Version 7: SharePoint Template Gallery, Site Pages Folder Structure and Enhancements Galore
Product Release 7.0
Sprocket Version 7.0 is here, and it fundamentally changes how SharePoint sites can be built.
What used to take weeks or months can now happen in minutes.
This release introduces a brand-new Template Gallery, major UX improvements across multiple web parts, and a new design philosophy: every web part should be useful from the moment it’s added to the page.
Here are the headline updates.
Table Of Contents
- New: Template Gallery. Build SharePoint Sites in Minutes
- New: Page Feedback Web Part
- Improved: Calendar Web Part Redesign
- New: Collapsible Navigation Panel
- New: Site Pages Folder Structure Navigation
- Improved: My Apps Web Part UX
- Improved: Events and Daily News Web Parts
- A New Philosophy: Useful From the Moment You Add It
New: Template Gallery. Build SharePoint Sites in Minutes
Organizations often spend hundreds of hours building SharePoint knowledge bases, intranets, and wiki sites from scratch (even though these solutions have already been perfected elsewhere).
The new Template Gallery solves this problem.
Based on years of experience implementing SharePoint across hundreds of organizations, Sprocket now provides ready-to-deploy templates that allow professional sites to be created in minutes.
From the Sprocket Actions menu, users can now select Apply Template and choose from a gallery of prebuilt templates.
Applying a template automatically provisions:
Fully configured pages
Complete navigation structures
Document libraries
Glossary lists with custom fields
Images and assets
Preconfigured web parts
For example, the IT Knowledge Base template provisions 16 pages and a full site structure in around 90 seconds. Something that would normally take a week to build manually.
Templates can also be explored at SharePointTemplates.com, a public resource showcasing the full template library, including knowledge bases, corporate wikis, and project sites.
Each template is designed for a specific SharePoint site type, so communication site templates must be applied to communication sites and team site templates to team sites.
New: Page Feedback Web Part
The new Page Feedback web part gives site owners full control over where feedback appears on a page.
Previously, feedback was fixed to the bottom of the page using the five-star review system. Now, the feedback component can be placed anywhere within the layout.
Users can:
Submit ratings
Leave comments
Provide feedback directly from the page
All responses are stored in a SharePoint list, allowing site administrators to review and act on feedback easily.
Improved: Calendar Web Part Redesign
The Calendar web part has been redesigned to work better in narrow columns and sidebar layouts.
This allows teams to include a quick “at-a-glance” calendar view on homepages or department sites without consuming too much screen space.
New improvements include:
Optimized display for narrow layouts
Event indicators using theme-colored dots
Clickable dates to view events
Category-based color coding
Default filter settings
New: Collapsible Navigation Panel
Version 7 introduces the ability to collapse the left-hand navigation panel.
Users can hide the navigation to focus on page content and regain screen space.
When collapsed:
Hovering over the panel temporarily reveals the menu
Clicking the toggle pins the menu open again
The system remembers whichever setting the user chooses.
New: Site Pages Folder Structure Navigation
A new Site Pages folder structure navigation mode is now available for Knowledge Hub.
Some organizations prefer organizing pages using the Site Pages library folder structure instead of manually ordering pages through navigation.
This feature can be enabled in Sprocket Settings → Knowledge Hub → Navigation Source.
When enabled:
The Knowledge Hub tree reflects the actual folder structure in the Site Pages library
Pages can be dragged into folders directly
Clicking Save moves the pages into the corresponding SharePoint folders
This allows administrators to manage navigation using the same structure as the underlying SharePoint library.
Improved: My Apps Web Part UX
The My Apps web part has received a major UX refresh.
Enhancements include:
Option to hide labels for an icon-only layout
Choice between square or rounded icons
Improved drag-and-drop behavior
Updated icon language for adding and removing apps
Padlock icons for mandatory apps
These updates make the web part more flexible and visually consistent.
Improved: Events and Daily News Web Parts
Both the Events and Daily News web parts now offer more layout options and improved performance.
Events Web Part
New features include:
Support for wide column layouts
Block style layout in addition to list view
Maximum items per page for better performance
Filtering options for controlling which events appear
Daily News Web Part
The Daily News web part now offers multiple display styles:
Top News layout
List layout
Card carousel layout
Additional improvements include:
Pagination via Max items per page
Filters for category, site source, and date range
A New Philosophy: Useful From the Moment You Add It
Version 7 introduces a new design philosophy for Sprocket:
Every web part should be useful the moment it’s added to a page.
Instead of blank states requiring configuration before anything appears:
People Hub now loads with sample data so users can immediately see how filtering, search, and org charts behave.
Location Finder displays placeholder imagery and guidance even without a Google API key.
News web parts automatically assume the current site as the source.
Where assumptions cannot be made, the system provides clear, friendly guidance instead of empty screens.
The goal is simple: help users become productive faster.
Additional Enhancements
Version 7 also includes:
Pagination support for custom lists and documents
Accessibility improvements to Read List
Ability to open Related Pages links in new tabs
Numerous bug fixes and refinements
For the full list of updates, refer to the complete release notes.
What else can you do with Sprocket 365?
Sprocket 365 is more than just a tool for visual enhancement of your digital workplace – it’s a complete solution which enhances SharePoint Online, offering businesses a simplified way to customize their digital workspaces.
Let’s explore some of the key things you can do with Sprocket 365.
Suite of Web Parts you can trust
Suite of SharePoint Framework (SPFx) Web Parts is designed to enhance the functionality of SharePoint, offering new design possibilities.
Out-of-the-box knowledge management tools
Effortlessly set up a Knowledge Management Hub in SharePoint. Sprocket 365 gives you tree branch navigation, read lists and robust security features for effective knowledge management, ensuring secure access for authorised users.
Employee directory and org chart inside of SharePoint
Transform the way your organization navigates employee information with our Directory and Org Chart. Seamlessly integrated with Microsoft Teams, this feature draws real-time data from Active Directory (Entra), providing up-to-date employee information in SharePoint.
Branding and theme customization
Enhance your SharePoint interface effortlessly with our customization tools. Tailor it using CSS or JavaScript for a unique look, applying your own branding and themes to align with your organization’s unique identity.
Sprocket 365
SharePoint wasn’t built for creating knowledge bases and lacks the features needed.