🧱 What Are Flexible Sections?

Until now, modern SharePoint pages were confined to rigid templates — single column, two-column, three-column, or a few variants with fixed widths. While this worked for basic layouts, it limited creativity and responsiveness, especially for advanced use cases.

Enter Flexible Sections:

A new layout experience that allows users to place, resize, overlap, and group web parts freely within a flexible grid canvas.

Think of it as a simplified version of a design tool like PowerPoint or Canva, but directly integrated into the SharePoint page canvas.

✨ Key Capabilities of Flexible Sections

1. Freeform Grid-Based Layout

The layout isn’t a fixed 12-column system (as many speculated). Instead, it offers a two-dimensional grid, where you can move and resize web parts freely. Web parts snap into place for alignment, giving the layout structure without restriction.

2. Drag-and-Drop Placement

Web parts can be placed anywhere within the section — left, right, center, top, or bottom — allowing for creative compositions never possible before in native SharePoint.

3. Resizable Web Parts

You can adjust the width and height of non-card web parts (like Text, Image, and File Viewer) using resize handles. Card-based web parts (e.g., Quick Links, Hero, People) currently support four predefined sizes (1/3, ½, ⅔, and full width).

4. Overlapping & Layering

Yes, you can now layer web parts, such as placing text over an image or overlapping icons for visual depth. You can even control the z-index (which element appears on top) using simple "bring forward" or "send backward" options.

5. Grouping and Multi-Select

Multiple web parts can be grouped, moved, and aligned as a single unit — very helpful for section-level design consistency. Groups are preserved on desktop and mobile.

6. Mobile Optimization with Preview

Each flexible section includes a “Reflow on mobile” option, allowing you to choose how grouped web parts will stack on smaller screens:

Left to Right
Top to Bottom

You can preview both layouts right inside the page editor before publishing.

📸 Real-World Use Cases

Here’s how teams are already leveraging Flexible Sections:

ScenarioBenefitsInternal Campaign PageAdd banners, CTAs, images, and layered text in creative waysLeadership MessagePlace video and quote blocks side-by-side or layered for impactHR or IT PortalCreate grouped sections of announcements, links, and support toolsEvent Highlight PageDisplay speaker cards, schedules, and image galleries with visual depth

⚙️ How to Use Flexible Sections

Go to any modern page in SharePoint and click Edit.
Select + Add a new section, and choose Flexible section.
Use the canvas grid to add and position web parts.
Resize, overlap, group, or align elements as needed.
Use the mobile preview and reflow settings to fine-tune mobile responsiveness.
Click Publish to go live.

💡 Tip: Web part padding and margins are minimal by default. Use spacing web parts or empty blocks for cleaner control.

🗓️ Rollout Timeline

According to Microsoft’s official announcements, the rollout happened in the following phases:

Release ChannelTimelineTargeted ReleaseJan–March 2025Standard Release (Worldwide)March–April 2025GCC / DOD TenantsMay–June 2025

If you're not seeing it yet, check if your tenant has been updated, or reach out to your Microsoft 365 admin.

🔍 What It’s NOT

Let’s clarify some common misconceptions:

• ❌ It is NOT a 12-column grid system. Unlike Bootstrap or Fluent UI, the Flexible Section uses a visual grid with no predefined column constraints.
• ❌ It does NOT replace standard sections. The classic layouts (1-column, 2-column, etc.) are still available — Flexible Sections are an optional layout type.

📣 Final Thoughts

Microsoft’s introduction of Flexible Sections marks a turning point in how modern SharePoint pages are built. No longer do you need SPFx, custom CSS hacks, or workarounds to create visually appealing layouts. Everything is now built-in, intuitive, and mobile-friendly.

This move brings SharePoint closer to the design experience found in modern web builders — and it's only the beginning. Future enhancements are expected to bring more web part types, nested grouping, and potentially richer theming capabilities.

If you haven’t explored Flexible Sections yet, now is the time to give it a spin. It’s fresh, powerful, and — dare we say — fun.

📌 TL;DR Summary

• ✅ Flexible Sections let you position, resize, overlap, and group web parts
• ✅ Supports both card-based and non-card-based components
• ✅ Full mobile reflow options and live previews
• ✅ Available now across Targeted and Standard tenants
• ✅ Not a 12-column layout — it’s a free-form grid system

SharePoint Flexible Sections: A Game-Changer