Page templates in SharePoint are essential tools that help organizations create consistent, professional, and efficient site pages. Whether you’re a site owner, content manager, or IT administrator, understanding the available templates and how to choose the right one can significantly streamline your content management process. This listicle covers the most common SharePoint page templates, what they do, and how to leverage them effectively to improve your site’s appearance and functionality.
Site Page
The Site Page template is the most versatile and commonly used in SharePoint Online. It allows users to create modern, responsive pages that can host text, images, videos, web parts, and custom layouts. Site Pages are ideal for publishing news, updates, or documentation because they are easy to edit and can be shared across the organization. Its flexibility makes it a go-to option for most content creators looking to build engaging, visually appealing pages without requiring advanced development skills.
Wiki Page
Wiki Pages are designed for collaborative editing and knowledge sharing. They support rich text, hyperlinks, images, and embedded content, making them suitable for internal documentation or project notes. Unlike Site Pages, Wiki Pages are stored in the Site Pages library and are often used for knowledge bases or FAQs. They encourage team collaboration by allowing multiple users to contribute and update content over time, fostering a shared understanding within teams.
Web Part Page
Web Part Pages are classic pages that provide a grid layout where web parts—such as document libraries, lists, or custom web parts—are added to specific zones. These pages are favored in classic SharePoint sites and offer more granular control over layout and web part placement. They are especially useful for dashboards or pages that need to display multiple data sources side by side, providing a structured way to organize complex information.
Publishing Page
Publishing Pages are tailored for enterprise publishing scenarios, often used in intranet portals or corporate websites. They include features like approval workflows, version control, and publishing schedules, making them suitable for content that requires review before going live. Publishing Pages support rich formatting and are designed to maintain consistency and branding across multiple pages, ensuring professional presentation and compliance with corporate standards.
Landing Page
Landing Pages serve as entry points for specific audiences or campaigns. They are designed to guide visitors toward particular actions, such as signing up for a newsletter or exploring a product line. SharePoint’s modern pages can be customized as landing pages with hero web parts, call-to-action buttons, and multimedia content. They are especially effective for marketing, onboarding, or event promotion, providing a focused experience for visitors.
Team Site Homepage
The default homepage for a SharePoint team site acts as a central hub for team collaboration. It typically includes web parts like news, document libraries, calendars, and quick links. Customizing this page helps teams stay aligned on priorities, access shared resources, and communicate updates efficiently. Its straightforward layout encourages regular engagement and helps streamline team workflows.
Communication Site Homepage
Communication Site Homepages are designed for broadcasting information to a broad audience within the organization. They often feature large hero web parts, event calendars, and news roll-ups to highlight important updates or initiatives. These pages are optimized for storytelling and visual impact, making them ideal for corporate communication, executive messages, or community engagement.
Dashboard Page
Dashboard Pages aggregate data from various sources into a single, visually appealing interface. They typically include Power BI web parts, Excel web parts, and SharePoint lists or libraries. This template is invaluable for executives or project managers who need real-time insights and metrics at a glance. Creating dashboards helps facilitate data-driven decision-making and enhances transparency across teams.
Event Page
Event Pages are specialized pages designed to promote and provide details about upcoming events, webinars, or conferences. They can include registration web parts, event schedules, maps, and multimedia content. Using an Event Page ensures that attendees have access to all necessary information in one place, and it can be integrated with Outlook or Teams for seamless registration and reminders.
How to Choose
When selecting a page template, consider your primary goal: Are you sharing knowledge, creating a dashboard, or promoting an event? Think about the audience and how they will interact with the content. Also, evaluate the level of control needed—classic web part pages offer more customization but require more setup, while modern site pages are easier to edit and maintain. Lastly, align your choice with your organization’s branding, compliance requirements, and technical capabilities to ensure the template supports your objectives effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I convert a page from one template to another? Yes, but it typically requires recreating the content in the new template, as SharePoint does not support direct conversion.
- Are page templates available in both classic and modern SharePoint sites? Templates like Site Pages are available in both, but some, such as Web Part Pages, are only in classic sites.
- Can I create custom page templates in SharePoint? Yes, especially in SharePoint Online, you can develop custom site pages and save them as templates for reuse.
- Do templates impact page permissions or security? No, templates do not influence permissions directly; security settings are managed separately.
- Are page templates mobile-friendly? Modern page templates are designed to be responsive and mobile-compatible, ensuring a good experience across devices.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right page template in SharePoint is crucial for effective content delivery and user engagement. By understanding the specific features and best use cases of each template, you can tailor your site to meet organizational needs, improve collaboration, and present information professionally. Whether you’re building a simple news page or a comprehensive dashboard, leveraging the appropriate template ensures your SharePoint environment is both functional and visually compelling, ultimately driving better adoption and productivity.
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