This release makes it easier for administrators to create the right templates, apply consistent naming standards and configure automations for both new and existing workspaces. Clearer terminology and guidance give administrators a better understanding of how their choices will affect the resulting workspace. The release also brings the template, automation, and deployment experiences closer together. This reduces ambiguity during configuration and helps organizations manage Microsoft 365 workspaces more consistently as their environments grow.

Administrators can now apply configured naming conventions to workspace URLs. When enabled in a template or policy, the prefix and suffix rules used for workspace names also apply to the generated URL, supporting more consistent naming across the Microsoft 365 environment. During installation, the URL preview identifies the segments controlled by the naming convention and prevents installers from changing governed parts of the URL. This option is disabled by default to preserve existing behavior. This is the initial version of URL naming convention support. A planned update later this year will allow administrators to manage the URL naming convention separately from the site naming convention, giving organizations more flexibility when they need short, governed URLs while keeping site names descriptive.

Automation creators can now choose whether an automation creates a new workspace or adds content and configuration to an existing one. This enables organizations to use Automate365 to standardise and expand collaboration spaces that are already in use, rather than limiting automations to new workspace provisioning. When working with an existing workspace, Automate365 guides the creator through selecting the target and presents only the settings supported for that scenario. Organizations can therefore use automations to evolve and standardise workspaces already in use, rather than provisioning a new workspace each time.

Template cards in the Automate365 template catalogue now clearly differentiate "Workspace Templates" from "Configuration Templates" using tags, making it easier to distinguish between:

Administrators can also filter the catalogue by template type. This help administrators select the appropriate template before beginning an installation and reduce the need to inspect templates individually to understand their purpose.

The Template Creation Wizard now provides contextual explanations for the available template types. Administrators can understand the intended outcome of each option before selecting, including the relationship between a Teams template and its associated SharePoint site.

The Automation Creation Wizard now follows the same workspace configuration structure as template creation and manual installation. Settings are organized into familiar areas such as “General Settings”, “Structure & Content”, “Branding”, “Classification” and “Membership Settings”, instead of being distributed across unrelated sections. This makes it easier for automation creators to move between the three experiences and find the configuration options they need. The wizard also shows only the settings that apply to the selected template and execution mode. Configuration areas appear when the template allows installers to change at least one of their settings, while options that do not affect the selected scenario remain hidden. For example, when applying an automation to an existing workspace, Automate365 presents only the content and structure options that can be added without changing the workspace’s existing configuration. Finally, for each available setting, Automate365 now makes it clearer whether the automation can map a value from the connected data source, will use a fallback value, or must use the value defined by the template. Where source mapping is not yet supported, such as for certain “Structure & Content” and “Branding” settings, the wizard explicitly states that the template value will be used. Automation creators can therefore understand the expected result before running the automation, without having to infer how unsupported or unmapped settings will behave.

This release gives administrators clearer information at the points where template and automation decisions are made. More explicit template categories, governed workspace URLs and support for existing workspaces help organisations apply provisioning and governance standards across a wider range of Microsoft 365 scenarios. By aligning the template, automation and deployment experiences, Automate365 makes configuration choices more transparent and their outcomes more predictable, whether administrators are creating new workspaces or bringing existing ones under consistent governance.