Discover in SharePoint is a powerful feature designed to help users find relevant content, experts, and resources across an organization. Whether you’re a SharePoint administrator, a team lead, or a casual user looking to improve your productivity, understanding how to leverage Discover can transform the way you access information. This listicle covers essential steps to get started with Discover, from enabling it to customizing your experience, ensuring you can make the most of this tool in your daily workflows.
1. Enable Discover in Your SharePoint Environment
The first step to using Discover is ensuring it is activated within your SharePoint Online tenant. SharePoint administrators can verify this by navigating to the SharePoint admin center, selecting Settings, and checking the “Discover” toggle under the “Features” section. Enabling Discover allows users to utilize the personalized content and suggestions that are central to its functionality. Without activation, the feature remains hidden, so administrators should confirm it’s turned on for their sites.
2. Understand the Core Components of Discover
Discover integrates several key elements: personalized content recommendations, expert suggestions, and document insights. It leverages Microsoft Graph and Microsoft Search to analyze user activity and organizational data, providing tailored suggestions. Familiarizing yourself with these components helps you grasp how Discover surfaces relevant information, making it easier to find what you need without exhaustive searching.
3. Access Discover from the SharePoint Home Page
Once enabled, Discover is accessible directly from the SharePoint home page via the “Discover” button in the app launcher or the left-hand navigation pane. Clicking on it opens a personalized dashboard that displays recommended documents, sites, and people. Regularly visiting this dashboard helps you stay updated on relevant content and connects you with experts within your organization.
4. Customize Your Discover Feed
You can tailor Discover to better match your interests by adjusting your profile settings and feedback. For example, you can indicate your areas of expertise or follow specific topics. Providing feedback on recommendations—such as liking or dismissing items—helps Discover learn your preferences, refining future suggestions for increased relevance.
5. Use Discover to Find Experts and Resources
One of Discover’s strengths is connecting users with subject matter experts within their organization. By exploring the “People” section, you can find colleagues with specific skills or project experience. This feature is particularly useful for onboarding new team members or locating specialists for urgent projects, reducing the time spent searching through emails or directories.
6. Integrate Discover with Microsoft Teams
Discover can be integrated into Microsoft Teams via the SharePoint app or tabs, enabling users to access personalized content directly within their collaboration workspace. This integration streamlines workflows by providing relevant documents, sites, and contacts without leaving Teams, fostering seamless collaboration and knowledge sharing.
7. Leverage Discover for Knowledge Management
Organizations can use Discover to promote best practices and retain institutional knowledge. By analyzing the recommended content and interactions, administrators can identify knowledge gaps and create targeted training materials or documentation. This proactive approach helps preserve organizational intelligence and accelerates onboarding for new employees.
8. Monitor Usage and Feedback to Improve Discover
SharePoint administrators should regularly review usage analytics and user feedback to optimize Discover’s effectiveness. Microsoft’s admin center provides insights into how often Discover is used and which recommendations are most engaged with. Adjustments based on this data—such as tweaking personalization settings or updating content—ensure the feature continues to meet organizational needs.
9. Understand Limitations and Privacy Considerations
While Discover offers personalized insights, it also raises privacy considerations. It uses user activity and organizational data, so organizations should communicate how data is collected and used. Additionally, Discover’s relevance can vary based on the quality of organizational metadata and user engagement levels, so setting expectations about its capabilities is essential.
10. Keep Up with Updates and New Features
Microsoft periodically updates Discover with new features and improvements. Staying informed through Microsoft 365 Roadmap updates and SharePoint release notes ensures you can leverage the latest capabilities. Regular training sessions or webinars can help users adapt to new features, maximizing the value of Discover in your organization.
How to Choose
When selecting how to implement Discover, consider your organization’s size, existing knowledge management practices, and user familiarity with Microsoft 365 tools. Focus on features that align with your goals—whether enhancing search, fostering collaboration, or promoting expertise—since Discover’s effectiveness hinges on proper configuration and user engagement. Prioritize ease of access and user training to ensure widespread adoption and consistent use.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is Discover available in all SharePoint Online plans?
No, Discover is available in SharePoint Online plans that include Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Premium, and Enterprise plans. Check your licensing to ensure compatibility.
2. Can Discover be customized for specific departments?
Yes, organizations can influence Discover’s suggestions by setting up metadata, tagging content appropriately, and encouraging user feedback. However, the core personalization is driven by user activity and organizational data.
3. How does Discover protect user privacy?
Discover uses Microsoft Graph to analyze user activity in compliance with organizational privacy policies. Admins can configure data sharing settings and monitor usage to ensure privacy standards are maintained.
4. Can I turn off Discover for specific users?
Yes, administrators can disable Discover for individual users or groups via SharePoint admin center settings, providing control over who can access personalized suggestions.
5. How does Discover differ from Microsoft Search?
Discover offers personalized, AI-driven content recommendations and expert connections, whereas Microsoft Search provides a broader, keyword-based search experience across Microsoft 365 apps. Discover complements Search by surfacing tailored insights.
6. What training resources are available for Discover?
Microsoft provides official documentation, webinars, and community tutorials. Many organizations also develop internal training to help users maximize Discover’s potential effectively.
Final Thoughts
Discover in SharePoint is a robust tool that can significantly enhance how users find and connect with organizational content and experts. By understanding its core features, customizing the experience, and staying updated on new developments, organizations can foster a more connected, informed, and productive workforce. Proper implementation and ongoing user engagement are key to unlocking Discover’s full potential, making it a valuable asset in your digital workplace toolkit.
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