Reimagining SharePoint Pages: How AI‑Powered Sections Can Elevate Your Communications

The best intranets feel effortless. Content shows up when you need it, pages are scannable, brand is consistent, and teams can publish without a design degree. This is the gold standard we all aim for. The problem is reality: content sprawl, bottlenecked authors, and a lot of “I’ll finish that page tomorrow.”

Microsoft’s Sections with AI changes that rhythm. It gives page authors a way to create rich, on‑brand sections from a simple prompt, grounded in your organization’s content. In this article, we’ll unpack what the feature does, why it matters for Employee Experience (EX), and how to adopt it with the right guardrails, accessibility practices, and prompts that actually work in the flow of work.

What is “Sections with AI” in SharePoint?

Sections with AI lets you add a new section to any SharePoint page by choosing a suggested prompt or writing your own, then optionally grounding it in files like documents or meeting transcripts. SharePoint uses that context to generate a full‑fidelity section you can cycle through, refine, and add to the canvas. You stay in control. Nothing auto‑publishes.

How it Works

1. Click between sections and choose Add section using AI.
2. Pick a suggested idea or write your own prompt, then add sources if you want stronger grounding.
3. Generate, toggle through options, and refine with follow‑up prompts like “make the tone more formal,” “use a two‑column layout,” or “add John Smith’s contact info.”
4. Click Add to page, then edit as you would any other section.

This capability complements earlier Copilot authoring features such as Create page with Copilot and Design ideas, which help you draft an entire page or refine layout and tone. Sections with AI focuses that same power on the moment‑to‑moment blocks of content that make a page feel useful.

Availability Note

‍Microsoft indicates general availability began late August 2025, with rollout across standard tenants and GCC, associated with Roadmap ID 489547. Always check your Message Center for tenant‑specific timing and controls.

Why it Matters

Employee Experience isn’t just about tools. It’s about how quickly and confidently employees can find, share, and act on information. When page creation is slow or inconsistent, it creates friction. Sections with AI removes that barrier, giving teams a faster, more intuitive way to communicate without sacrificing quality.

Great EX lives at the intersection of clarity, speed, and trust. Sections with AI helps on all three.

Clarity

AI‑generated sections are context aware. They can pull from the document you just uploaded, last week’s meeting transcript, or what’s already on the page, which reduces ambiguous or stale content.

Speed

Authors can bypass blank‑page syndrome and move straight to review and polish. This shortens the path from idea to publish, which is critical for news, change communications, and project updates.

Trust and Consistency

Copilot respects your tenant’s permissions and branding guidance. With the right templates and governance, pages look and read like your organization, not a random internet article. You approve every change before it goes live.

High‑Impact Scenarios

The real magic of this feature shows up in everyday moments. Whether it’s onboarding, project updates, or leadership messages, AI‑powered sections help teams deliver clarity at speed.

Here are a few scenarios we've seen where this capability shines.

Onboarding Hubs

Prompt: “Create a ‘Week 1 at 2toLead’ section that summarizes the orientation deck, includes the HR contact card, and lists three action items.”

Why it works: New hires get concise, role‑relevant guidance without authors rebuilding the same section for every intake.

Project Status Updates

Prompt: “Summarize the last two project meeting transcripts into a status recap. Show risks in a two‑column callout and upcoming milestones in a table.”

Why it works: PMs convert raw notes into a readable, repeatable pattern that leadership actually scans.

Policy Refresh Announcements

Prompt: “Draft a ‘What changed’ section comparing the 2024 and 2025 travel policy PDFs. Keep it skimmable with bullets and highlight approval thresholds.”

Why it works: Policy owners can communicate clearly without hand‑crafting every detail.

Leadership Messages

Prompt: “Create a section that opens with the CEO quote from the town hall, adds three priorities for Q4, and links to the strategy deck.”

Why it works: Consistent structure, on‑brand visuals, and less dependency on design bottlenecks.

Design and UX Tips that Keep Pages Fresh

AI can generate content, but it can’t replace thoughtful design. A well‑structured page still matters for engagement, scannability, and trust. These tips ensure your AI‑assisted sections feel polished and user‑friendly across devices.

• Lead with structure, then style. Ask the AI for the right content architecture first, then iterate on layout. For example: “Use an intro sentence, three bullets with headers, and a call to action button.”
• Design ideas as a second pass. After adding your AI section, open Design ideas for layout inspiration that aligns with your site’s theme.
• Chunk for scannability. Favor smaller sections over one long block. Readers scan, then read.
• Avoid duplicate patterns. Rotate layouts to keep visual interest, especially on long pages.
• Test on mobile. Verify that the section you accepted still reads well on smaller screens.

Accessibility Considerations

Making “Good” Content Inclusive

Accessibility isn’t optional. It’s foundational to a positive employee experience. AI can help, but it won’t guarantee compliance on its own. Here’s how to keep inclusivity front and center when working with AI‑generated sections.

• Headings and hierarchy: Ask the AI to apply proper H2/H3 structure and then verify.
  Prompt: “Apply correct heading levels and ensure link text is descriptive.”
• Alt text: If images are suggested, request alt text and check accuracy.
  Prompt: “Add concise alt text for each image, 1–2 sentences max.”
• Contrast and color: Stay within your approved theme and confirm contrast ratios.
• Plain language: Ask Copilot to simplify without losing meaning, then have a human read it aloud to catch awkward phrasing.
  Prompt: “Rewrite for plain language at grade 8–9 readability without changing policy meaning.”
• Keyboard and screen reader checks: Do a quick pass before publish.

Governance and Risk Management That Won’t Slow You Down

‍Permissions are product features. Copilot respects what people can already see in Microsoft 365, so the best mitigation is still the basics: right content, right site, right audience.

Grounding discipline. If you attach files or refer to meeting transcripts, you shape what the AI uses. Prefer the latest single source of truth to prevent outdated summaries.

Templates + content types. Pair Sections with AI with page templates, section patterns, and content types. This keeps navigation, metadata, and branding consistent.

Human in the loop. Establish a “two‑minute checklist” before publishing: facts verified, links tested, accessibility checks done. Copilot drafts. Humans decide.

Audit and lifecycle. Use your existing review cycles. Time‑box content with page expiries or review metadata so AI‑generated sections don’t become fossilized.

Adoption Plan Recommendations

Phase 1. Pilot with a Purpose

Pick one site like HR or Corporate Comms. Define 3–5 section patterns you want to produce quickly. Measure time to publish and iteration count.

Phase 2. Codify Prompts and Patterns

Build a library of role‑based prompts and examples. Create quick Looms or GIFs to show “how we do sections here.”

Phase 3. Guardrails + Champions

Set a light checklist for accuracy, accessibility, and brand. Train a small group of champions to model good behavior and share wins.

Phase 4. Roll Out with Templates

Ship page templates that pair well with Sections with AI, including pre‑placed placeholder sections and guidance text.

Phase 5. Measure and Improve

Track page completion time, number of revisions, and employee feedback. Iterate your prompt library and templates each month.

Your Prompt Kit: Ready‑to‑Use Examples

For HR and People Leaders

• “Create a ‘Week 1’ section that summarizes the onboarding PDF, lists three must‑do tasks, and shows HR contact info in a callout.”
• “Draft a ‘Benefits Highlights’ section based on the 2025 benefits deck, with a comparison table and a link to enroll.”

For Project Managers

• “Summarize the last two project meetings into a status section with three bullets: progress, risks, next steps. Add a milestones table.”
• “Compose a release notes section from the attached change log. Include version, date, and user‑facing changes.”

For Corporate Comms

• “Write a ‘What’s changing’ section comparing the old and new policy. Use bullets, keep it under 120 words, link to the policy page.”
• “Create a CEO message section with an opening quote from the town hall transcript, followed by three priorities in cards.”

Pro Tip: When you ground with files, mention them in the prompt by intent. For example, “Use the ‘Orientation Deck’ for facts, use the ‘FAQ’ for the Q&A subsection.” This improves fidelity and cuts review time.

Known Limitations and How to Handle Them

Drafts, Not Decisions

AI won’t publish for you, which is good. Build a quick review habit so speed doesn’t compromise quality.

Source Hygiene Matters

If your source file is out of date, your section will be too. Curate a small set of “golden sources.”

Tone Drift

Ask for a specific tone, then spot‑check. Save good results as examples for future prompts.

What's Next

Sections with AI is just the beginning of a more intuitive, AI-driven intranet experience. But tools alone don’t guarantee success. Skills and strategy do. The goal isn’t just faster pages. It’s a better employee experience.

If you want to accelerate adoption, build confidence, and create real impact, our team can help. Explore our Virtual Mentoring Program for personalized guidance on governance, prompt libraries, and design best practices. Let’s turn AI-powered authoring into a competitive advantage for your organization.