewport, you will notice that they slide into view. By default, the animation will be turned on. To disable animation, use the web part properties pane. Animation can be seen in Preview mode.

 

The features and capabilities mentioned in this blog post are demonstrated in the following video with Katelyn Helms (Microsoft) and Vesa Juvonen (Microsoft).

Frequently asked questions

When will this happen?

The feature has started rolling out to Targeted Release customers and will continue to roll out to all customers through the end of April.

This message is associated with Microsoft Roadmap ID 473452.

What do you need to prepare?

There is nothing you need to do to prepare, but you can let your users know about this new experience.

What is next?

• We are considering additional user customization for mobile view - more details on this later.

 

Thanks for reading. Please enjoy making beautiful pages and let us know any feedback or questions in the comments.