This release introduces major enhancements to the Carousel and Quick Links web parts, including a new data source configuration experience, improved layout and sort options, streamlined actions, and more flexible content creation and customization features.
General improvements span all web parts, such as upgraded analytics for deeper insights, merged license/about sections, and fixes for impactful issues with list pickers and visualization modals.
A couple of web parts - News and RSS Feed - receive targeted bug fixes to improve reliability and user experience.
New Features
Carousel & Quick Links Web Part – New UX Standard
Carousel web part
New Content Creation Experience - Redesigned form to add items for all data sources:
Clear sections to group fields for better usability.
Creation form now includes sections for Content, Links & Actions. Slight variations across web parts as implementation progresses.
All media content supports alternative text, continuing accessibility improvements.
New “Configuring Data Source” experience - revised configuration panel for:
SharePoint List: Filters now visually organized by type, including new filter method using URL with query parameters.
SharePoint Content: data source filtering remains as before but configurable item limit is removed from panel – the web part now fetches the maximum items possible.
All data sources: Default sort configuration is moved under the new Field Layout and Sort panel.
Layout Configuration Enhancements
New Field Layout and Sort panel, accessible from a button, replacing former layout configuration. Includes:
Field mappings for layout and auxiliary actions (e.g., publish dates, links).
Hide/show layout fields.
Drag-and-drop reordering (where applicable).
Default Sort Configuration.
Layout customization more flexible:
Automatic 15% transparency no longer mandatory.
Text customization allowed.
Highlighted Items
New custom ordering display: highlighted items are positioned as the first items displayed – removed previous order configuration per item and migrated logic to the new section.
Panel for searching, highlighting and reordering items has been simplified.
Both end users and editors can now search across the entire data source, not just displayed
Actions Section
Updated section:
Click Behavior, including the choice of where to open content (New tab, Same tab, Modal) and additional display information.
Other Improvements
Social engagement visually simplified and deep dive article corrected.
License and About merged into a single section.
Quick Links web part
New Content Creation Experience - Redesigned form to add items for all data sources:
Clear sections to group fields for better usability.
Automatic population of content through a link.
Creation form now includes sections for Content, Links & Actions, and Display Settings. Slight variations across web parts as implementation progresses.
All media content supports alternative text, continuing accessibility improvements introduced previously.
New “Configuring Data Source” experience - revised configuration panel for:
SharePoint List: Filters now visually organized by type, including new filter method using URL with query parameters.
All data sources: Default sort configuration is moved under the new Field Layout and Sort panel.
Layout Configuration Enhancements
New Field Layout and Sort panel, accessible from a button, replacing former layout configuration. Includes:
Field mappings for layout and auxiliary actions (e.g., publish dates, links).
Default Sort Configuration.
Layout customization more flexible:
Automatic 15% transparency no longer mandatory.
Text and Border customization allowed.
Highlighted Items
Updated custom ordering display: highlighted items are positioned as the first items displayed.
Panel for searching, highlighting and reordering items has been simplified.
Both end users and editors can now search across the entire data source, not just displayed items.
Other Improvements
Social engagement visually simplified and deep dive article corrected.
License and About merged into a single section.
Improvements
Carousel (v2.0.2.25) | News (v3.1.2.92) | RSS Feed (v2.1.2.50)
Updated web part icons for higher resolution and ensured uniform styling across all icons
New (v3.1.2.92)
Added option to configure audience targeting per item within the new creation item form.
Fixes
News (v3.1.2.92) | RSS Feed (v2.1.2.50)
Resolved an issue where the News Article modal displayed ‘NaN’ instead of the correct date on the banner
Resolved an issue where the Author and Date fields were duplicated in News article modals, causing overlapping UI elements.
Resolved an issue where translating certain text caused the web parts settings panel builder to break.
Carousel (v2.0.2.25)
Resolved an issue where translating certain text caused the web parts settings panel builder to break.
News (v3.1.2.92)
Added option to configure audience targeting per item within the new creation item form.
RSS Feed (v2.1.2.50)
Standardized the Carousel layout labels in the web part’s setting panel to match the labeling used in other recently unified web parts.