🌐 Microsoft is rolling out a completely redesigned SharePoint Online experience beginning March 3, 2026.
✨ Key Highlights
1. AI‑First, Copilot‑Powered SharePoint
- Deep integration with Microsoft 365 Copilot for:
- Automatic page drafting
- Content summarization
- Image and layout generation
- Metadata creation
- Requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license for end users.
2. Fully Redesigned UI
- Cleaner, faster, more consistent with the Microsoft design system.
- Focused on discovering, publishing, and building content.
- New navigation, simplified authoring, and improved mobile responsiveness.
3. New Page & Site Templates
- AI‑generated templates
- Modernized intranet layouts
- Better branding and theming controls
- Faster site creation with guided setup
4. Flexible Workflows Built In
- Workflow creation directly inside SharePoint
- AI‑assisted automation suggestions
- Tighter integration with Power Automate
🏗️ Modernization Changes Rolling Out Through March 2026
Between September 15, 2025 and March 15, 2026, Microsoft is enforcing major modernization changes.
🚫 1. Custom Scripting Disabled on Classic Publishing Sites
- Custom scripts will be disabled by default on all classic publishing site collections.
- This affects:
- Script Editor Web Parts
- CEWP custom JavaScript
- Legacy branding solutions
🧱 2. Classic Publishing Sites Are Being Phased Out
- Microsoft is pushing organizations to migrate to modern communication sites.
- No immediate shutdown, but classic publishing is effectively deprecated.
🛠️ 3. Admin Controls Updated
- New SharePoint Admin Center settings for:
- Enabling the new SharePoint experience
- Managing AI features
- Modernization readiness checks
🧠 AI & Content Intelligence Enhancements (2026)
The 2026 update introduces a new layer of content intelligence across SharePoint Online.
🔍 Smart Content Discovery
- AI‑powered search that understands context
- Personalized content feeds
- Automatic topic detection (Project Cortex evolution)
📝 AI‑Generated Content
- Copilot can generate:
- Pages
- News posts
- Site sections
- Images and layouts
🗂️ Intelligent Information Architecture
- Auto‑tagging
- Auto‑classification
- Suggested metadata
- Improved compliance labeling
📅 Critical 2026 Deadlines & Retirements
⛔ End of Support for On‑Prem Versions
- July 14, 2026: End of support for:
- SharePoint Server 2016
- SharePoint Server 2019
This is driving many organizations to accelerate migration to SharePoint Online.
🕯️ Retiring SharePoint Features in 2026
Although details vary, Microsoft and community sources highlight several retirements:
- Legacy workflows (SharePoint Designer 2010/2013)
- Classic publishing infrastructure
- Custom script–dependent solutions
🚀 What Organizations Should Do Now
✔ Enable the New SharePoint Experience (Preview)
Admins can enable it in the SharePoint Admin Center → Settings.
✔ Audit Classic Sites
Identify:
- Classic publishing sites
- Custom scripts
- Legacy workflows
✔ Plan Migration to Modern Sites
Microsoft’s modernization tools and Copilot can accelerate this.
✔ Prepare for AI Adoption
- Ensure licensing for Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Train content authors on AI‑assisted authoring
📘 Summary Table: SharePoint Online 2026 Updates
| Area | What’s New | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| UI & Experience | New SharePoint Experience (2026) | Major redesign, modern UI |
| AI Features | Copilot‑powered authoring, automation, metadata | Requires Copilot license |
| Modernization | Classic publishing deprecation, custom script disabled | Migrate to modern sites |
| Admin Controls | New AI & experience toggles | More granular governance |
| Retirements | Legacy workflows, classic features | Requires remediation |
| On‑Prem | SP 2016/2019 end of support July 2026 | Migrate to cloud |