Overview of how to plan, build, and launch the SharePoint app in Teams

The SharePoint app in Teams helps engage and empower different user groups like frontline workers and information workers across your organization. It helps keep them updated on news, announcements, and provides access to important resources from a desktop, mobile, or tablet device. Once established, end users can access these resources and information from within Microsoft Teams desktop, mobile, and web.

Note

  • You must have an Enterprise (E), Frontline (F), or Academic (A) license type to create a SharePoint app in Teams experience.
  • Users with a Microsoft 365 subscription (E, F, or A license) are limited to creating and using one experience. If you want to create or use two or more experiences (up to 50), then every user in your tenant must have a Microsoft Viva Suite or Viva Communications and Communities license. See Microsoft Viva plans and pricing for plan information and a comparison table.
  • There are no requirements to get started with the SharePoint app in Teams.
  • You must have SharePoint admin permissions to access the SharePoint admin center where you create and establish a communication site as a SharePoint home site.

Once you establish the SharePoint app in Teams, you work within the designated SharePoint site(s) to add and adjust content, assign permissions, designate targeted audiences, order the view priority of your experiences, and more.

  • Use this guide to prepare your organization for the SharePoint app in Teams through the planning, building, and launching phases.
  • Review the different roles and activities in each phase. This will help determine if you need moer than one instance of the SharePoint app in Teams and the use of audience targeting throughout.
  • Discover planning considerations and best practices.
  • Get guidance for change management, adoption, and end-user training.

Step-by-step guidance to provision the SharePoint app in Teams

There are two options that provide in-depth information about how to get the SharePoint app in Teams for your organization.

Option Description
Quick guide Get basic instructions on how to set up the SharePoint app in Teams.
Planning guidance Get planning guidance that leads to successful build out and launch phases.

Overview of activities in each phase

Phase Steps and tasks
Plan Step 1: Plan for the SharePoint app in Teams
Identify and align on key tasks and scenarios.

Step 2: Plan the dashboard
Learn more about the different kinds of cards and how they can support specific scenarios.

Step 3: Get ready for news publishing
Consider audience targeting to show news content to specific groups of people aggregated from various sites.

Step 4: Plan Resources
Determine which links belong in the resources web part.

Step 5: Create an adoption plan
Create a plan to help the rest of the organization adopt the ShaerPoint app in Teams. Learn more about SharePoint app in Teams adoption.

Step 6: Consider success metrics
Think about how your organization determines if the SharePoint app in Teams is meeting your specific needs.

Step 7: Plan for maintenance over time
Consider which content and components might need to be refreshed over time.
Build Step 1: Create and designate home sites directly from the SharePoint admin center
Choose to create a single experience for the whole organization, or multiple experiences that service distinct audiences.

Step 2: Configure the SharePoint app in Teams
Design the overall experince across Microsoft Teams desktop and mobile from within the SharePoint admin center.

Step 3: Pin the SharePoint app in Teams to the left side portion of Microsoft Teams
After the creation of your first experience, pin the app in the Teams admin center to make the SharePoint app in Teams easily discoverable. Navigate to your Teams admin center > Teams apps > Setup policies. Select Global. Scroll down to Pinned apps. Select Add apps to add the SharePoint app in Teams. If your users have an F license, the SharePoint app in Teams is pinned by default.

Step 4: Ensure high-traffic sites and portals are healthy
Run a health check and make sure everyone has access to the right content.

Step 5: Test and refine the experience
Find people in your organization who can test the experience before being released more broadly.
Launch Step 1: Consider tactics to spread the news
Think about where different audiences usually get news. Consider email campaign, outreach through SharePoint news and Teams posts, out to broader company Viva Engage communities, and specific training or All Hands meetings.

Step 2: Announce the SharePoint app in Teams
Use more than one communication channel to reach audiences.

Step 3: Use champions and provide continued support
Continue to use early adopters to help others get the most out of the SharePoint app in Teams and route feedback. Encourage organization leaders and stakeholders to notify others about the launch and progress each week, month, or quarter.

Overview of roles in each phase

Phase Roles
Plan Work with your organization’s stakeholders and business partners (from groups like HR, operations, facilities, communications specialists, and technology advocates) to identify the most valuable content and tasks that can be completed in the SharePoint app in Teams.

Key administrative stakeholders typically include:
- Business owners, who lead efforts in different departments like sales, operations, design, engineering, etc.
- HR professionals, who manage team members and oversee company and organizational structure and efficiency.
- Internal communication specialists, who facilitate and manage communications between users and various internal teams.
- Communications coordinators and specialists, who execute and maintain company-wide communications and brand management.
- Administrative assistants, who complete and oversee various administrative tasks.

The more people that are informed, the more they will share progress and encourage others to participate.
Build - The SharePoint admin center admin will set up the initial experience, add audiences, designate owners who can edit and customize each SharePoint app in Teams experience, and pins the app in Teams (if needed).
- Site owners and authors for the SharePoint home site design the site content, global navigation, and the dashboard.
- Other site owners and authors can be involved to update content or news posts that are relevant to the overall experience.
Launch - Collaborate with champions (early adopters) to help other people at the organization implement the SharePoint app in Teams.
- Use executive sponsors who can help evangelize the app at large company meetings and in broad communications.
- Business owners and managers at all levels can help teams and individuals find value and adopt new ways of working.

Be open to feedback from all levels. It will be successful if everyone feels the SharePoint app in Teams was designed for them and maintained for them as business needs and culture change over time.

Next, plan the SharePoint app in Teams for your organization

After reviewing the phases, tasks, and roles, you're ready to begin planning the ShaerPoint app in Teams for your organization.

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