M365 Changelog: (Updated) Private drafts for SharePoint pages and news
MC408994 – Updated January 18, 2023: Microsoft has updated the linked resources to provide additional information.
Microsoft is adding the ability to create private drafts for pages and news posts. A private draft is visible only to the page author, the people the author chooses to share it with, and site admins. It’s great for creating and editing content that’s not ready for others to see except the people you want to collaborate with.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 85629
When this will happen:
Targeted Release: starting early August and completing late December – Complete
General Availability: starting in mid-January and expect to complete by late February.
How this will affect your organization:
Authors of SharePoint pages and news will be able to create private drafts. When a private draft is created, only the creator and site admins can see the page (including from within the Pages library). The creator can then share the private draft with other people to allow them to access and edit the page. They will also have access to the assets associated with the page which are stored in the site’s assets library.
Like all pages and news posts, only one person at a time can edit the draft. When the draft is published, its permissions are reset and everyone in your organization who has access to the site will be able to view it.
What you need to do to prepare:
You do not need to do anything to prepare for this update, but you may want to let your users know about these improvements.
More information available here.