When you build a project site in SharePoint, the landing page is the first thing team members and stakeholders see. A poorly designed landing page can confuse visitors, hide critical updates, and reduce adoption of the site. Common mistakes include cluttered layouts, missing navigation cues, and slow-loading web parts. This article explains the most frequent errors when creating a project site landing page and how to avoid them so your team can find information quickly and collaborate effectively.
Key Takeaways: Build a Clear Project Site Landing Page
- Site Pages > Add a page > Web Parts: Use only 3 to 5 web parts on the landing page to keep load times under 2 seconds.
- Quick Launch navigation: Rename default links and remove unused ones so users can find project documents and tasks.
- Hero web part: Place a Hero web part at the top to highlight the top three project priorities or deadlines.
What a Project Site Landing Page Should Do
A project site landing page serves as the central dashboard for your project. It should answer three questions for every visitor: What is this project about? What is the current status? Where do I go next? The page typically includes a summary of project goals, key milestones, links to core documents, and a list of team members. Before you start building, confirm that your site has the correct permissions so that all team members can view the page. Also decide whether you need a modern SharePoint team site or a communication site. A team site works best for ongoing collaboration with a small group, while a communication site is better for broadcasting updates to a wider audience.
Prerequisites for Building the Landing Page
To create a landing page, you need at least Edit permissions on the site. The site must be a modern SharePoint site, not a classic site. You should have a clear content plan before adding any web parts. List the five most important pieces of information your team needs on day one. Examples include the project charter link, the risk register, the schedule, the budget tracker, and the main contact person. Keep this list short to avoid overwhelming the page.
Mistakes to Avoid When Creating the Landing Page
Mistake 1: Adding Too Many Web Parts
The most common mistake is filling the landing page with dozens of web parts. Each web part loads data from SharePoint, which slows down the page. A page with more than seven web parts can take over 5 seconds to load. Users will leave the site before seeing the content.
How to fix it: Limit the landing page to five web parts at most. Use a Hero web part for the top three priorities. Add a Document library web part for the most recent files. Include a Quick links web part for important external URLs. Use a Text web part for a short project description. Remove any web part that does not serve a daily purpose.
Mistake 2: Ignoring Mobile Layout
Many project teams work from mobile devices. If you do not check the mobile view, your landing page may display columns stacked incorrectly or web parts cut off. SharePoint modern pages automatically reflow, but large images and wide tables still cause problems.
How to fix it: After you finish editing the page, click the mobile preview icon (smartphone symbol) in the top command bar. Check that all text is readable without horizontal scrolling. Replace wide tables with a List web part that shows only key columns. Use the Image web part with a max width of 600 pixels.
Mistake 3: Not Setting a Clear Call to Action
A landing page without a clear next step confuses users. They may open the page and close it without performing any action. The project status meeting agenda, the latest report, or a task list should be visible without scrolling.
How to fix it: Place the most important action in the Hero web part. For example, link the Hero image to the weekly status report. Add a Quick links web part directly below the Hero with three actions: View Project Plan, Submit Time Entry, and Contact Project Manager. Remove any link that is not related to the current phase of the project.
Mistake 4: Using Generic Navigation Labels
SharePoint creates default navigation links like Documents, Pages, and Site Contents. These names do not tell users what they will find. A project site landing page that links to a page called Documents forces users to guess which document library holds the project charter.
How to fix it: Go to Site Settings > Navigation and rename the Quick Launch links. Change Documents to Project Files. Change Pages to Project Updates. Remove any link that duplicates a web part on the landing page. Keep the navigation bar to a maximum of five links.
Mistake 5: Hiding the Landing Page Behind a Link
Some site owners create the landing page but do not set it as the site home page. Users land on a generic default page instead. They may never find the landing page because it is buried in the Pages library.
How to fix it: After you publish the landing page, go to Site Settings > Look and Feel > Change the look and set the new page as the site home page. Alternatively, use the SharePoint admin center > Active sites > select your site > Settings > Site home page and choose the page you created. Test by navigating to the site root URL to confirm the landing page appears first.
If the Landing Page Still Feels Cluttered
Project Site Has Too Many Sections
If you have more than three sections on the landing page, users must scroll past content they do not need. Each section adds visual noise.
How to fix it: Reduce the number of sections to three. Section 1: Hero web part with project summary. Section 2: Quick links and key documents. Section 3: Team members and contact information. Move any additional content to subpages and link them from the navigation bar.
Images Do Not Load Correctly
Large image files delay page load. If you upload a 5 MB photo, the landing page will load slowly on low-bandwidth connections.
How to fix it: Compress images to under 200 KB before uploading. Use JPEG format for photos and PNG for graphics with few colors. In the Image web part, set the display size to Medium or Small to reduce the file size served to users.
| Item | Team Site Landing Page | Communication Site Landing Page |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Ongoing collaboration with a small team | Broadcasting updates to a large audience |
| Default navigation | Quick Launch with Documents and Pages | Top navigation with customizable links |
| Web part limit | 5 web parts recommended | 7 web parts recommended |
| Hero web part | Show project priorities | Show announcements or news |
| Mobile layout | Check mobile preview after each edit | Check mobile preview after each edit |
You can now build a project site landing page that avoids the five most common mistakes. Start by limiting web parts to five and setting a clear call to action in the Hero web part. Next, rename the Quick Launch navigation to match your project terminology. Finally, set the landing page as the site home page so users see it first. An advanced tip: use the Highlighted Content web part filtered by a specific content type to automatically display the latest project documents without manual updates.