How to Instantly Preview SharePoint Pages Without the Wait?

Why Does SharePoint Page Management Feel Like a Nightmare for Busy Teams?

Managing hundreds of SharePoint pages feels like searching for a needle in a haystack. You click. You wait. You scroll. Wrong page again. Back button. Repeat the cycle.

This endless loop wastes precious time. Every day, teams lose hours hunting through page libraries. The standard SharePoint interface forces you to open each page individually. No quick peek. No instant preview. Just click and hope.

The Hidden Solution That Changes Everything

SharePoint has a secret feature hiding in plain sight. You can preview pages without opening them. This method works through Microsoft Lists integration with custom column formatting.

The trick combines JSON formatting with the Lists application interface. Most users never discover this because it requires specific steps in exact order.

Why Standard SharePoint Falls Short

Regular SharePoint libraries show limited information:

• Page titles only
• Creation dates
• Author names
• File sizes

Missing elements include:

• Content previews
• Visual thumbnails
• Quick content scanning
• Instant page identification

This forces users into the click-and-check routine. Time drains away. Productivity drops.

The Step-by-Step Solution

Phase 1: Setting Up Your Preview Column

Step 1: Navigate to Site Pages Library

1. Go to your SharePoint site
2. Find the Site Pages section
3. Open the library view

Step 2: Create Preview Column

1. Click "Add column"
2. Choose "Single line of text"
3. Name it "Preview"
4. Save the column

Step 3: Access Column Formatting

1. Right-click the Preview column header
2. Select "Column settings"
3. Choose "Format this column"

Phase 2: Implementing the JSON Code

Paste this formatting code into the column editor:

json
{
"$schema": "https://developer.microsoft.com/json-schemas/sp/v2/column-formatting.schema.json",
"elmType": "div",
"children": [
{
"elmType": "div",
"style": {
"border-radius": "50%",
"cursor": "pointer",
"font-size": "15px",
"width": "27px",
"height": "27px",
"display": "flex",
"justify-content": "center",
"align-items": "center",
"font-weight": "bold"
},
"attributes": {
"class": "ms-bgColor-themeLighter ms-bgColor-themePrimary--hover ms-fontColor-neutralPrimary ms-fontColor-white--hover",
"iconName": "View"
},
"customRowAction": {
"action": "embed",
"actionInput": {
"src": {
"operator": "+",
"operands": [
"https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/",
"[$FileRef]",
"?env=WebView"
]
},
"height": "[email protected]*0.7",
"width": "[email protected]*0.5"
}
}
}
]
}

Important: Replace "yourtenant.sharepoint.com" with your actual SharePoint URL.

Phase 3: Activating the Preview Feature

The eye icon appears after saving. But clicking does nothing yet. Here's the crucial step most people miss:

Step 1: Add Query String to URL

1. Copy your Site Pages library URL
2. Add this to the end: ?env=WebViewList
3. Press Enter

Step 2: Access Microsoft Lists Interface

1. The page transforms into Lists view
2. All your pages appear with preview icons
3. Click any eye icon for instant preview

What Makes This Method Work

The solution exploits Microsoft Lists' embedded content feature. Regular SharePoint blocks this functionality. But Lists application allows iframe embedding through custom actions.

The JSON code creates clickable preview buttons. Each button triggers an embedded view of the selected page. The popup shows full page content without navigation away from the library.

Benefits You'll Experience Immediately

• Time Savings: No more opening multiple pages
• Quick Identification: See content at a glance
• Reduced Clicks: One click shows everything
• Better Organization: Stay in library view
• Improved Workflow: Faster content management

Making It Permanent

Bookmark the modified URL for easy access. Add it to your Quick Links web part. Share with team members who manage content regularly.

Consider creating a custom navigation link pointing to the Lists view. This makes the feature accessible to all site users.

Limitations to Consider

This workaround requires the Microsoft Lists application. It won't work in classic SharePoint views. The preview opens in a popup window, which some users might find disruptive.

The method also depends on specific JSON formatting. Any changes to SharePoint's column formatting system could affect functionality.

Alternative Approaches

If this method doesn't suit your needs, consider these options:

• Page thumbnails: Enable automatic thumbnail generation
• Metadata columns: Add description fields for quick identification
• Folder organization: Group related pages into folders
• Search functionality: Use SharePoint search with filters

SharePoint page management doesn't have to be painful. This preview method transforms how you interact with page libraries. Quick glances replace time-consuming page opens.

The setup takes minutes. The time savings last forever. Your team will wonder how they managed without it.

Try this solution today. Your productivity will thank you tomorrow.