Picture this: someone from HR uploads a new policy to your SharePoint library. With this release, the moment they select the file, the edit panel opens automatically, pre-filled with metadata, so they can review, categorise, and confirm details right away. No extra steps, no going back. The document is ready to find, filter, and use in seconds.
This release brings three headline changes to Documents (v4.0.2.34): a new SharePoint Content data source for surfacing content across SharePoint without relying on library cherry-picking, metadata-based card colour coding so people can spot what matters at a glance, and a faster add-and-edit flow that keeps authors moving without interruption.
Alongside those, we tightened up everyday interactions, from cleaner folder navigation and a unified Search/Filter/Sort/Group By experience, to safer audience targeting that gives authors clearer feedback before problems happen.
New features
New data source: SharePoint Content
Documents now supports SharePoint Content as a data source, giving authors a new way to surface content from across SharePoint without relying on specific document libraries or complex search queries. Configuration aligns with the modern data-source patterns already in use across other web parts, so it should feel familiar from the start.
Category settings - Card colour coding based on metadata
Authors can now assign card colours based on file metadata and properties, making it easier for people to scan results and understand content at a glance. This update also brings Category Settings in line with the patterns introduced in other web parts, like News, for a more consistent configuration experience across the portfolio.
Add and edit flow, faster selection and editing in one continuos experience
Users can now add documents and immediately review and update item properties without leaving the experience. After selecting one or more documents, the new Edit Item properties panel opens automatically with fields pre-filled from the file. Authors can confirm details and complete metadata in one continuous flow, reducing rework and keeping hubs tidy and searchable.
Improvements
Data source configuration, clearer choices and more consistent controls
Data source selection and configuration have been refreshed for clarity. Updated labels, tooltips, and a more consistent "Configure data source" experience make it easier to understand what each source does and how to set it up.
Layout customisation, flexible appearance controls
Site owners now have more options for customising how document cards and lists look.
Switch between four layout styles without redoing field mappings, making it easy to experiment with presentation.
Configure text colour for better readability, control card colour transparency (opacity), and choose between default app icon colours or a custom colour using the updated "Icon color mode."
The "pinned items" toggle has been removed. Pinned items now appear automatically when pinned.
Field mapping, centralised field display and sorting
The new "Field Layout and Sort" panel centralises field display, mapping, and default item sorting/grouping for document cards in one place. Site editors can map layout fields to library metadata once, making it easier to tailor how documents are presented and maintain consistency across layouts.
Folders by default, clearer library structure from the first load
When connected to a document library, Documents now defaults to showing content organised within folders when folders exist at the root. This reduces empty-looking states and helps users understand the library structure immediately. Authors can still switch to a flat list view when needed.
Navigation modes, breadcrumb, tree view, or both
Navigation is now more flexible and easier to discover. Tree view is no longer hidden behind enabling folders. Authors can now choose from three modes: breadcrumb, tree view, or breadcrumb combined with tree view.
The tree view panel stays open by default when space allows, and the header now shows the selected library name (or "All items" when multiple libraries are selected) instead of the generic "Tree view" label.
Audience targeting, clearer, safer configuration for authors
Audience targeting behaviour has been refined to prevent common pitfalls and make visibility outcomes clearer. Editors are guided away from targeting content to users who can never see it, and they receive clear feedback when audience settings create conflicts.
Item-level targeting now respects the web part audience, keeping selection focused on reachable users while indicating who is out of scope.
When web part audience targeting is applied after items are already targeted, the web part detects mismatches and warns authors rather than changing targeting silently.
Items not visible to viewers are clearly flagged in edit mode, with context on why an item is unreachable.
Search, filter, sort and group by, unified and modernised experience
Search, Filter, Sort, and Group By have been brought into a single, unified experience with familiar, consistent controls. Fields are grouped more clearly in dropdowns, and Group By is integrated alongside the other controls rather than feeling like a separate feature.
Fields are grouped more clearly in dropdowns to help authors understand what they’re selecting.
Group By is integrated alongside Search, Filter, and Sort for end users, and authors can control whether users can change grouping.
Default Group By configuration is supported so web parts load with consistent grouping behaviour but is configured under “Field Layout & Sort”, aligned with default sort configuration.
Actions, clearer behaviour with more explicit controls
Actions in Documents are now more predictable and granular. Authors have clearer control over what end users can do, including the option to show or hide the "See all" link and the command bar.
New action controls provide site editors with the flexibility to show or hide:
The "See all" option, granting users a straightforward path to the full library when needed.
The command bar (default On) to control whether are actions are exposed to end users
The interface for configuring document click behavior—such as opening in a modal, same tab, new tab, or direct download—remains as flexible as before but is now presented with improved clarity. All actions are now shown as explicit, renamed toggles, helping authors quickly understand and manage what end users are able to do.
Command bar improvements, cleaner and more familiar interactions
The command bar now offers a more streamlined experience, aligned with established Microsoft patterns.
Selection behaviour has been refined with clearer status text and visual indicators.
Contextual actions are standardised and adapt to what is selected, such as "Pin" for a single item or "Delete" for multiple.
The "Refresh" option is now reserved for admins, reducing unnecessary options for regular users.
Settings panel, more predictable, streamlined configuration
The configuration experience has been standardised so authors can move faster with fewer surprises. Sections are organised more logically, aligned with the modern patterns used across the portfolio. Primary action buttons and layout sections are visually standardised for a more cohesive experience.
Empty states and guidance, more helpful messages when content is not available
Empty and missing-source messages have been standardised so authors understand what is wrong and what to do next, without guesswork. There is now more consistent guidance for Document Library, Search, and SharePoint Content scenarios, with a clearer call to action when a library is not selected, is empty, or returns no results.
Fixes
Group By, more reliable grouping behaviour
Resolved an issue where Group By did not behave as expected, improving reliability when authors or end users rely on grouping to organise results.
With this update, Documents is easier to set up, easier to navigate, and easier to trust day to day, whether you are curating a single library or pulling in content from across SharePoint. The goal is simple: help your people spend less time hunting for files and more time moving work forward.
We will keep polishing the moments that matter, from discoverability and consistency to the small guardrails that save admins time. If you have feedback from real pages and real users, send it our way through the feature request link in your web part settings, it is how we keep shipping improvements that feel practical, not theoretical.