Flexible Sections in SharePoint: Customize Modern Pages with Responsive Layouts

Introduction

Modern SharePoint has transformed how organizations build intranet pages, team sites, and communication platforms. One standout feature that significantly boosts design flexibility and visual layout is Flexible Sections. Introduced as an enhancement to the modern page editing experience, flexible sections allow for more customized, responsive, and user-centric design. 

What Are Flexible Sections in SharePoint?

Flexible sections are an improvement over traditional one, two, or three-column layouts. They enable page authors to: 

• Mix different column widths 
  
• Nest web parts within columns more creatively 
  
• Use vertical section alignment 
  
• Adapt content for multiple screen sizes more effectively 

Example Layouts: 

• 70/30 or 30/70 (instead of fixed 50/50) 
  
• Left-heavy or right-heavy content 
  
• One large section with two smaller columns beneath it 

 

Key Features

1. Custom Column Widths

Unlike the standard section layouts that lock you into preset column sizes, flexible sections allow for more granular control. Want a 66/34 layout? - You can do that. 

2. Improved Responsiveness

Flexible sections adapt more cleanly on mobile and tablet views, ensuring your content remains readable and well-structured across devices. 

3. Better Design Flow

You can now match branding or content flow requirements more easily. Want to highlight a large image on the left and a text box with a button on the right? - Easy. 

4. Integration with Existing Web Parts

Flexible sections work seamlessly with modern SharePoint web parts—like Quick Links, Hero, Image, or News—offering more freedom in arranging them. 

 

How to Add a Flexible Section

1. Go to the SharePoint page you want to edit. 
   
2. Click Edit at the top right corner. 
   
3. Hover over the area where you want to add a section, then click the + icon. 
   
4. Choose Flexible from the section layout options. 
   
   
   
5. Add your desired web parts and resize them based on your layout needs (e.g., 2, 3, or 5 columns). 
   
   
   
6. Adjust the height of the flexible section manually by dragging the resize handle located at the bottom-right corner of the section. This helps you control the vertical spacing to better fit your content. 
   
   
   
7. Once done, click Save or Republish the page. 
   

Tip: Combine flexible sections with full-width sections to create visually impactful pages that guide users' attention effectively. 

When to Use Flexible Sections

• Landing Pages: Great for homepage layouts where you need hero banners, quick links, and announcements in various arrangements. 
  
• Team Sites: Align team tools and updates in a clean, user-friendly way. 
  
• Internal Communications: Combine visuals and text to improve engagement. 

 

Limitations to Consider

While flexible sections offer powerful capabilities, there are a few things to keep in mind: 

• Not supported in classic pages – Only available in modern SharePoint pages. 
  
• Too many custom sections can clutter – Use them purposefully; don’t overload the page with too many designs. 
  
• Some third-party web parts might not fully support flexible layouts. 

 

Final Thoughts

• Flexible sections in SharePoint are a game changer for organizations seeking more control over their page design without needing to code. By using them smartly, you can build beautiful, engaging, and functional pages that users will actually enjoy navigating. 
• Start experimenting with flexible layouts today to see how they can elevate your SharePoint experience!  

If you have any questions you can reach out our SharePoint Consulting team here.

A Beginner’s Guide to Microsoft Copilot Agents, Knowledge, and Topics

Introduction

In a world where productivity and efficiency are paramount, Microsoft Copilot has emerged as a game-changer. Launched as part of Microsoft’s vision to integrate artificial intelligence into everyday workflows, Copilot is designed to be your personal AI assistant, enhancing creativity, streamlining tasks, and transforming the way we work and interact with technology. This blog explores what Microsoft Copilot is, its key features, and how it’s shaping the future of work and personal productivity.

What is Microsoft Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered assistant integrated across Microsoft’s ecosystem, including Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and more), Windows, and even mobile platforms. Built on advanced large language models (LLMs) like Open AI’s GPT-4 and GPT-4 Turbo, combined with Microsoft Graph data, Copilot leverages your organizational or personal data - such as emails, documents, and calendars - to provide context-aware assistance. Whether you're drafting a document, analyzing data, or managing your inbox, Copilot works alongside you to simplify tasks and boost productivity. The vision behind Copilot is rooted in Microsoft’s mission to empower every person and organization to achieve more.

Building Your First Microsoft Copilot Agent

Creating an agent in Microsoft Copilot Studio (the platform for building and managing these agents) is an intuitive process. Here’s a simplified overview:

1. Access Copilot Studio:Sign in to your Copilot Studio account. (https://www.google.com/search?q=copilotstudio.microsoft.com).
2. Start a New Agent: Navigate to "Create" in the left-side panel and select "Copilot for Microsoft 365" from the list, then click "+ New agent" on the Agents card.
   
   
3. Define Your Agent's Purpose: You'll be presented with a conversational authoring experience. Describe what you want your agent to do in full sentences. For example: "Help employees find information about company HR policies and benefits." Copilot Studio will use this description to kickstart the agent's initial configuration.
4. Refine and Create:Follow the prompts to refine the agent's initial instructions, name it, and set its tone (e.g., "friendly," "formal"). Once satisfied, select "Create."
   

Your agent is now set up, and you can begin testing and enhancing its capabilities.

The Pillars of an Effective Agent: Knowledge, Tools, and Topics

To make your Copilot Agent truly intelligent and useful, you need to equip it with the right resources. This is where knowledge, tools, and topics come into play.

Knowledge

1. An agent is only as smart as the information it has access to. Knowledge sources provide the factual basis for your agent's responses. By default, an agent has basic AI knowledge, but you'll want to add your specific organizational data.
2. How to Add Knowledge:
   SharePoint: Connect your agent to SharePoint sites, libraries, or folders. This allows the agent to pull information from your company's internal documents, policies, and resources. Ensure proper permissions are in place so the agent only accesses what it's authorized to.
   Copilot (Graph) Connectors: If your administrator has set up Microsoft Graph connectors, you can integrate data from various enterprise systems. This could include CRM data, project management tools, or custom databases.
   Web Search (Public Websites): For agents requiring general information, you can enable web search and specify public websites the agent should refer to. This is useful for publicly available knowledge bases or industry-specific information.
   File Uploads: You can directly upload individual files (like PDFs, Word documents) to your agent as embedded content. This is useful for specific, static documents that don't reside in SharePoint or other connected systems.

Topics

How to Create and Use Topics

• Trigger Phrases: Each topic starts with a set of "trigger phrases" – keywords or sentences that signal to the agent that this specific topic should be activated.
  • Example:For an HR agent, trigger phrases for a "Leave Request" topic might include "how to apply for leave," "sick leave policy," or "vacation days."
• Conversational Flow (Nodes): Within a topic, you define the conversational flow using various "nodes." These nodes can include:
  • Message Nodes: For the agent to convey information or ask questions.
  • Question Nodes: To gather specific information from the user (e.g., "What type of leave are you requesting?").
  • Condition Nodes: To create branching logic based on user input (e.g., if "sick leave," then ask for medical certificate).
  • Action Nodes: To call the tools you've integrated (e.g., "Submit Leave Request tool").
  • Generative Answers Node: This node allows your topic to leverage the broader knowledge sources you've defined, enabling the agent to find and present information even if a specific authored topic doesn't directly address the query.

Benefits of Using Topics

• Improved Accuracy:Topics provide a clear path for the agent, reducing ambiguity and improving the accuracy of responses.
• Structured Interactions: They ensure a consistent and guided user experience.
• Scalability:You can create numerous topics to cover a wide range of user inquiries and automate various tasks.

Test the Copilot

• If you ask the question related to the document then its answer given from document with file like below.
  
  
  
  
• If you ask “how to return my product” then call the topic and work as flow which you created.
  
  

The Future is Conversational

Microsoft Copilot Agents represent a significant leap in how organizations can leverage AI to enhance productivity and user experience. By mastering the art of integrating knowledge, tools, and topics, you can build powerful, intelligent agents that streamline operations, empower your employees, and delight your customers. The future of work is conversational, and Copilot Agents are at the forefront of this transformation.

Introduction to Microsoft Sway: A Guide to Creating Engaging Digital Content

Overview

Nowadays in digital-first world, how we present information matters just as much as the message itself. Whether you are a student, educator, professional, or content creator, Microsoft offers a simple yet powerful tool to help you build interactive, visually-rich presentations without the need for complex design tools—Microsoft Sway. 

In this blog, we will explore what Sway is, why it is useful, when to use it, and tips for users to make the most out of it. 

What is Microsoft Sway? 

• Microsoft Sway is a cloud-based digital storytelling app that allows users to easily create interactive presentations, reports, newsletters, and stories. It focuses on narrative and visual storytelling, making it perfect for creating content that looks professional across all devices—with no advanced design skills needed. 
• Sway enables users to combine text, images, videos, charts, and external media into a responsive, scrollable webpage or presentation, perfect for online viewing and mobile-first audiences. 

Why Use Sway? 

Sway is designed for simplicity, speed, and impact. Here's why people love using it: 

1. User-Friendly Interface: You do not need to be a designer. The intuitive drag-and-drop layout and built-in themes help anyone create attractive content in minutes. 
2. Mobile Optimization: Sway presentations are automatically responsive, meaning they adjust perfectly to any screen size—whether viewed on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone. 
3. Multimedia Integration: You can easily embed images, videos, charts, and even social media posts directly from your device or from online platforms like YouTube, OneDrive, or social media. 
4. Real-Time Collaboration: Teams can co-create Sways together in real time, just like with other Office 365 tools. 
5. Auto-Responsive Design: Sway automatically adjusts format, dividing, and designing, sparing you time on manual plan work. 

When Should You Use Sway? 

Sway is perfect in a variety of situations, such as: 

• Business Reports: Create engaging project updates, performance summaries, or sales reports. 
  
• Educational Presentations: Ideal for teachers and students to focus on content and storytelling without worrying about formatting. 
  
• Digital Storytelling: Share narratives, case studies, or personal stories in a modern format. 
  
• Quick Content Creation: When you need to produce something polished fast—without using tools like PowerPoint or Canva. 
  
• Mobile-First Content Delivery: Great for audiences who view content on mobile devices. 

Main Purpose of Sway 

The primary goal of Sway is to simplify content creation for digital platforms. It removes the need for complex layout tools and lets you focus on what matters most—your message. Whether you are sharing an update with your team or presenting to clients, Sway helps make that content more engaging and easier to consume. 

Pros and Cons of Sway 

Pros 

• Beginner-Friendly: No design experience required. 
  
• Automated Design Features: Saves time and effort. 
  
• Supports All Media Types: Easily embed video, audio, images, and links. 
  
• Cloud-Based Collaboration: Share and edit from anywhere. 
  
• Education Ready: Excellent for teaching, training, and online learning. 

Cons 

• Microsoft Account Required: A Microsoft 365 or individual Microsoft account is required. 
  
• Limited Export Options: No direct option to download as a video. 
  
• Less Control Over Layout: Custom design is limited to what Sway allows. 

Tips for Users 

To help you get started with Sway, here are some user-friendly tips: 

1. Explore Templates: Start with pre-designed Sway templates to understand layout possibilities and structure. 
2. Use the Remix Button: Let Sway automatically redesign your content with different visual styles. A great way to explore layout variations. 
3. Leverage Multimedia: Include videos, charts, audio, and high-quality images to make your presentation more engaging. 
4. Tell a Story: To help your viewers navigate your content, use a logical flow or structure. Sway is built for storytelling. 
5. Collaborate with Others: Utilize real-time editing to co-create substances together with your group or classmates. 
6. Preview on Mobile: Always preview your Sway on a phone or tablet to ensure it looks perfect across all platforms. 
7. Reuse Your Layout: Save Sway presentations you like as templates for future content to maintain consistency. 
8. Use Accessibility Tools: Enable Accessibility View and use the Accessibility Checker to make your content inclusive and user-friendly. 

Final Thoughts 

Microsoft Sway may be effective tool for those looking to communicate thoughts visually and effectively. Whether you’re creating a project update, a classroom presentation, or an interactive newsletter, Sway helps you build beautiful content without the design headache. 

With its user-friendly interface, rich media support, and mobile responsiveness, Sway is an excellent choice for anyone looking to share content that looks great and tells a story. 

Ready to get started? 

Next Step: Learn how to use Sway in depth with Step-by-Step Guide to Microsoft Sway