Office 365 – SharePoint Online – Exploring OOB Hero Webpart for beginners

Hi All,

Recently we are working with O365 application. One thing we noticed that Microsoft introduced new OOTB Hero webpart. Personally, i like that web part very much. So, I explored the WP in depth and thought to share it 😊

Details:

In Communication sites the Hero web part is by default included and webpart is pre-populated with default images, text and links that can be modified later with our need.

Default Layout: The default Hero webpart comes with tiled layout with five tiles. 

Creating a Communication Site: Either from <SharePoint Admin site>/_layouts/15/online/AdminHome.aspx#/siteManagement

Figure 1:Office 365 – SharePoint Online – Creating a communication site

Choosing a Site Design while creating a communication site:

There are 3 types of Site Design you can choose while creating new communication site as

Figure 2: O365 – SharePoint Online – Choosing site design while creating Communication Site

Topic Communication Site design:

1. In communication site when we select choose a Site design as Topic then by default Hero WP comes with tiled layout with five tiles (that can change one to five) and pre-populated with default images, text and links that can be modified later with your needs.

Figure 3: Office 365 – SharePoint Online – Hero WP from Topic site design – Tiled layout

Showcase Communication Site design:

1. In communication site when you select choose a Site design as Showcase then by default Hero WP comes with vertical layout with three layers (that can change one to five) and pre-populated with default images, text and links that can be modified later with your needs.

Figure 4: Office 365 – SharePoint Online – Hero WP from Showcase site design – Vertical layout with three layers

Blank Communication Site design:

1. In communication site when you select choose a Site design as Blank then by defaultthere is no Hero WP added in page.

Steps to add and modify Hero WP on page:

1. Click page edit butten in a page  

Figure 5: Office 365 – SharePoint Online -Adding / Updating Hero WP on the page

• Click on add button and find HERO WP as  

Figure 6: Office 365 – SharePoint Online -Adding / Updating Hero WP on the page

• After adding webpart you will get following default layout depending on the Communication Site design selected – Following layout is for Communication Topic site design

Figure 7 : Office 365 – SharePoint Online -OOB Hero WP added on the page

• For edit layout click on edit button

Figure 8: Office 365 – SharePoint Online – editing OOB Hero WP

There are 2 types of layout options

1. Tiles and
2. Layers

Figure 9: Office 365 – SharePoint Online – Hero WP – Layout options – Layers

Figure 10 : Office 365 – SharePoint Online – Hero WP – Layout options -Tiles

• Click on select link for adding image or link

Figure 11: Office 365 – SharePoint Online – Adding image or link to OOB Hero WP

• After click on select link following popup will appear, we can select image or link from following options.

Figure 12: Office 365 – SharePoint Online – Image popup

• After selecting image following options that will ask for edit.
• Link

Title – add title for image. we can hide or show title

• Image

Auto-selected – Automatically selects an image from the page

Custom image –You can select custom image

Color only – select any color corresponds to your site theme color

• Options

Call to action text – You can add your Call to action text (for example, “See more”).

You can show aCall to action link by switching the toggle to Yes.

Figure 13:Office 365 – SharePoint Online – Hero WP – edit properties 

In layers following sessions are added

1. Link  

Description – we can add Description that will appear in image

• Options

Show topic heading- we can add heading for image

       We can show atopic heading link by switching the toggle to Yes.

Figure 14:Office 365 – SharePoint Online – Hero WP – Adding images / links

Hero WP Images are stored in Asset Library. SitePages folder 

Figure 15: Office 365 – SharePoint Online – Images of Hero WP are stored in “Site Assets” library under “Site Pages” folder