POWERFUL SharePoint UX Hacks That Make Your Life WAY Easier

If you use SharePoint and want it to be easier, cleaner, and faster to use, this is just for you.

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SharePoint solutions are often not necessarily known for a good user experience (UX). But there is another way. SharePoint can be made very user-friendly with a few hacks.

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We share a ton of helpful tips about improving your SharePoint experience.

We’re going to break it all down in a simple and fun way so you can get the most out of your SharePoint sites without needing to be a tech wizard.

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The Goal: Clean and Easy-to-Use SharePoint

The idea is to make SharePoint look and feel simple, so people know where to click and what to do without needing a bunch of training. This reduces support costs and at the same time creates greater user satisfaction.

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Here’s what you want:

• Clean design with fewer buttons.
• Role-based views (only show people what they need to see).
• Use out-of-the-box SharePoint tools as much as possible.

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Matthias also shows you how to achieve this in his YouTube video on this topic. There you can also see all the hacks in action.

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Organize SharePoint Admin Stuff the Smart Way

Make a special area for admins that only the admins can see. This means that normal users are not irritated and cannot make any settings and possibly cause errors. Admins, on the other hand, have all the functions they need bundled centrally on a SharePoint page. They don't have to search long for the functions. This means that the admin role can also be taken on by non-SharePoint experts.

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This is how it works:

• Create an “Admin” group in SharePoint.
• Add a “Settings” button that only admins can see to the homepage.
• Link to admin-only pages like:
  • User groups
  • Permission settings
  • Special lists (like cost centers)
• Use skybow’s visible expressions to show or hide buttons based on roles.

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Why it helps:

Regular users won’t see stuff they don’t need. It keeps things clean and less confusing.

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Role-Based Visibility in SharePoint

Users shouldn't be overwhelmed by the functions of a solution. This works best if you only show them the functions and information that are relevant to them.

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This applies to buttons with different functions, but also to information. This means that nothing is overlooked, relevant information doesn't have to be searched for a long time and the right action is carried out automatically.

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To do so use skybow’s visibility settings to:

• Show web parts only to certain roles.
• Hide things from users who don’t need them.
• Display buttons based on where or when something happens (like during an approval step).

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This makes sure people only see what’s important to them.

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Custom SharePoint Views That Make Sense

SharePoint views can be overwhelming. Not all buttons that SharePoint provides out-of-the-box are also relevant for the current view. However, they are all displayed by default. It's worth asking yourself which action buttons are actually needed? Which are the most important and most frequently used? You can then optimize them based on these findings.

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Use JSON formatting to:

• Rename buttons (e.g., “New Expense Request” instead of “New”).
• Hide useless buttons.
• Re-order actions so the most important ones come first.
• Use skybow buttons mixed with SharePoint ones.

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💡 Tip: Add a little “home” icon to views in Teams. That way, users can get back to the home page easily since Teams hides the navigation menu.

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Cleaner SharePoint List Views

The data in the SharePoint tables can also become very confusing over time. This is because the amount of data grows. Numerous data records and different columns make it difficult to keep track of such a list. Especially if it has no formatting.

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List views don’t have to be boring!

• Use striped rows (gray/white) for better readability.
• Hide views from users who don’t need them (not secure, but tidy).
• Add buttons to views for quick actions like “Generate Document” or “Reopen Request”.

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Bonus: You can copy buttons from display forms to list views in skybow Studio!

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Better SharePoint Forms, Happier End Users

With the right styling hacks, SharePoint Forms have the potential to look like modern state-of-the-art software. There are also numerous ways to support end users on the forms. This allows tasks to be carried out even more efficiently.

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Let’s make SharePoint forms look awesome and work smarter.

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Use these tricks:

• Highlight the main button (use primary, secondary, or gray styles).
• Rename the form title (e.g., “New Expense Request” instead of “New Item”).
• Use placeholders (like showing the employee’s name in the title).
• Add a process steps bar that shows the current stage (with color-coded styles for approval, decline, etc.).

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These hacks help the end user to find their way around the forms more quickly. Users know where they are in the process and what to do next.

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‍Labeling and Tabs That Make Sense

• Use tabs on the SharePoint forms to organize the content and not display too much information at once.
• Place only one sub-list or sub-library per tab.
• Add dynamic numbers to tabs to show how many items are inside of those sublist or -library. If it’s 0, don’t bother clicking!
• Switch to left-labeled form layouts (like a form, not a long vertical page). That saves space and make it easier to scan.

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These tricks make it easier to get an overview of the form and to find the information you are looking for or to enter new data. This way, end users are not overwhelmed.

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Highlight Important Field Changes

• Use a red error style that clearly shows when something’s wrong.
• Add a change highlight style that shows fields you've edited. That's super useful when you leave and come back — no more guessing what you already changed!

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Such functions help to avoid frustration among end users. They can see directly if entries are incorrect or where they have already made changes. This makes the SharePoint forms easier to understand.

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✅ Checklist: What to Add to Your SharePoint Site for better UX

Use this quick list when building your next solution:

• Clean up unnecessary buttons
• Add role-based visibility
• Create an admin section with all key links
• Rename buttons and actions to match your process
• Add custom list actions (like “Go Home” or “Generate Document”)
• Use JSON formatting to style views
• Add action columns with direct edit/view links
• Use preview columns for images or documents
• Copy form buttons to list views
• Rename and customize form titles
• Use process steps control to show workflow stages
• Add error and change styles to fields
• Add tab counters to make navigation easier

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Small Changes, BIG Difference

Improving SharePoint doesn’t mean starting from scratch. You can easily add the tricks we have presented here to any existing SharePoint solution. With new SharePoint solutions, you should of course pay direct attention to good UX. But it's never too late to make SharePoint apps more user-friendly.

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Just a few simple tricks can make your solution faster, easier, and nicer to use for everyone.

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Want to make your SharePoint feel more like a polished app and less like a confusing folder system? Use these tips and you'll be well on your way!

Your users will thank you! 💚