How to move web parts easily in SharePoint Online

Microsoft SharePoint utilizes web parts to store site content visible to your team and additional site members. A web part is a content component for sites used to easily structure and position HTML elements to your site. In simpler words, web parts can be thought of as complex HTML elements in the form of simple building blocks pre-made and ready for your content to be input.

Moving web parts is as easy as clicking and dragging the web part in question to its new destination.

If you are working on your SharePoint site and looking to move around your web parts, you will likely find this post quite useful. In this post, we will be exploring the means by which you move a web part around your site. In particular, the behaviors involved with the various directional indicators used to place a web part in a new position.

Contents:

Moving web parts and directional indicators

Starting up movement

When you initially click a web part, you’ll notice a small option bar appear along its edges. One of the options on the said bar is depicted as a set of arrows, both vertical and horizontal. This is the movement icon. Clicking it however will not allow movement. Instead, you will need to click and hold the icon. This will allow you to move the web part with your mouse- until you release your click.

  • Alternatively, you can simply click, hold, and begin dragging a web part immediately to save a small amount of time.

Ending movement

When you move a web part around, you’ll likely notice border lines appearing around the other web parts. These appear to indicate to users where their web part will be placed. For instance, if the borders appear above an unmoved web part, then your dragged web part will be placed above the unmoved web part. When you’ve finished dragging your web part to a new location you can release your held click to drop the web part.

  • The directional indicator is shown above the Quick links web part as a thick lined border.

End note

Recap

SharePoint web parts serve as HTML component prefabs that can be utilized to easily add content to your sites. Web parts can easily be moved around the page by clicking and dragging them. When moving web parts, positioning is aided by directional indicators which appear alongside other web parts as borders- intended to illustrate where your select web part will be placed. Typically, if an indicator is present, your web part will be placed on the same end of it. For instance, if a web part has an indicator appearing below it, you’re likely moving your targetted web part underneath the other web part.

Farewell

As usual, this section is dedicated to thanking readers for their support. We’d be pleased to know you found this post useful and/or informative. If you have any more Office 365 related queries, please consult our related articles (listed below). However, if you have other queries, consider looking at the rest of the site. We’re frequently posting new stuff each week and may just have the guide or troubleshooting tips you need. Regardless, we wish you a good day/night. Farewell readers. 

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Jack Mitchell

Jack Mitchell has been the Operations manager at telecoms and MSP Optionbox for more than 4 years. He has played a crucial role in the company, from marketing to helpdesk, and ensures that the IT requirements of over 300 clients are continuously met. With his innate passion for technology and troubleshooting and a particular interest in Apple products, Jack now delivers the most comprehensive tech guides to make your life easier. You can connect with Jack on LinkedIn.

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