M365 Changelog: (Updated) Microsoft SharePoint Online: New Banner web part (updated title area) in Pages and News – Aug 21, 2024

MC791596 -Updated August 21, 2024: Microsoft has updated the rollout timeline below. Thank you for your patience.

Coming soon to Microsoft SharePoint Online: Improvements to the title area at the top of Pages and News:

• Users will be able to remove the title area, which is no longer mandatory on a page.
• The title area will be rebranded as a Banner web part with new layouts. Users can add one or more banner(s) to any column of a page, including a full-width section.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 386904.

When this will happen:

Targeted Release: Microsoft will begin rolling out late June 2024 (previously mid-June) and expects to complete by early July 2024 (previously early June).

General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCC High and DoD): Microsoft will begin rolling out early July 2024 (previously mid-June) and expects to complete by late August 2024 (previously late July).

How this will affect your organization:

After this rollout, users will see two new Banner layouts: Author and Fade. SharePoint Page and News authors can choose to add no banners, one banner, or multiple banners to the page. The first banner at the top of the page (in full-width section) is considered as a title, which is automatically synchronized to the page Title on the command bar at the top of the screen. Additional banners will function as headings in the page.

Note: You must enter a page title in the first banner or on the command bar before you can Save and close or Publish the page.

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After the rollout, users will see an updated title area in the SharePoint page templates. When users create a new page using a SharePoint page template, they will see a new Banner at the top. In some situations, the old title area will not rename automatically to match the new Banner, but users will still be able to select new layout options:

1. When users edit an existing page with a title created before this rollout, users will be able to remove or keep the title area.
2. When users make a copy of an existing page with a title created before this rollout, users will be able to remove or keep the title area in the copied page.
3. When users create a new page using a custom template with title area, users will be able to remove or keep the title area.

Note: After removing a title area, users will be able to select Undo or choose a Banner to restore the title.

The pre-rollout title areas and Banners will be supported in email. When users send a Page or News as email, the layout will change slightly: the banner image will appear above the banner text.

What you need to do to prepare:

This rollout will happen automatically by the specified dates with no admin action required before the rollout. You may want to notify your users about this change and update any relevant documentation as appropriate.

Learn more: Create and use modern pages on a SharePoint site