Section Columns
Common Use Cases
- Side-by-side content: two-column sections that show news next to upcoming events on a homepage
- Quick links and cards: three-column sections that present links, contacts, or highlight cards in a tidy row
- Main content with a sidebar: one-third right layouts that keep a dominant content area with supporting links beside it
- Feature callouts: one-third left layouts that lead with an image or call to action next to explanatory text
- Hero banners: full-width sections on communication sites for edge-to-edge imagery and headlines
- Readable articles: single-column sections for news posts and long-form pages where focus matters more than density
Benefits
- Better scannability: columns break content into parallel streams readers can absorb at a glance
- More content above the fold: placing web parts side by side shows more without endless scrolling
- Design without code: column layouts are chosen from preset options, so no custom development is required
- Predictable structure: preset widths keep pages aligned and consistent across the whole site
- Responsive by default: every column layout reflows gracefully into a single column on small screens
- Easy to evolve: layouts can be changed after the fact and SharePoint moves the content for you
Limits and Nuances
- Three columns is the ceiling: standard sections cannot hold four or more columns, so denser layouts need stacked sections
- Full width is communication site only: pages that are part of team sites do not offer the full-width column
- Content shifts on layout change: reducing columns moves web parts from the rightmost column leftward, or to the bottom of a single column
- Columns stack on mobile: on narrow screens, columns display one after another in a single column, top to bottom
- Vertical section is separate: the right-hand vertical section is its own section type, not a column option inside a standard section
- Flexible sections skip columns entirely: in a flexible section, web parts sit on an open two-dimensional grid rather than in columns
Common Questions About Section Columns
What column layouts does a SharePoint section support?
Standard sections offer one column, two columns, three columns, one-third left, and one-third right. Communication site pages add a full-width column that spans the entire screen. A vertical section can also be added to the right side of the page, and flexible sections replace columns with a free-form grid.
What is the difference between one-third left and one-third right?
Both layouts combine a narrow column and a wide column in the same section. One-third left places the narrow column on the left, which works well for an image or link list that introduces the wider content. One-third right keeps the main content on the left with a narrow supporting column, similar to a traditional sidebar.
What happens to web parts when I reduce the number of columns?
SharePoint never deletes content when you change a layout. Web parts in the rightmost column move into the next column to the left. If you reduce a section to a single column, the content from the second and third columns moves to the bottom of the remaining column, where you can rearrange it.
Why is the full-width column not available on my page?
Full-width sections are available only on pages that belong to communication sites. Pages on team sites do not offer the full-width option because team site layouts reserve space for the left-hand site navigation. Also note that a page cannot combine a full-width section with a vertical section, so adding one removes the option for the other.
How do section columns display on phones and tablets?
Modern SharePoint pages are responsive, so columns reflow automatically. On narrow screens, the columns in each section stack vertically in order, creating a single readable column. No separate mobile version of the page is needed, and the same behavior applies in the SharePoint mobile app and when pages render inside Viva Connections.
Which section column layout should I choose?
A SharePoint section offers six layouts. Use one column for articles and news posts where reading flow matters. Two columns is the balanced workhorse for pairing two equally important streams, and three columns suits quick links, contact cards, and compact web parts. One-third left gives a narrow lead column for an image or links beside a wide content column, while one-third right flips that with the narrow column on the right. Full width is reserved for hero imagery and banners on communication site pages.
Who can help design column layouts for a SharePoint intranet?
Choosing the right mix of column layouts is a design skill as much as a technical one. Greg Zelfond, the SharePoint consultant behind LookBook 365, builds complete intranet designs using only out-of-the-box sections and columns, and the LookBook 365 gallery shows how the standard layouts combine into polished homepages, department sites, and dashboards.