As the Intranets Practice of Compass365, our team has been delivering SharePoint/Microsoft 365 based intranets and portals since 2007. We strive to leverage out-of-the-box features to meet our clients’ needs, but sometimes the functionality is just not there and we need to code a custom solution. Today we look at a common use case we have encountered with many of our intranet clients and a solution we built to address the need for one client.
The need:
- Provide a list of company-approved links and applications to users.
- Allow users to control which company-approved links show for themselves.
- Allow users to add their own links (such links should not show for other users).
Our solution:
Custom Quick Launch Web Part (addresses need #1 & #2)
- Allows a content owner to create a master list of company-approved links.
- Allows users to favorite company-approved links.
- Allows users to toggle between their favorited links and the full list.
Custom My Links Web Part (addresses need #3)
- Handles user links separately and in a different web part. This provides a clear separation from the company-approved links.
This is one of several possible solutions, but more importantly, the one our client liked best and is using today.
Clients want to have their needs met with out-of-the-box features, but sometimes those needs are just a bit more advanced than what out-of-the-box supports. Microsoft addresses this by providing the SharePoint Framework and enabling developers to code custom solutions for specific business needs. By following best practices, developers can greatly reduce the maintenance needs for their custom code solutions.
If you have a business need that cannot be addressed with out-of-the-box features, contact us for a complimentary, no-obligation consultation!
