Why do modern pages leave so much white space?

[Tom Castiglia]

When using modern pages, there is always about 25% of the screen width that is unused on the right side.  Why won't any web parts extend further to the right and use that space?

[#2]

Hi Tom!

It seems like the section contains three columns and the third one is empty. Have You tried to switch the layout option from "Three columns" to "Two Columns"?

[#3]

Hi Magnus - Not sure why I missed your reply until now.  I agree it looks like I have 3rd column that is empty, but that was not the case.  I believe that example was using a 2 column layout.

[#4]

its really bizarre. I have the same issue as well for my sites as well. I created a publishing site, but I turned on Site Pages and changed the home page to a modern page - I have the same issue, with a bunch of white space to the right hand side.

I then created an O365 Group and I had a look at the Team site there (thinking my issue could have been because I started with a publishing site - nope. The issue is here on the team site as well. 

I created a Communications site (Topic) and that one didnt have any extra white space on the right hand side. Which leads me to believe its something to do with the page layout. 

[#5]

My experience is that every modern page layout in a team site (classic or modern) has this unused white space at the left. 

I think it's weird, as you add a document or list webpart to a page and you get a horizontal scroll bar while there's loads of white space.

[#6]

So the communication site homepage template appears to allow you to use the full width of a browser only for the image and hero webparts. All other webparts will appear on the page as centre aligned.

Whereas on the homepage template on a team site - there is no option to have a section that takes up the full width of a browser screen, and everything is left aligned - which generally looks pretty average on a laptop with a decent screen resolution!

[#7]

I am having the very same issue and am frustrated@Tom Castiglia 

It is not due to having an empty column. Why is the right side have all this wasted space?

[#8]

This is not the issue. I have the same problem where on all of my modern pages there is a huge white blank column on the right side no matter what I select in the sections.

[#9]

Yup - we get too when in full-screen. It must be by design as they disappear when the window is made smaller.

Full screen: https://i.imgur.com/IrKRQ6v.png
Windowed: https://i.imgur.com/14ZJSsr.png

That said, there is a school of thought that says that narrow columns are easier to read - your eye doesn't scan as much. So I'm okay with the white band. I think this is why newspapers have narrow columns