A functional intranet is more than just a document repository, it’s the digital gateway for communication, collaboration, and culture within your organization. If you’re considering Microsoft 365’s SharePoint as your platform of choice, its out-of-the-box (OOTB) features offer a powerful starting point to launch an engaging intranet portal, without the need for complex custom development. The key is understanding how these built-in features align with your business goals from day one.
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Here are five SharePoint OOTB features that can transform your intranet portal into a connected, scalable digital workplace.
1. Ready-Made Web Parts for Quick Deployment
One of the most valuable aspects of SharePoint’s OOTB offering is its library of pre-built web parts. These components let you quickly set up areas for announcements, document libraries, image galleries, quick links, and news feeds—without writing a single line of code. This is ideal for organizations that want to go live fast with a clean and user-friendly interface.
Key highlights include:
- Drag-and-drop functionality for page design
- News and content display with consistent layout
- Custom branding supports using built-in themes
While these tools provide a solid foundation, businesses should be mindful of the potential need for future personalization and scalability.
2. Native People Search Integration
With hybrid work models becoming standard, connecting with colleagues efficiently is critical. SharePoint Online includes native people’s search capabilities tied to Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), allowing users to quickly find coworkers by name, department, or title using the global search bar.
However, OOTB SharePoint doesn’t offer a dedicated directory page with filters. While it may lack advanced sorting or refined views, users can still:
- Access contact cards and organizational charts
- View reporting structures
- Initiate communication via Teams or Outlook from the search result
This basic yet integrated search experience supports collaboration and reduces silos without additional development effort.
3. Simplified Page Layouts and Version Control
Creating pages in SharePoint is intentionally simple. The built-in templates allow you to spin up content quickly—be it news, documentation, or process flows. While the layout options may seem limited beyond the homepage, the interface is intuitive and purpose-built for non-technical users.
Notable features include:
- Consistent formatting across all pages
- Real-time co-authoring
- Version history with rollback options
Organizations looking for greater visual variety or dynamic layouts can explore third-party web parts or consider extending functionality with Microsoft Power Platform tools.
4. Centralized Content Components to Minimize Duplication
A frequent challenge with growing intranet sites is content redundancy. It’s common for teams to post the same link or update across multiple pages, which becomes problematic when changes are needed. SharePoint’s OOTB content model supports reusability through shared document libraries, lists, and embedded web parts.
To reduce duplication:
- Store content centrally in one list or library
- Use reusable web parts across multiple pages
- Manage updates from a single source to reflect across pages
These practices help maintain consistency and reduce the manual effort of tracking updates across distributed content locations.
5. Built-In Usage Analytics and Site Insights
Understanding how your intranet is being used is vital to optimizing engagement. SharePoint provides built-in analytics at the page and site level, showing metrics like page views, popular content, and visitor trends.
While these insights are basic, they allow for:
- Tracking user behavior on key pages
- Identifying high-traffic or underutilized content
- Informing future content and layout decisions
For deeper analytics across your entire environment, integration with Power BI or Microsoft Viva Insights can help capture broader trends and drive data-informed improvements.
Final Thoughts
A SharePoint OOTB intranet offers a robust, scalable, and quick-to-deploy solution for organizations starting their digital workplace journey. From ready-made web parts to native analytics and search, these built-in features provide the essentials to keep your workforce connected and informed.
AVASOFT can help your business go beyond the basics. With deep expertise in Microsoft 365, we enhance OOTB intranet portals through smart customizations, advanced integrations, and user experience improvements, delivering a solution that’s not just functional, but transformative.
Ready to elevate your intranet experience? Reach out to AVASOFT to explore how we can tailor SharePoint to meet your evolving digital workplace needs.
