HANDS ON SharePoint
HANDS ON Teams
HANDS ON Lists
HANDS ON tek
M365 Admin
What’s new for SharePoint – May 2025
May brought some solid updates that actually make sense. The big news? 50 new page templates are rolling out soon, and they look way more practical than what we’ve had before.
There’s also a new FAQs web part powered by Copilot that might finally solve those repetitive support questions we all deal with. Plus OneDrive is getting some practical tools – think converting files to PDF and adding watermarks without jumping through hoops.
Which update sounds most useful for your team? Let me know in the comments – always curious what pain points these might solve for you.
MAY
5
Microsoft SharePoint Online: [Important update] Enabling a new Public Content Delivery Network (CDN) domain
Microsoft SharePoint Online will migrate to a new CDN service, Microsoft Azure Front Door, starting June 2025 and completing by July 2025. Organizations should add the new domain `public-cdn.sharepointonline.com` to their allow list, avoid hardcoding CDN URLs, and continue allowing the old domain. No admin action is required before the rollout.
Microsoft Purview compliance portal: OneDrive support for data risk assessments
OneDrive will be added to data risk assessments in Microsoft Purview Data Security Posture Management for AI. Public preview starts mid-May 2025, with general availability in mid-June 2025. Admins can create custom assessments in OneDrive locations. No admin action is required for the rollout.
Microsoft Purview | Data Loss Prevention: Admin units support for Microsoft SharePoint Online (preview)
Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention will soon support adding SharePoint sites to administrative units. Public Preview starts late April 2025, and General Availability begins mid-June 2025. Admins can configure this by default, but only the All-sites option will be supported. No admin action is required before the rollout.
MAY
6
Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management: Upcoming retirement of SharePoint Online Record Center site features
Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management and Microsoft Purview Records Management features offer organizations flexibility and a scalable solution to proactively retain or delete content in Microsoft 365.
MAY
8
SharePoint agents trial usage data now available in Microsoft Admin Center
Admins can now check SharePoint Agents trial usage reporting in the Copilot Admin Center!
Microsoft SharePoint: Updated Page Analytics
Microsoft SharePoint Page Analytics will be upgraded with new capabilities for SharePoint News posts starting late May 2025. New features include long-term data, breakdown by distribution channels, new metrics, export options, audience calculation, and an upgraded page design. No admin action is required.
Modern SharePoint: New Template gallery and 50+ out-of-the-box page templates
Modern SharePoint will introduce a new Template gallery and over 50 out-of-the-box page templates in mid-2025. This feature aims to streamline content creation and enhance visual consistency. The rollout requires no admin action, but users should be informed to maximize its benefits.
SharePoint: New File Format Support for Document Translation
We’re expanding file format support for Content AI Document Translation in SharePoint Online. Newly added extensions include: xlf, tsv, tab, mdown, mdtext, mdtxt, mdwn, mht, mhtml, mkd, mkdn, odt, rmd. This update brings us in alignment with Azure Document Translation capabilities and unlocks new scenarios, such as .xlf support, which enables seamless translation of eLearning and localization content exported from many industry tools.
MAY
9
SharePoint: SharePoint Dynamic Web Part for FAQ
Dynamic Web Part for FAQ helps SharePoint content owners effortlessly keep their content fresh and relevant. Powered by AI, it automatically curates and updates FAQ content by working with agents and connected grounding data. With a Human-in-the-Loop approach, it ensures high-quality, trustworthy FAQs—without the hassle. The result? A living FAQ that evolves with your organization’s needs.
MAY
12
Microsoft Stream: Add a survey, poll, or quiz to a video at specific times
Microsoft Stream will allow users to add surveys, polls, or quizzes to videos at specific times, making them interactive and engaging. The feature will roll out in early December 2023 for targeted release and late April 2024 for general availability. No action is required to prepare.
MAY
13
Microsoft SharePoint: Storage insights will be included in Microsoft 365 admin center usage reports
Microsoft SharePoint will add a new Storage tab to the Microsoft 365 admin center usage reports, providing insights on quota consumption and storage management recommendations. This feature will roll out in mid-May 2025 and is available to non-Education tenants. No admin action is required before the rollout.
MAY
14
SharePoint Alerts retirement
Microsoft is retiring the SharePoint Alerts feature to modernize notifications. Key dates include the gradual phase-out starting July 2025, with complete removal by July 2026. Organizations should transition to Power Automate or SharePoint Rules. Update training materials and support resources accordingly. More details are available in the provided support article.
MAY
15
Microsoft OneDrive: Export files as PDF
Microsoft OneDrive will introduce the “Export as PDF” feature, allowing users to convert Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files to PDF starting mid-May 2025. The feature will be accessible via the three-dot menu or command bar and will require appropriate permissions and IRM settings. No admin action is needed for the rollout.
SharePoint: Dashboard web part will be available for all sites
The dashboard layout web part in Microsoft SharePoint will be available for all sites, including Team and Communication sites, starting late May 2025. This feature will be on by default and requires no action, but notifying users and updating documentation is recommended. More details are on Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 486832.
Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365): Add licensed stock images, generate images and add brand images from a SharePoint OAL in Word and PowerPoint for GCC environment
Find the perfect image with Copilot in PowerPoint and Word. Add a licensed stock image, generate an AI image or find an image from your SharePoint OAL. Copilot in PowerPoint and Word connects with your SharePoint organization asset library, making it easy to find and add images approved by your company to keep your presentation or document on brand. Available to government cloud (GCC) environments.
MAY
16
Microsoft SharePoint: New web part for FAQs powered by Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft SharePoint will soon have a new dynamic web part for FAQs powered by Microsoft 365 Copilot, rolling out in June 2025. It will automatically curate FAQ content, requiring a SharePoint and Microsoft 365 Copilot license. No admin action is needed, but user notification and documentation updates are recommended.
MAY
19
OneDrive: Prompt to Add Personal Account to OneDrive Sync
OneDrive will prompt users with a personal Microsoft account on a Windows device to sign into OneDrive with their personal account while using their corporate OneDrive. This feature rolls out from mid-June to early July 2025. Organizations can suppress the prompt using specific policies.
OneDrive: Transfer ownership of departing employees’ files with ease
We’ve made it easier to manage files when employees leave—account cleanup emails are now more prominent, new filters help managers quickly locate key files, and the enhanced “Move and keep sharing” feature supports bulk transfers with consolidated notifications, making the process more efficient. Security and compliance in ownership transfer ensures sensitive data remains protected, access is properly reassigned, and regulatory obligations are met during employee offboarding.
Microsoft 365 admin center: Onboard SharePoint agents as a Pay-as-you-go scenario
Starting June 2025, Microsoft 365 administrators can set up pay-as-you-go billing for SharePoint Agents via the Copilot Control System. Admins must disable legacy tenant-level billing, create new billing policies, and connect these policies to SharePoint Agents for departmental chargeback and billing.
MAY
20
Microsoft OneDrive and Microsoft SharePoint: Use the table of contents in a PDF to navigate
Microsoft OneDrive and SharePoint will display a table of contents for PDFs that have one, allowing users to navigate directly to sections. This feature will roll out from mid-June to early July 2025 and will be enabled by default. No admin action is required, but user notification is recommended.
MAY
21
Microsoft OneDrive: New “View and upload” permission for Anyone links to folders
Admins will soon be able to configure a “View and upload” permission for Anyone links to folders in OneDrive, starting June 2025. This feature allows more granular control over content access and maintains the “Request files” functionality. No admin action is required before the rollout.
Microsoft Copilot Studio – Deploy custom agents to SharePoint
We are announcing the ability to deploy custom-built agents to SharePoint. This feature will reach general availability on May 20, 2025.
MAY
22
Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft OneDrive: Apply watermark to PDFs
Microsoft OneDrive and SharePoint will allow users to add text or image watermarks to PDFs starting mid-June 2025. Users can customize the watermark’s position, formatting, and transparency. Watermarks will be visible but not editable in other PDF tools. No admin action is required.
SharePoint: Permissions report for a given user – SharePoint admin center
This report, under Data access governance within SharePoint admin center, provides SharePoint admin with a list of sites where the given user has direct and indirect permissions at a site/lib/folder/file level
MAY
30
SharePoint: Microsoft 365 Copilot customers now have SharePoint Advanced Management capabilities
Microsoft 365 Copilot customers now have SharePoint Advanced Management capabilities included with their licenses. This feature is available globally and requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. Admins should review the oversharing baseline report using SharePoint Online PowerShell and take recommended remedial actions. Review configurations and notify admins.
This month’s update is now also available as a podcast! If you prefer listening over reading, or want to catch up on the latest SharePoint developments while commuting or running, you can now tune in on Spotify and YouTube.
The podcast features AI hosts Maria and John, who dive into the same updates covered in this post but through a conversational format. John brings his technical analyst perspective with attention to detail, while Maria focuses on the strategic implications and user experience impact. As the prompt director, I guide the conversation to ensure we’re covering what matters most for your day-to-day work.
This is an experiment in making tech updates more accessible, so I’d love your feedback on this format. Give it a listen and let me know what you think!
No comments yet