Microsoft SharePoint is one of the most important Microsoft tools used for collaboration and has changed a lot over the years. In Microsoft 365, SharePoint offers two distinct user experiences: the classic and the contemporary. This blog looks at the features, differences, and how to transition between these two experiences that can assist you in managing and making the best out of SharePoint.
An Overview of the Modern Experience in SharePoint
The modern experience in SharePoint is simple, flexible, and mobile. Available in SharePoint in Microsoft 365 and some features in SharePoint Server 2019, the modern experience includes:
- An entry point to SharePoint sites, news, and site creation.
- Improved lists and library for common activities such as pinning documents, filtering, and organizing the columns.
- Team sites and communication sites with Microsoft 365 Groups, news, quick links, and site activity.
- New skins for site contents and usage pages to enhance the site management and analytics.
- An improved version of the recycle bin for better use.
- The new experience is to be engaging, adaptive, and more consumable given the increasing mobile-centricity of the world.
Classic vs. Modern Experiences: Various Aspects
Here is how the classic and modern SharePoint experience differs in terms of various aspects
# Lists and Libraries
Compared to the previous SharePoint lists, Modern lists, and libraries are enhanced and designed to be more friendly to the users. They are better for file handling and also align with other Microsoft 365 services more easily. Differences include:
- It is less flexible, and some of its columns cannot be created in classic lists and libraries.
- New capabilities of lists and libraries include better UI, responsiveness, and a new command bar.
# Team Sites
The modern team sites improve communication by incorporating Microsoft 365 Groups. Key differences between classic and modern team sites include:
- The newer team sites integrate with Microsoft 365 Groups for a single identity model and access control, with links to Outlook, Teams, etc.
- The default web parts of the classic team sites are Announcements, Calendar, and Links while in the modern team sites, the default web parts are News, Quick Links, Site Activity, and Document Libraries.
- In classic sites, branding is done by using site themes, alternate CSS, and master pages while in modern sites, branding is done by using themes and other easier ways.
# Communication Sites
News and report sharing are purposes of the communication sites which are usually in an artistic manner. It is easier to develop and does not depend on the elaborate structures of traditional publishing websites. Key differences include:
- Traditional web publications are more templated and use masters whereas the modern communication sites are less templated and do not use masters.
- Sites for communication employ modern pages and web parts; therefore, it is easy to build good-looking, mobile-friendly pages with no coding.
- With the Communication sites, templates such as Topic, Showcase, or Blank can be used which makes it easy for the creation of the sites.
# Pages and Web Parts
Modern pages are fast and easy to use to create responsive pages using the new web parts. These pages are less formal as well as relatively simpler to build as compared to the web part pages and publishing pages. Key differences include:
- A new generation of web parts has a more user-friendly interface, is faster, and more aesthetically pleasing. These do not permit the insertion of code such as JScript for security concerns.
- Modern web parts cannot be used on the classic pages, and the same applies to the use of the classic web parts on the modern pages where a custom web part would have to be developed.
- As compared to classic pages, modern pages are developed in such a way that they can easily adapt to mobile devices.
- Modern pages are extendible, meaning their layout can be modified at any time while the layout of a classic web part page is predetermined.
Modern web parts are easy to use, performant, and beautiful, for use in SharePoint and other platforms. They do not support the insertion of code like JScript for security purposes. Web parts of the old version cannot be placed on the new page, and vice versa, except for the case when a developer creates a unique option.
The contemporary pages are, in fact, responsive and well-optimized for mobile devices which is much better than the classic pages. The structure of modern pages is free, and the layout can be changed at any time, and the structure of classic web part pages is predetermined.
# Hub Sites
Hub sites connect several sites using the same branding and navigation as the other sites in the series. They are flatter than the classic site collections; thus, they are easier to manage. Key differences include:
- Site collections are more complex and are divided by levels, while hub sites are rather simple and flat.
- Subsites connected to a hub site can inherit the branding and the theme of the main site and the navigation and search functionality is also unified for all subsites connected to the hub site.
- Hub sites are used to link several sites under one umbrella about branding and navigation. Compared to site collections, hub sites do not have a hierarchy, which makes them more versatile. Other sites related to the hub site can set up a similar branding and theme as the hub site and use similar navigation
# Microsoft Power Automate
Microsoft SharePoint workflows and Microsoft Power Automate both are about business process automation, for instance, routing documents for approval. Differences between them include:
- Power Automate is built in as part of SharePoint lists and libraries and enables connection to other Microsoft 365 and external applications.
- Power Automate simplifies process automation and creates good workflows as it has a rich graphical interface, especially for mobile devices.
- SharePoint workflow is developed in SharePoint Designer or Visual Studio and might involve developers. Currently, not all actions of SharePoint workflow are available in Power Automate.
Transitioning from SharePoint workflows to Power Automate is a process of assessing existing workflows and figuring out whether Power Automate can offer more features and faster execution. However, it is not always mandatory to migrate all the existing workflows at once; however, it is crucial to design new processes based on Power Automate.
# Search
Search in SharePoint has therefore evolved to the modern search which is personal and intelligent. Key features include:
- Results that are specific to the user and depend on the person who is searching for the information even if the search terms used are the same.
- Search results that change as the user is typing.
- The current search boxes are found on the SharePoint start image, communication site, and the modern team image.
- Modern search improves the process of searching by suggesting better results and updates on the search results in real-time. It is possible to observe the immediate response to the activity and interests of users, and the search results are real-time as the users type. The current search boxes are located in critical areas such as start, communication, and modern team sites to enable users to search for the necessary content effectively.
Migration Strategies From Classic to Modern Experiences
Moving from classic to modern experiences in SharePoint involves several considerations and steps:
# Lists and Libraries
In SharePoint, some settings allow changing between the classical and the modern interface. It is possible to set the default experience for lists or document libraries for administrators.
# Team Sites
Owners of site collections can link the classic sites to the Microsoft 365 groups, and change the homepage to the new look. This can be achieved by going to the site settings and selecting the option that enables the modern experience.
# Communication Sites
The functionality of modern pages is not supported by default on publishing portals. The planning and creation of new communication sites are necessary to replace the classical publishing sites.
# Pages
It is impossible to transform the old web pages to the new ones without applying code solutions. Gradual planning and creation of new modern pages are advised.
# Hub Sites
It is possible once enabled by an administrator, to create hub sites and to grow sites into the hub structure. This entails arranging the site structure to align with the hub model’s requirements.
# Workflows
It is not compulsory to migrate all the existing SharePoint workflows to Power Automate in the first place but it is wise to plan all new processes with Power Automate. This means that it is vital to assess existing processes to see if Power Automate can provide enhanced features and efficiency.
Conclusion
The transition from the classic to the modern interface in SharePoint provides a lot of advantages, such as a better interface, the possibility of mobile work, and better compatibility with Microsoft 365 services. With the knowledge of the differences and proper planning of migration, organizations can fully unleash the potential of SharePoint in Microsoft 365. This embracing of the modern experience is going to not only make collaboration and communication more efficient but also prepare the SharePoint environment for further improvement and changes.
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