SharePoint page enhancements
Published Feb 11 2019 01:50 PM 56K Views
Microsoft

There’s a SharePoint page for that. From content-rich home pages that serves entire organizations, to recurring quarterly business review read outs, to internal campaigns, to “welcome to the company” starter pages. As the rich capabilities of modern SharePoint pages evolve, all communicators can better design and promote their information throughout their team and across the organization.

 

We are excited to announce the following page enhancements (screenshots + links to learn more below):

  • Customize title region | control what the title region of each page looks like (layout, alignment, title, date).
  • Section backgrounds | display as distinct sections with visual variety throughout the page.
  • Custom page thumbnails | Choose a preferred thumbnail from Page details.
  • Custom page descriptions | Create a custom description from Page details.
  • FYI: removal of the Feedback button in preparation of new feedback experience | in preparation for a new feedback experience coming soon, we are removing the current Feedback button from the site footer of all SharePoint home and modern site pages.
  •  FYI: removal of the pictures of the first three members of the group | Users who want to see members of the group can continue to click the Members link in the header to see the full membership list.

 

“We are reducing emails and creating a self-service culture where finding   answers is as easy as searching for it on our intranet,” says David Pizzey: Manager, Centre of Excellence, Network and End User Services. “Office 365 surfaces personalized content across the suite, making it a great tool to search for information, and it even helps you make connections with areas of   interest you might not even know existed.” [read the full Qantas Airways case study] 

 

Let’s dive into the details of each new and updated page option – all powerful additions for communicators throughout your organization.

 

New and updated enhancements for SharePoint pages in Office 365

SharePoint pages are simple to create and publish, and they look great on any device. When creating a page, you can add and configure web parts, and then publish your page with just a click. And, as previously announced, you can configure the surrounding elements of the page (navigation, header, footer & theme). Now more than ever, creators and site owners present the information in an elegant, easy to consume fashion – with full context intact.

 

Customize the title region for each page. Modern SharePoint pages and news articles will now have more options to customize the title region of each page, with four layouts, two alignment choices, text badges above the title, the ability to change the displayed author, and show or hide the published date. Own the title and the rest will follow. Make it your own.

 

Make the title of your page or news article appear more how you like it - with controls for layout, alignment, text blocks and more.Make the title of your page or news article appear more how you like it - with controls for layout, alignment, text blocks and more.

Modern pages support section backgrounds – this makes it easier to see the distinct sections and adds visual variety throughout the page. Create additional visual design and clarity as a user scrolls through your content. Now you can add colors from your site’s theme (neutral, soft & strong) to the background of your page sections or leave them white as they are by default.

 

Modern SharePoint pages (and news) section backgrounds make it easier to see the distinct sections and adds visual variety throughout the page.Modern SharePoint pages (and news) section backgrounds make it easier to see the distinct sections and adds visual variety throughout the page.

Page owners can customize their page thumbnails and descriptions from within page details edit pane. Once adjusted, the content will then be represented in this way in search results, highlighted content, previews, and more – just the way you intended.

 

  • Pages - choose new thumbnail - Choose a new thumbnail from Page details: Previously, the thumbnail image for a page (used in search results, highlighted content, and SharePoint News) was auto-selected. Now, you'll be able to select your own thumbnail image.
  • Pages - choose new description - Choose a new description from Page details: Previously, the first text that appeared on the page was auto-selected as the page description. You can now add your own custom description in Page details.

You can view and edit the properties of a SharePoint page in the Page details pane.You can view and edit the properties of a SharePoint page in the Page details pane.

The SharePoint feedback button is being retired​ in preparation of new feedback experience

Starting the week of February 18th, 2019, we're removing the product Feedback button from the site footer of all SharePoint home and modern site pages. For SharePoint users to easily provide product feedback and suggestions we included a footer link to our SharePoint UserVoice forums. Customer feedback continues to help us prioritize our work. We’ll be adding new ways to send feedback from the navigation bar in the coming months.

 

Note: If you had previously enabled or disabled the button using the Set-SPOTenant  -UserVoiceForFeedbackEnabled property, this setting will no longer be required as the button will no longer be displayed for any tenant sites.

 

Removing the circular pictures of the first three members of the group

We’re updating the design of the site header for SharePoint sites connected to Office 365 groups. In favor or a more-simple interface, we are removing the circular pictures of the first three members of the group. This was static to the first three members, and duplicative to existing functionality - access to the members of the group. Users who want to see members of the group can continue to click the Members link in the header to see the full membership list.

 

Try more and more of what SharePoint offers, and let us know what you think

In all, we encourage you to build out and organize your sites, your pages, your intranet – the way you want them to be consumed in context of your content. As you progress year over year, keep creating and sharing structured, easy-to-navigate experiences to your audience.

 

We want to empower you and every person on your team to achieve more. Let us know what you need next. We are always open to feedback via UserVoice and continued dialog in the SharePoint community in the Microsoft Tech Community —and we always have an eye on tweets to @SharePoint. Let us know.

 

—Mark Kashman, senior product manager for the SharePoint team

 

FAQ

 

Q: When is this all being released in Office 365?

A: All the above items have been released to Targeted Release customers in Office 365. We plan to fully release to all full production Office 365 customers by the end of February 2019.

16 Comments
Silver Contributor
Great news as always Mark. I’m already enjoying many of these page enhancements. As per the roadmap can you confirm Organisational News updates will be available to Targeted Release during February? Thanks!
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Not applicable

This is providing a much improved experience for end users! Thanks

Iron Contributor

Looks good!

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Love the enhancements, keep them coming.

We moved our Intranet 100% over to Modern last year and its going well.

 

One request.  Can we have the ability to lock down the Displayed Author component in the title region.  We want it by default to display whoever is actually authoring the content.  We don't want folk to be able to post as someone else.  However we do have a small comms group that are allowed to ghost write on behalf of senior leaders on certain sites.  Therefore we would like a) to be able to lock it down site by site 2) be able to restrict the ability to edit it based on an AD group or some other list of approved users.

 

Cheers

Bronze Contributor
Had those available for the last couple weeks, really great. In a similar vein as Nic Betts, We have a few faces where the communications department writes on behalf of someone else. In those cases I'd like the the Person highlighted as the author receives the notifications and not the original page author (comms. dept).
Steel Contributor

Thanks for the update @Mark Kashman 

 

Quick question the Get the mobile app tab is that going to disappear too?

 

I know you can cover it up with the footer now, but in situations where you don't need a footer it would be nice to have this gone.  As we would deploy the mobile apps to our users when they are ready. 

 

Thanks

 

 

Iron Contributor

On removing the Feedback button: What Roadmap ID or or what Message Center Message ID is this linked to?

 

EDIT 2019/02/20: Apparently a roadmap item was added now: https://www.microsoft.com/de-de/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=&searchterms=46987 - published on the 19th while the change began on the 18th... this doesn't feel good for customers.

@Ivan  If you click on the person's name in the title region/header you can select any other person and they'll be the person who is displayed in the title region.

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@Kevin  

Just as an fyi.  we don't like the fact that anyone can pretend to be anyone in that box.  Anyone could post as the CEO, etc. and you don't know unless you dig in.  The option should exist to either lock that to the actual author name or give a specific audience ie. a trusted list of ghost writers the option to override.

 

 

Steel Contributor

Thank you @Mark Kashman 

 

The removal of "feedback" tab is really really welcome. But, please do not re-add it in the navigation bar in the coming months!

 

One request, can we have an option where any image in the central asset library could be used by the site owner as the default thumbnail or by the tenant administrator for all sites? This is especially useful on pages where there is no image at all. Many of our users post updates which do not carry an image. This way the highlights, news rollups, and other web parts all will neatly line up the pages having an image with text-only ones.

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@Mark Kashman  …..and how do we disable the equally annoying 'Get the mobile app' button?

Copper Contributor

@Mark Kashman What about 'Custom Page Designs' (33136 on Roadmap)? If I'm correct, this was initially scheduled for 'Q4 CY2018', but is now moved to Q2 CY2019?
Any ideas when the first release will become available for this feature?

Copper Contributor
Thank you! Will enjoy these improvements - and - make my requests via User Voice!
Copper Contributor

Good one!! Eagerly waiting for "Change the Look and feel" of the Header, Footer and MegaMenu in the upcoming release.

Brass Contributor

#FourMoreDaysToWait .... Smiley Tongue

Copper Contributor

SharePoint is becoming the best ECM tool. With each update, it gets better and more user-friendlier.

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‎Feb 25 2019 05:00 PM
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