MC254891: Launch portal using the SharePoint Portal launch scheduler UX

This new SharePoint Portal launch scheduler will help coordinate and schedule launch details for high-traffic sites (portals). This feature provides a great end-user experience when launching a brand-new portal by enabling you to release new sites in scheduled phases, as well as better monitor site quality and performance. This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 70799.

The Portal Launch Scheduler is designed to help you follow a wave / phased roll-out approach by managing the redirects for the new portal. During each of the waves, you can gather user feedback and monitor performance during each wave of deployment. This has the advantage of slowly introducing the portal, giving you the option to pause and resolve issues before proceeding with the next wave, and ultimately ensuring a positive experience for your users.

When will this happen

• Targeted release: Microsoft will begin rolling this out in late May and expect to complete rollout mid-June.
• Standard release: Microsoft will begin rolling this out in mid-June and expect to complete rollout mid-August (previously mid-July).

How this will affect your organization

This new feature will help your organization coordinate and mange new portals where high volumes of traffic are expected, such as company-wide sites and HR portals. The Portal launch scheduler enables site owners to batch groups of users into waves. During the launch of each wave, you can gather user feedback, monitor portal performance, and pause the launch to resolve issues before proceeding with the next wave. Additionally, the scheduler provides an automatic redirect for existing sites if needed.

This is an optional feature that will not impact your environment until a SharePoint administrator enables this feature on a site.

Note:

• The Portal launch scheduler, formerly only available via SharePoint PowerShell, is now incorporated into the SharePoint user interface.
• The PowerShell version of this product is still available and supported.
• When republishing SharePoint communication site home pages earlier than version 3.0, you will be asked if you want to schedule a portal’s launch.
• To schedule a portal launch: Navigate to the Settings pane from the home page and select Schedule site launch.

Requirements:

This feature can only be used on modern SharePoint communication sites.

Site owner permissions (or higher) to the site are needed to schedule a portal launch.

What you need to do to prepare

You might want to notify your users about this new capability and update your training and documentation as appropriate.

Learn more

• Launch your portal using the Portal Launch Scheduler
• Creating and launching a healthy SharePoint portal
• Page diagnostics for SharePoint tool
• Additional information

Message ID: MC254891
Effective: August 16, 2021