One of the most wanted features in SharePoint is now rolling out! Flexible Sections allow users to break free from the column constraints and create customized and engaging page layouts. Let’s explore how this feature works.
What Are Flexible Sections?
Traditional column-based sections give you a canvas where you can arrange web parts sequentially. The first web part, the second one, the third one, etc. It’s a quick way to arrange information on a page but limits you to vertical design.
Flexible Sections are a new section type in SharePoint that enables dynamic resizing and positioning of web parts inside it. The section allows you to:
- Place web parts anywhere within the section
- Resize web parts to precise dimensions
- Overlap web parts for creative designs (!!!)
- Group multiple web parts to move them together
In a nutshell – you can create completely customized layouts that aren’t constrained by columns. Of course, there are some limitations and constraints but you won’t complain about that 😊
How to Use Flexible Sections
Adding a Flexible Section
- Edit your SharePoint page
- Click “New section”
- Select “Flexible section” from the options
Once added, you’ll notice a grid background that helps with web parts alignment. The web part automatically expands to the page width and you can’t change it, however, you can control the height of the web part using a dedicated handle.
Adding, Resizing, and Positioning Web Parts
To add a web part, select the Flexible Section, then select the Toolbox from the right-hand pane, and drag it to the section. You can also click on the web part and it will be automatically added to the section.
One of the most powerful aspects of Flexible Sections is the ability to resize and position web parts:
- Select and drag the handles around any web part to resize it
- Web parts will snap to the grid lines for easier alignment
- Select the Move web part to drag it to any position within the section
Web Part Resizing Options
You can resize each web part in the Flexible Section but It’s important to note that different web parts have different resizing capabilities:
- Text, image, file, and media web parts: Can be resized to any width
- Quick Links, People, Hero: Limited to four width options:
- Full width
- Half canvas
- One-third canvas
- Two-thirds canvas
The section displays resizing hints so you can predict the final size of the resized web part.
Layers
This is a real game changer and a fantastic feature if you want to create amazing designs. Each web part inside a Flexible Section can overlap other web parts. So you can move web part, resize them, and arrange them in a way you want.
You can also manage web parts in a similar way to that available in PowerPoint. You can bring a web part to the front, send it back, group it, etc. With those functions, you can quickly arrange web part positions and manage them in groups.
Templates
Flexible Sections are great but you need to play with them for some time to fully understand their potential and discover all capabilities. Microsoft created a few ready-to-use templates that you can quickly apply to speed up the design process. To use a template go to the Toolbox section and scroll down. You can check all available templates and select the one that you want to use. You can customize it or use it as a starting point for your own design.
Custom web parts
Any custom web part built with SharePoint Framework (SPFx) is also supported within the flexible sections. Microsoft will also release a preview version of the SPFx v1.21 with additional support for flexible layout configuration in the web part manifest details.
Summary
The Flexible Sections feature is a significant evolution in SharePoint page design. You have a blank canvas on which you can arrange web part as you wish. Mix images, texts, buttons, links, cards, and any other web part. The only limit is your imagination 😊
I’ve played for a few days with the feature and it’s simply amazing. I created fantastic designs and it’s hard to discover that it’s a SharePoint page. I had a few issues with performance with large pages (I tested it to the extremes) but overall it works pretty well.
The feature has started rolling out to Targeted Release customers and will continue to roll out to all customers through the end of April 2025.
