SharePoint Online Highlighted Content Empty for NEW users

[Dennis Haxe]

Hi, I have created a SharePoint Intranet with multiple Sites which are containing news. These news items are all shown together on the root site. The problem I have is that when I add new users (new employee for example) to my SharePoint site the highlighted content is empty. I think I has something to do with the search. 

My Intranet is planning to go live on the 1th of january. How could I fix this? Of push this with a powershell or something. 

Thanks in advance! :)

[#2]

Sounds like the user got no permissions to the news article.

[#3]

Hi@Dennis Haxe ,

When you say Sites are they just sub-sites or hub sites?

Andy

[#4]

@Niklas_Wilhelm Thansk for you answer but that's not the case. If the user navigate directly he can perfectly open the news item.

[#5]

@Andrew Hodges THanks for your answer. 

The structure is as follows: 

1. Root Site (Hubsite)
   1. Site collection A
      1. News
   2. SIte collection B
      1. News

The Hubsite has a Highlighted content web part which shows the pages with a specific 'term'. 

The Hubsite also has the news web part which shows the news whithin the hubsite. 

Both are empty for new users. 

[#6]

Hi @Dennis Haxe ,

To prove it is a search issue try searching for the news items as you and then try it for the new users. If they get no results then you have narrowed it down. Out of the box as you would expect they should be able to find the news articles in search. 

If it is search then, probably a ticket to Microsoft would be the quickest way to solve the issue. 

Andy

[#7]

@Andrew Hodges I can find the news articles with my account but not with the new account. I will create a ticket. 

[#8]

After 15 minutes does the new user account populate it does it stay blank?

[#9]

HI guys, just an update about the issue.

I have talked with a microsoft support engineer en they investigating the problem. In the mean while some of the newsarticle showed up for newly created users. Don't know why. One thing is for sure it had something to do with the search.

Keep you guys posted.

[#10 · Accepted solution]

@Dennis Haxe This topic can be closed caused Microsoft send me this answer: 

As I mentioned on the phone today, I tested on my end and I also discussed with the SharePoint Online Escalation team: we had the same behavior for non-First Release users, they couldn't see old posts. We did some more research and the users who are not added in the First Release program are not supposed to see all SharePoint Online features, including old News Webpart posts. The users can only see the posts created after they were granted permissions on the Site Collections. The only option is to add these affected users in the First Release program and the old posts will be available for them as well. 

In regards to this behavior, the Product Engineering team does not consider this to be an issue, as the non-First Release users do not have access to all features and it is expected for them not to see the posts. There are no plans to change this in the future, until, of course, the First Release will be pushed for all tenants. For now, the customers are free to choose whether to engage into this program or not.