SharePoint Communication Site: The Beginner’s Guide

SharePoint Communication Site: The Beginner’s Guide (2024)

Last Updated on January 5, 2024

What’s a communication site? How is it any different than a team site?

If you’re new to SharePoint, then you may have questions similar to these (which is pretty normal).

In this article, I’ll explain what a SharePoint communication site is and answer the possible questions you may be having.

Let’s get started.

What is a communication site in SharePoint?

Basically, a communication site in SharePoint is a place where you can share information with other people.

It’s like any other site — but it’s made for sharing information (pictures, stories, or anything else) with people.

Here are other information about communication sites in a nutshell:

Historically, communication sites came after Microsoft 365 Group-connected “team” sites (that may or may not replace the publishing infrastructure in the future).

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    Why create a communication site in SharePoint?

    There are two main benefits that come with a communication site:

    • It’s the type of site that was created solely for sharing news, report, or other information in a gorgeous manner.
    • It comes with a lot of site templates with properly arranged web parts to serve the template’s purpose.

    Here are the instances when a communication site is the best type of site to create:

    • You want a “main” intranet site that users land on when they go and visit your organization’s intranet.
    • You want an employee-facing site like an HR site or an event site for sharing updates and news.
    • You want a marketing site for your new product where you can post lots of images and announcements.
    • You want a site that looks really good but doesn’t create a Microsoft 365 Group or link to any apps.
    • You want a site that you can share with external users without risking confidential files or documents.

    How to create a communication site in SharePoint?

    If you want to create a communication site in SharePoint, simply follow these steps:

    • Click the home icon in your tenant to navigate to the start page
    • Click the “Create site” button on the start page
    Create a site on the SharePoint start page

    Related: Using Site Templates in SharePoint Online: Beginner’s Guide

    Click the option for a communication site from the right panel:

    Choose communication site during site creation

    On the next page:

    • Enter the site name (description is optional)
    • Indicate the default site language
    • Click the “Finish” button once you’re done
    Complete the required information for the communication site

    That’s it! Once the site loads, you can either start designing the site or do it later from the settings panel.

    Related: How to Create a SharePoint Online Project Site: Step-By-Step

    What site designs can you apply to a communication site?

    If you chose to postpone designing your site, you can always browse the list of templates at a later time.

    Previously, communication sites only came with two templates. But now, there are loads of them available, including the following:

    • Crisis management
    • Department
    • Leadership connection
    • Learning central
    • New employee onboarding
    • Showcase
    • Topic
    • Volunteer center
    • Blank

    Here are the steps on how to apply a site template to a communication site:

    • Click the gear icon on the upper-right side of the site
    • Select the “Apply a site template” option from the list
    Apply a site template option on the settings panel

    Select from the list the template that you want to check out or apply:

    Select a site template from the list

    If you found the template you want to use, simply click the “Use template” button on the lower-right corner of the small window:

    Use site template

    What happens now is that the system will apply the template to your site. Just wait for it to finish loading and you will then see your newly built site.

    Frequently Asked Questions: SharePoint Communication Site

    Here are direct answers to the common questions about communication sites in SharePoint:

    1. What is the difference between a team site and a communication site in SharePoint?

    The main difference between the two types of sites is that team sites come with a Microsoft 365 Group while communication sites don’t.

    Team sites also have apps like Teams and Planner while communication sites don’t. Communication sites are also known for their beautiful designs and templates.

    Perhaps it’s easy to differentiate them from their purposes alone. Team sites are for team collaboration while communication sites are for announcements and news.

    2. Can a SharePoint site be public?

    Yes, it’s possible to create public SharePoint sites.

    You can do this by creating a communication site and then setting its permission levels to allow access for everyone, even those outside your organization.

    Unfortunately, those people will still need a link to your communication site to find it (which you can send to them directly or through email).

    3. Can you change a communication site to a team site?

    No, you can’t change or convert a basic site type to another type in SharePoint.

    That means once you created a communication site (or a team site), it will stay that way. Your only choice here is to create a new site.

    4. Can a communication site have a subsite?

    Yes, you can create a subsite with a communication site.

    What’s more is that the options for creating a subsite (like the site template to use) are the same whether the parent site is a communication site or a team site.

    Do you have any other questions about communication sites? Feel free to share them in the comment section.

    For inquiries and other concerns, please use the site’s contact page and I’ll get back to you.

    About Ryan Clark

    As the Modern Workplace Architect at Mr. SharePoint, I help companies of all sizes better leverage Modern Workplace and Digital Process Automation investments. I am also a Microsoft Most Valued Professional (MVP) for M365 Apps & Services.

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    reyhan
    reyhan
    1 year ago

    Thank you for providing this timely information.

    Holly
    Holly
    5 months ago

    Can you give certain buttons permissions on a communication site? For example, we may have a HR Documents button which only HR professionals in our organisation should access. Can you manage permissions as you can in Sharepoint?

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